IB DP ESS 7.1 Natural Resource Use Teaching Notes & PowerPoint 2026

This comprehensive teaching and revision resource covers the Natural Resource Use topic (Topic 7.1) from the IB Diploma Programme Environmental Systems and Societies course (first assessment 2026). It is designed to serve two purposes: as supplemental teaching notes for instructors and as revision material for students.

Editable PowerPoint Version Included

In addition to the printable PDF, this resource includes a fully editable PowerPoint presentation that mirrors the complete content. Teachers can adapt slides, insert case studies, embed videos, or modify explanations to suit different teaching styles, lesson pacing, and classroom contexts. This makes it suitable for direct instruction, revision lessons, and digital learning environments.

What Makes This Resource Useful for ESS Teachers

Follows the Subject Guide Directly
The content is organised according to the IB ESS subject guide and covers all required assessment statements for Topic 7.1 in a clear and logical sequence, ensuring full syllabus alignment and easy lesson planning.

Helpful for New Teachers
If you are new to teaching ESS, this resource provides a structured pathway through natural capital, resource classification, and sustainability concepts, significantly reducing preparation time.

Dual-Purpose Design
Use the material as your own teaching notes or provide it directly to students as structured revision notes. The explanations are clear enough for independent study while maintaining the depth required for IB assessments.

Content Included

• Definitions of natural resources, natural capital, and natural income
• Renewable vs non-renewable resource classification
• Ecosystem services and their role in human well-being
• Economic, environmental, and cultural value of natural capital
• Dynamic value of resources across time and societies
• Sustainable vs unsustainable resource use patterns
• Resource management and sustainability principles
• Factors influencing resource use (economic, technological, political, cultural)
• Resource security and long-term availability
• Environmental impacts of resource extraction and consumption
• Systems thinking links between resources, sustainability, and development
• Key terminology and definitions highlighted for revision
• Diagrams, charts, and structured summaries to support understanding

This is a straightforward, curriculum-aligned teaching tool that presents the Natural Resource Use topic in a clear, organised format, making complex sustainability and resource management concepts easy to teach, understand, and revise for IB ESS assessments.