Year 9 - Geography
Energy use around the world
Natural resources: Can Earth meet our needs?
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Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit teaches pupils about the growing demand for natural resources and the different renewable and non-renewable ways humans try to meet their needs. Pupils will learn the impact of overexploitation and some of the ways natural resource exploitation can be managed.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to categorise different types of energy and describe how energy use varies globally.
Key Notes
- Renewable energy resources can replenish naturally over short periods of time (e.g. solar energy).
- Non-renewable energy resources take millions of years to form and cannot be quickly replaced (e.g. coal).
- Wealthier countries use more energy for transportation, technology, factories, lighting and temperature control.
- Many people do not have reliable access to modern energy and instead rely on fuelwood.
Vocabulary To Learn
- electricity: a form of energy that powers electronics by moving tiny charged particles
- renewable energy resources: sources of energy that can be reused and will not be used up or run out (e.g. solar energy)
- non-renewable energy resources: sources of energy that cannot be replaced that will eventually run out (e.g. coal)
- fossil fuel: natural substances that were formed over millions of years from the buried remains of ancient organisms; they include coal, oil and gas
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Nuclear energy is either a renewable source of energy or a fossil fuel.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this geography topic using two clear key points.
Renewable energy resources can replenish naturally over short periods of time (e.g. solar energy). Non-renewable energy resources take millions of years to form and cannot be quickly replaced (e.g. coal).
2. Define this geography term and use it in an example. 'electricity'
a form of energy that powers electronics by moving tiny charged particles.
3. Correct this common geography misunderstanding.
Mistake: Nuclear energy is either a renewable source of energy or a fossil fuel. Correction: Nuclear energy is a non-renewable energy source but is not a fossil fuel.
More Lessons In This Unit
- A solution: genetically modified crops Study Guide
- Consumption and climate change Study Guide
- Energy in the UK Study Guide
- Fish resources Study Guide
- Food resources Study Guide
- Natural resources: The things we use Study Guide
- Rare earth materials Study Guide
- Sustainable fishing Study Guide
- The future: hydroponics and aquaponics Study Guide
- The palm oil dilemma Study Guide
- Windfarms: Decision making exercise Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 9 Geography guide library.