A few of My Favorite Things

Here’s a fun way to break the ice the first week back in school – have a resource “show and tell”. Have each student bring in one of their favorite objects, such as a skateboard, book, toy or stuffed animal. Have the students share their object with the class and tell why it’s their favorite but also what it is made up of, such as metal, wood, cotton or plastic. Keep a class list of the materials in their favorite objects. Then follow Project Learning Tree’s “A Few of My Favorite Things” to discuss and trace the natural resources origin of all the materials.

Young Child Extension
Have young children bring one of their favorite objects too! Have them share their object with the class and then as a class try to guess what it is made of and where those materials came from (i.e. wood from trees, cotton from cotton plants). Discuss how we get materials to make things from plants and animals just like we get food from plants and animals.

Book List

Grades PreK-2
Deedy, C.A. and L.L. Seeley. 1994. Agatha’s Feather Bed: Not Just Another Wild Goose Story. Peachtree Publishers.
Gifford, C. 2008. Materials. Roaring Brook Press.
Priceman, M. 2008. How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the U.S.A. Random House Childrens Books.

Grades 3-5
Deedy, C.A. and L.L. Seeley. 1994. Agatha’s Feather Bed: Not Just Another Wild Goose Story. Peachtree Publishers.
Gifford, C. 2008. Materials. Roaring Brook Press.
Priceman, M. 2008. How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the U.S.A. Random House Childrens Books.

Grades 6-8
Lindeen, C.K. 2007. Natural and Human-Made. Pebble Books.
Morgan, S. 2009. Natural Resources. Black Rabbit Books.
Spilsbury, R. and L.A. Spilsbury. 2006. Earth’s Resources. Chelsea House Publishers.
Stille, D.R. 2005. Natural Resources: Using and Protecting Earth’s Supplies. Capstone Press, Inc

Grades 9-12
Parks, P. 2004. Global Resources. Cengage Gale
Winters, A. 2006. Destruction of Earth’s Resources: The Need for Sustainable Development. Rosen Publishing Group, Incorporated.