One of a series of student booklets on the Canadian environment, this unit helps secondary students understand what a resource is, consider Canada's many and diverse resources, learn about renewable and non-renewable resources, understand how the use of natural resources affects life-styles, and understand the importance of managing resources wisely. Four stages make up the unit. "Stage One: Resources--A Mixed Bag," contains three activities in which students distinguish between raw materials and finished products, define renewable and non-renewable resources, and study graphs and complete a resource chart. In "Stage Two: Mining: Your Own Business," students are asked to examine three cross-section diagrams of mining methods, match non-renewable resources with products, and examine two charts and a timeline showing Canada's mineral resource wealth for the years 1950 and 1980. In the activities in "Stage Three: Do You Mine?" students look at factors influential in the decision of whether or not to mine. "Stage Four: The Mining Town" contains activities intended to help students understand the economic, social, and environmental impacts of mining on a community. A summary statement is followed by a final activity in which students read newspaper clippings and write personal responses. (LH)