Five Themes of Geography: Place — Natural Resources & Place

Five Themes of Geography: Place — Natural Resources & Place

Help students explore how natural resources shape the identity, economy, settlement, and development of a place with this no-prep geography lesson focused on Place, one of the Five Themes of Geography.

Designed for Grades 6–8, students investigate the significant natural resources of a specific location and create a Natural Resources Map. They examine resources such as minerals, fossil fuels, forests, fertile soil, and water while making connections between physical geography and human economic activity.

What's Included
- Teacher Directions for 1–2 class periods (45–60 minutes each)
- Student-friendly Overview
- Mini Research Questions
- Natural Resources Map Group Activity
- 5-step project directions
- Online Resources
- Understanding Natural Resources & Place research page
- Planning Your Natural Resources Map page
- Digging Deeper analysis page
- Color and black-and-white student pages

Students Will
- Identify significant natural resources in a specific place
- Research where resources are located and how they are used
- Connect natural resources to economic activities
- Examine relationships between resources, climate, and landforms
- Analyze how resources influence settlement, trade, and migration
- Compare the historical and modern importance of resources
- Consider the effects of resource scarcity
- Create and present a Natural Resources Map

Why Teachers Love This
- No prep and ready to use
- Combines geography, research, mapping, and critical thinking
- Connects physical and human geography
- Moves students from identifying resources to analyzing their broader significance
- Flexible for individual, partner, or group work
- Includes color and printer-friendly student pages

Part of the 5 Themes of Geography Series
This resource is part of the 5 Themes of Geography Series, designed to help students investigate what makes places unique through focused research and meaningful projects. This lesson focuses specifically on Place — Natural Resources & Place.

Perfect For: Grades 6–8 • Geography • Social Studies • Five Themes of Geography • Place • Natural Resources • Physical Geography • Economic Geography • Mapping • Research Projects • No Prep Lessons

Please Note: This independently created educational resource is not affiliated with or endorsed by any curriculum organization or educational institution.