Course Introduction
Welcome to the course Sustainability and Conservation of Resources. This professional development course is designed to strengthen your understanding of how natural resources are used, managed, and conserved in today’s world. You’ll explore the science behind renewable and nonrenewable resources, the challenges of sustainability, and the ways human choices influence the availability of the materials and energy we depend on. The course also provides practical tools and strategies, with the support of Watt Watchers of Texas resources, to help you guide students in identifying, analyzing, and evaluating resource use in familiar situations. By connecting sustainability concepts to real-world examples, you’ll be able to show students not only why conservation matters but also how they can take part in shaping a more sustainable future. Before we explore teaching strategies and student-centered activities, it’s important for you, as an educator, to build a clear conceptual framework. In this opening chapter, we’ll focus on the science itself: What are the key types of natural resources? How do we use them? And why does conservation matter for both society and the environment, now and in the future?
