Grade: Grade 6 Subject: Social Studies Unit: Geography's Impact Lesson: 3 of 6 SAT: Information+Ideas ACT: Reading

Natural Resources

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Natural resources are materials found in nature that humans can use. The availability of resources shaped where civilizations developed, what they produced, and how they interacted with other societies.

Types of Natural Resources

  • Agricultural resources: Fertile soil, water for irrigation, suitable climate for crops
  • Mineral resources: Metals (copper, iron, gold, silver), stone for building
  • Forest resources: Timber for building, fuel, and tools
  • Marine resources: Fish, shells, salt from the sea

Resource-Rich Regions

Mesopotamia: Rich in clay (for bricks and tablets) but lacked timber, stone, and metals. This drove extensive trade networks.

Egypt: Abundant gold, limestone, and granite for monuments; the Nile provided fish and papyrus; limited timber led to trade with Lebanon for cedar.

China: Diverse resources including jade, silk (from silkworms), iron, and copper; the "Middle Kingdom" was largely self-sufficient.

Rome: The Mediterranean region provided olives, grapes, and grain; conquest brought access to Spanish silver, British tin, and Egyptian grain.

How Resources Shaped Civilizations

  • Architecture: Egyptians built with stone (pyramids); Mesopotamians used mud bricks (ziggurats); Chinese used wood and later developed brick-making
  • Economy: Resource-poor areas developed trade networks; resource-rich areas attracted conquest
  • Technology: The Bronze Age and Iron Age reflect the discovery and use of metal resources
  • Social structure: Control of resources (irrigation, mines) concentrated power with rulers

Scarcity and Conflict

Limited resources often led to:

  • Trade relationships (peaceful exchange)
  • War and conquest (taking resources by force)
  • Migration to resource-rich areas
  • Innovation (finding substitutes or new technologies)

Practice Questions

Question 1

What are natural resources?

Question 2

Name three types of natural resources and give an example of each.

Question 3

Why did Mesopotamia develop extensive trade networks?

Question 4

How did Egypt's natural resources influence its architecture?

Question 5

What resource was China famous for producing that was highly valued in trade?

Question 6

How did the availability of metals change human civilization?

Question 7

What are four ways societies responded to resource scarcity?

Question 8

Why did Egypt trade with Lebanon?

Question 9

How did control of resources affect social and political structures?

Question 10

Give an example of how resource availability led to conflict in ancient times.

Answer Key

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1. Materials found in nature that humans can use for survival, building, trade, or other purposes

2. Agricultural (fertile soil), mineral (copper, iron, gold), forest (timber), marine (fish, salt)

3. Mesopotamia lacked timber, stone, and metals but had surplus grain, so they traded for needed resources

4. Abundant limestone and granite allowed Egyptians to build massive stone monuments like pyramids

5. Silk (produced from silkworms), which became a major trade item on the Silk Road

6. Metals enabled stronger tools and weapons (Bronze Age, Iron Age), advancing agriculture, warfare, and construction

7. Trade, war/conquest, migration to resource-rich areas, and innovation/substitution

8. Egypt lacked large timber trees and needed cedar wood from Lebanon for shipbuilding and construction

9. Those who controlled key resources (water, mines, trade routes) gained power and wealth, becoming rulers or elites

10. Rome conquered regions for resources (Spanish silver mines, Egyptian grain); Mesopotamian city-states fought over water rights