Week 2, 9/06-9/11:


Reading Assignment:  Chapter 1
Minerals: The Foundation of Society



 
 
 
 

Unit (Chapter) Plan:
Contents 
(unit topics)
Activities 
(things you must do)
Abilities Acquired
(what you learned)

Back to Course Contents || Back to Course Plan (weekly schedule)



 
 
 
 
 

Visit this web site: CNN to check for current news on the World Resources

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Contents (topics):
The World's Resource Needs
Population Growth: The Force that Drives Consumption Materials We Use

Consequences of Resource Exploitation
Resources, Reserves, and Ores
Where Do Earth Resources Come From?

Study Aid:  Click here for a list of bullet points to help you learn the topics of this chapter.
 

Back to Unit Plan
X
Activities (things you must do):
Read Chapter one of your textbook
If you are not familiar with the use of the Internet and browsing the world wide web, it is highly recommended that you do these tutorials:
To gain a better feeling for the Internet
To gain a better feeling of Netscape
Have a view to the Solar System
review the story of plate tectonics
Visit this site <http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/>  to become aware of: Statistics and information on the worldwide supply of, demand for, and flow of minerals and materials essential to the U.S. economy, the national security, and protection of the environment. For Extra Credit: Summarize the information and statistics of three commodities of your selection.
Visit this site <http://www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/ecolodge/25/hg143.htm> to learn about "The real mineral resources of the United Kingdom"
Back to Unit Plan
X
Abilities Acquired (what you learned):

By the end of this chapter you should be able to:
1.- Briefly describe the pattern of human population increase over the past 6000 years.
2.- Identify what was the only period of major world population decline, and what was its cause?
3.- Briefly describe the pattern of human population increase over the past 6000 years.
4.- Identify what was the only period of major world population decline, and what was its cause?
5.- Explain why human population begin to increase so rapidly at about the end of the 16th Century.
6.- Explain how the rates of population growth in individual countries correlate with their standards of living.
7.- Discuss the differences between renewable and nonrenewable resources.
8.- Identify what limits the amount of renewable resources available in anyone year.
9.- Explain what is generally understood by the term "abundant metal".  Cite three examples.
10.- List the two major sources of energy driving the activities we see on the face of the Earth. Which of these is most visible to us?
11.- Explain the concept of the geochemical cycling and illustrate in a simple schematic diagram the geochemical cycle for carbon. How do human activities affect the carbon cycle?
12.- Explain the difference between resources and reserves.
13.- Identify what factors determine how much of the resources are also reserves.
14.- Discuss how the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere has changed since the late 1950's.
15.- Speculate on the likely consequences of continuing increases in the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere.
16.- Understand  the process of differentiation as the mechanism to the formation of the Earth's dense core and a light crust.
Back to Unit Plan