The geographically informed person must understand that a “resource” is a cultural concept. A resource is any physical material constituting part of Earth that people need and value. Natural materials become resources when humans value them. The uses and values of resources change from culture to culture and from time to time. Resources are spatially distributed varying in quantity and quality. Some resources are finite, while others can be replenished at varying rates. However, humans need to balance short-term rates of use against long-term availability to ensure a sustainable future.
Therefore, Standard 16 contains these themes: Types and Meanings of Resources, Location and Distribution of Resources, and Sustainable Resource Use and Management.
Three basic resources—land, water, and air—are essential to survival. The characteristics and quantity of a resource are defined by whether it is a renewable, nonrenewable, or flow resource. Renewable resources can be replenished if their environments remain intact. Nonrenewable resources can be extracted and used only once. Flow resources, such as water, wind, and sunlight, must be used when and where they occur because they are neither renewable nor nonrenewable.
Resource location influences the distribution of people and their activities. People settle where they can make a living and where the needed resources are available—resources such as fertile soils, potable water, fuel, and building materials. The patterns of population distribution resulting from the relationship between resources and employment change as needs and technologies change. New technology alters how people appraise resources, influences where they live and work, and affects how economic systems adapt.
Students must understand how and why resources are valued, why they cause fierce competition among countries, and how resources are distributed across Earth’s surface. In addition, they must recognize that maintaining renewable resources at a sustainable level is a local and global responsibility.
Sustainable resource use and management is a key solution to many ecological problems. Understanding these three themes enables students to address a fundamental question: In the absence of regulation and prudent public policy, can our present industry-based and consumer-oriented lifestyle continue without causing irreversible ecological damage and perhaps even ecological collapse?
1. The characteristics of renewable, nonrenewable, and flow resources
Therefore, the student is able to:
A. Identify and explain the characteristics of renewable, nonrenewable, and flow resources, as exemplified by being able to
2. The spatial distribution of types of resources
Therefore, the student is able to:
A. Identify the locations of examples of each type of resource, as exemplified by being able to
3. The sustainable use of resources in daily life
Therefore, the student is able to:
A. Identify the ways in which different types of resources can be conserved, reused, and recycled, as exemplified by being able to
1. People can have different viewpoints regarding the meaning and use of resources
Therefore, the student is able to:
A. Describe examples of how cultures differ in their definition and use of resources, as exemplified by being able to
2. The formation and spatial distribution of types of resources
Therefore, the student is able to:
A. Describe the physical processes that influence the formation and therefore spatial distribution of renewable, nonrenewable, and flow resources, as exemplified by being able to
B. Explain the location and uses of major resources in the world, as exemplified by being able to
3. Humans can manage resources to sustain or prolong their use
Therefore, the student is able to:
A. Explain how renewable resources can be continuously replenished through sustainable use, as exemplified by being able to
B. Explain how humans can use technology to prolong the supply of nonrenewable resources and utilize flow resources, as exemplified by being able to
1. The meaning and use of resources change over time
Therefore, the student is able to:
A. Explain the relationship between the quest for resources and the exploration, colonization, and settlement of different regions of the world, as exemplified by being able to
B. Explain how globalization and higher standards of living affect the meaning and use of resources, as exemplified by being able to
2. The spatial distribution of resources affects patterns of human settlement and trade
Therefore, the student is able to:
A. Analyze and explain the relationships between the spatial patterns of settlement and resources, as exemplified by being able to
B. Analyze and evaluate patterns of trade in resources,as exemplified by being able to
3. Policies and programs that promote the sustainable use and management of resources impact people and the environment
Therefore, the student is able to:
A. Explain and compare the costs and benefits of using various types of renewable, nonrenewable, and flow resources, as exemplified by being able to
B. Evaluate policy decisions regarding the sustainable use of resources in different regions and at different spatial scales in the world, as exemplified by being able to