To Live I Need...
(Adapted from Recycle Alaska Activities Handbook, Department of Environmental Conservation, Juneau, AK)
GRADE LEVELS: 4-6
 
SUBJECT AREAS: social studies, language arts
 
CONCEPT: People's wants are unlimited but resources are limited, therefore choices must be made.
 
OBJECTIVE: Students will be able to state one item previously considered to be "essential" which he/she could live without.
 
MATERIALS: butcher paper, crayons
 
KEYWORDS: renewable resources, essential
 
PROCEDURE:
 
1. Have the students think of the things they use every day and make a list called "to live I need." They will separate the essentials from those things that are just nice to have. List the essentials.
 
2. One item at a time, focus on these items, and facilitate discussion about them. Some sample questions might be:
-Where did it come from?
-What are the basic ingredients?
-Are the ingredients found in nature?
-Are they renewable?
-Are they non-renewable?
-Are they made by people?
 
3. Design a chart for the items discussed. Sample chart:

Essential Things List
 Where Does It Come From (Found in nature? Made by people? Renewable? Non-renewable?)
Basic Ingredient List
___________________________________________________________________________
 
___________________________________________________________________________
 
___________________________________________________________________________
 
___________________________________________________________________________
 
___________________________________________________________________________
 
___________________________________________________________________________
 
___________________________________________________________________________
 
 
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Cornell Waste Management Institute ©1991
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences
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