Activity: Mining Simulation, by Ellen DeBacker

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Overview

This mining simulation is a portion of a unit of study on rocks and minerals. This simulation works well at the end of the unit, allowing students to put their knowledge of rocks and minerals into perspective by seeing how minerals can be mined and the difficulties and costs of mining.

Purpose and learning goals

To help students understand the processes and economics of mining ore as well as the ethics, laws, and environmental impacts of mining.

Intended grade level

8th grade

Time involved

Preparation time: About 4 hours, depending on the number of mining sites that need to be prepared (estimate based on 50 sites).

Student time: 3 days, 45 to 50 minute classes.

Alignment to national standards (for entire unit)

• NSES (5-8): Unifying concepts and processes: Evidence, models, and explanation; Change, constancy, and measurement
• NSES (5-8): Science and Technology: Understandings about science and technology
• NSES (5-8): Science in Personal and Social Perspectives: Populations, resources and environments; Natural hazards; Science and technology in society
• NSES (5-8): Earth Science: Structure of the earth system

Background information for the unit

Most of your preparation time will involve creating enough models of the land to be mined for each lab group in the class. You will also need to copy the money, divide it up for each group, and determine which type of mine each group will have. It is very helpful to have a second adult in the classroom for day 2. This could be a parent, who takes on the role of Environmental Protection Agency/Mining Safety investigator. An understanding of the mining process for surface mining is very helpful to be able to envision the process.

Materials

Preparation materials for the mining (enough for one per lab group; do a week in advance)

• Aluminum cake pan, 8 x 8
• Clay soil
• Container for making mud out of clay
• Sandy soil
• Gravel, charcoal, and pyrite (with fish gravel)
• Green glitter
• Plaster of Paris
• Blue food coloring

Activity materials

• Mining tools (several of each per lab group per period)
  • Straws cut in half
  • Plastic spoons
  • Metal chemical scoops
  • Toothpicks
  • Wooden popsicle sticks
  • Paper cups to hold ore
• Reclamation materials
  • Green glitter
  • ¼ tsp scoop
  • Paper cups to hold glitter sold
• Timer
• Electronic scale set for grams
• Overhead of centimeter graph paper for assessing fines
• Calculator
• Buckets for ore when purchased
• Copies of money - for loans and buying ore
• Copies of worksheets for students
• Copies of price list for equipment
• Safety goggles

Preparation

Preparing the mining sites

• Lay out the cake pans in 3 groups. The number of each mine type can vary based on the materials available. Group 1 will be a coal mine, group 2 a gravel mine, and group 3 a gold mine.
• Mix up a mud mixture with the clay soil. Smear some clay in the bottom of each cake pan.
• Mix up a mud mixture with the sandy soil. Put a layer in the pans. The layer does not have to cover the entire pan as it is simulating rock layers in the ground.
• Put a streak of charcoal going from shallow to deep across the coal mine pans.
• Put a streak of gravel going from shallow to deep across the gravel mine pans.
• Put 5 or 6 pyrite pieces and a tablespoon of colorful fish gravel as a gold indicator (like quartz acts) in one small area in the gold mine pans.
• Alternate layers of clay mud and sandy mud in the pans.
• Put a last layer of plain soil on the top of each pan to simulate the soil layer.
• Sprinkle green glitter across the pans to simulate ground cover.
• Mix a thin mixture of plaster and water. Add blue food coloring. Create a stream across one corner of each pan to simulate a stream.
• Allow the models to dry at least 3 days before using.

Preparing money and other copies

• Copy the different denominations of money and put $26,400 in each group's envelop: two $10,000 bills, four $1,000 bills, four $500 bills, and four $100 bills. (My masters had 4 bills per sheet, and I needed about two sheets of each bill type per group doing the activity.) Cut out the rest of the money and store it in the moneybox by denomination.
• Write the assignment of the mine type on the envelope.
• Copy the “Dollar Values for Mining Exercise” sheet for posting and use at the mining store and the “fines” sheet.

Final preparation

• Get the remainder of the supplies together. Have enough mining tools for several of each tool per lab group running at any one time. You will need one pair of safety goggles per student in the class.
• Set up a mining store area, including: the mining tools, price list, money box, paper cups and glitter with measuring spoon, electronic scale, timer, and buckets for purchased ore to be put in.
• Have the mining sites set up near the store by mine type, with 2 straws accompanying each site.

Procedure

Activity Day 1

• Introduce the activity after handing out the instruction, financial record, and documentation pages.
• Go over the terminology (e.g., reclamation and open pit mining) and the roles of the EPA and the Mining Safety people. Review the different phases of a mine's life, giving a real-time estimate for each phase.
• Hand out an envelope to each group with the money and assigned mine type attached to it. If the money has not been precut, have the students cut it, put it in the envelop, and write their names on it.
• Have each group plan their test hole strategy and diagram it on the documentation page. (Straws are used to bore test holes). 5 minutes
• Allow 1 student from each group to pay for their mine plot.
• Go over the schedule for tomorrow's simulation.
• Collect the envelopes of money from each group.

Activity Day 2

• Give each group its envelop and have them get out their paperwork.
• Remind students of the procedure for the day. Give them the following rules. 5 minutes
  • Only use tools when mining; no hands allowed.
  • Listen to the time limits.
  • Document all your actions
  • No mining activity can occur outside of the land boundaries.
  • Goggles must be worn during mining.
  • Send only one lab member as a purchasing agent/selling agent.
• Allow students to move to the lab stations, pick up their land from the store, and their safety goggles. 5 minutes
• Give the students 5 minutes to drill test holes and document their findings and locations. Time them with the timer. They must wear goggles during the 5 minutes, or be fined by the mine safety officer. Fines are payable on receipt. 5 minutes
• Give the students 8 minutes to create their mining plan and the method of mining that they will use, including the locations for mining, tailings piles, and ore piles (all must be on their land). They also need to plan the tools they will purchase, with a minimum of 1 tool per person in the group. As soon as the group has decided on tools, they may purchase them from the mining store. They are to send only one representative to do the purchasing. No mining is allowed until the time is given. 8 minutes
• Give the students 5 minutes to mine. They must wear their goggles or be fined by the mine safety officer. Fines are due on receipt. New tools may be purchased during the mining process. All ore and tailings must remain on the mine's land. 5 minutes
• Give the students 2 minutes to record their mining process, results, and tool record. 2 minutes
• Give the students 3 minutes to plan their reclamation process and purchase materials from the mining store. 3 minutes
• Give the students up to 5 minutes to reclamate their land. They must wear goggles or be fined by the mine safety officer. As soon as they are done, they need to call out and their time will be noted. They are charged for the time of reclamation. As soon as they call time, the EPA officer needs to evaluate the property for fines. Any disturbed areas over ½ centimeter square are counted and fined $100 each. Damage to the stream counts as double the squares. 5 minutes
• Allow the students to sell their ore as soon as their land is reclamated. It needs to be transported in the paper cup. Ore is purchased based on the posted price, but may be docked in price due to contamination with dirt. The ore is weighed on the electronic scale, with the price and amount given to the student. The ore is then dumped into the large bucket for each ore type. 5 minutes
• Have students clean up for the day by placing their mining properties in the used pile and returning tools, goggles, and any other materials. They will need their paperwork on day 3.

Activity Day 3

• Give students 15-20 minutes to complete their financial record and the conclusion questions as a group. Everyone in the group needs to have the full documentation.
• Allow students to share their results with the class.
• Discuss as a class the results of the different mine types, ethics that could affect the results (especially monetary results), policies that affect costs and safety, and how differing values affect approval of new mining sites. Bring up local examples if possible. Remind students that the goods we use are either mined or grown!

Reflecting on the activity/ideas for assessment

This mining simulation requires a lot of advance preparation, but is well worth the time given the experience that students get in seeing the many facets of the mining process, as well as the economics, ethics, and environmental impacts involved. You ocan assess the students by their documentation of the simulation or through discussion and/or writing about it.

Key questions that may be asked with 'Look fors'

1. Why did the gravel mine do better that the gold mine when gold ore has such a high value? (It has to do with the volume of gravel in one area along with ease of obtaining it)
2. What are these ores used for? (Coal for electrical power, gravel for new construction, and gold for jewelry)
3. How did your mine do compared to your expectations? Would you have made any money if you had to pay back the $26,400 loan, now with interest?
4. Ethics questions, such as damage to the environment, and safety demands on the mining industry. (Look for pros and cons.)
5. Policy questions, such as amount of reclamation needed to make the land better than in its pre-mining days; or noise and dust abatement procedures that must be adhered to. (Again look for pros and cons.)
6. Rules that should be followed to approve new mining sites in the local community for a needed resource. (Again look for pros and cons.)

Extensions and applications

• Students can research mine sites in the area, the costs involved, and the actual time involved in the start to finish time line.
• Students can research the difference between the rules and restrictions for surface versus underground mining.
• Students can research the uses of different mined materials, along with the processes required to change ore to usable material.
• Students can research the history of mining as a whole or in their local area.
• Invite personnel from a local mine to speak about mining.
• Research the real costs of mining.

Adaptations for special needs

Perhaps a stool or modified seating to allow all students to reach the stream table.

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