Classroom Discussions

• To teach natural resources in a second-grade classroom, host a discussion relating to items used on a regular basis. Some examples include paper, pencils or water. Encourage students to brainstorm about common materials and where the items come from. For example, drinking water typically comes from rain or fresh water sources such as lakes and rivers. Once students have a better understanding of the raw materials used to create everyday items, begin discussing the importance of preserving natural resources.
  
  

Individual Worksheets

• After engaging in a classroom discussion, be sure that students have developed a basic understanding of natural resources. Hand out worksheets for children to work on individually. Each worksheet should contain a picture of common item, such as a school desk, bottle of water or a brick house. Encourage students to write a sentence about the raw materials used to create the illustrated object. For example, a desk is created from wood, so the child would include the raw material into their sentence describing the object. This exercise gets children thinking about natural resources and how we use them.
  
  

Art and Illustration

• Because art is popular with most elementary school students, allow them to get creative in an art project about natural resources. On the chalkboard, write down a raw material such as rocks or soil. Provide students with a white sheet of paper and art supplies. Encourage students to illustrate the material in its natural state, along with a common item made from the raw material. For example, if rocks are the raw material listed on the board, a student may draw a mountain and a brick house.
  
  

Reading and Comprehension

• Age-appropriate books such as "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein or the "True Books" series on natural resources by Christin Ditchfield are acceptable for teaching second-graders more about raw materials. Second-graders are likely to enjoy the photographs in the books, as well as the information provided. These books teach about the importance of natural resources in a way young children can understand, and they encourages reading and comprehension skills.