Unit 3.2: What geological resources do we need for our civilization?

A successful student will be able to:

1. Describe and categorize major mineral and rock resources in commonly used objects
2. Work in teams to problem-solve and communicate the results of scientific investigations

Target Audience

This unit about geological resources is designed for an introductory Earth Science class. This activity is appropriate for introductory-level classes in Earth Science, Physical and Historical Geology, and Physical Geography. Students should have a basic background on minerals and rocks before starting this unit.

Time needed

This activity will take approximately 1-1.5 hours of class time.

Background skills

No specific geological information is needed. Familiarity with the difference between elements, minerals, and rocks would be helpful. Students should be comfortable searching for information on the internet or course textbooks.

Suggested background reading: basics of geological resources

Pre-class

There is a lot of background reading for this unit. The readings below are a basic introduction to how minerals and rocks form.  Instructors may choose to do a mini-lecture in class in addition to these readings, or to assign them earlier in the unit.

• A detailed introduction to minerals: Minerals Notes (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 3MB Aug19 24)
• Igneous Rocks: https://commons.wvc.edu/rdawes/g101ocl/basics/igneous.html
• Sedimentary rocks: https://commons.wvc.edu/rdawes/g101ocl/basics/sedimentary.html
• Metamorphic Rocks: https://commons.wvc.edu/rdawes/g101ocl/basics/metamorphic.html

Optional: Instructors might have students complete this Rock formation homework worksheet (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 130kB Sep13 24) as a check on their reading of the materials.

Pre-class homework: For Unit 3.2: What resources do we need? Students should complete this assignment: Each student will choose (or be assigned) one common object that they use regularly. Bring a list of all the geological components of that object to class, by filling out the Pre-class homework - Geological components of an object worksheet (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 1.7MB Sep13 24).

Opening discussion: What resources do we use?

The instructor will assign teams of 3-5 students (or larger depending on the size of the class). Students will discuss the following questions. They should take notes of their discussion to share with the class, but do not need to submit their lists.

1. In small teams, come up with a list- as long and specific as possible - of all the geological resources we use. Start with the materials in the resources from the homework. (5 minutes) Students should keep a list in their notebooks but do not need to turn in this work.
2. In teams, students create 3-5 categories of resources or how they are used. (10 minutes) This is good practice for students to think about how to create reasonable categories (by how it's used? by chemical composition of the resource?)
3. Then, summarize on the board (instructor can put categories on the board and students can write their own in, or instructor can summarize on the board). (~5 minutes).

"Hook" for the Jigsaw activity

You are part of a team whose mission is to build a new society on Earth. Imagine that you have the technology and knowledge to make use of Earth's resources as we do today (i.e., you are not sent back to the Stone Age). What resources will you need? How will you find these resources? You will leverage your understanding of geological activity on Earth to help you find these necessary resources.

The first part of this project is a jigsaw-type activity. These slides can guide this activity: Jigsaw slides (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 268kB Sep18 24). The last slide is a spreadsheet of common mineral resources and associated information.  View the full spreadsheet (Excel 2007 (.xlsx) 10kB Aug19 24).

Jigsaw part 1 (20 minutes):

The class will be divided into teams.  Each team will be assigned a sector of society (e.g., infrastructure, agriculture, etc.-- see teams below), and each group will find 10–12 resources required for their sector of civilization. Each team should make a list of the resources required and determine the geological material that resources come from. (For example, if the resource is steel, students should note that steel is mostly iron and some carbon).

Students will fill in this resources jigsaw worksheet (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 178kB Sep18 24) with information for their sector of society. Students will bring their worksheets to the second round team.

Students should use this spreadsheet (Excel 2007 (.xlsx) 10kB Aug19 24) (also available as a Google spreadsheet) to help them identify the geological components of resources.

Suggested Teams:

1. Infrastructure/buildings
2. Electronics/technology
3. Food/agriculture
4. Gems/metals
5. Transportation/energy

Jigsaw Part 2 (30 minutes): 

Students are rearranged into new teams, each with one student from each of the resource types. Each new team comes up with a list of what they will need for a complete society and shares it with the rest of the class. Students should, in particular, think about resources that are used in multiple industries, and what resources are absolutely essential for a modern society. This would work well as a gallery walk/tour, where each team writes their list on a whiteboard/station in the room, and the students then move from station to station to give feedback on each others' lists. (15 minutes for the group work, 15 minutes for gallery walk or class discussion).

Summary: Group discussion/summary: What resources did all the groups have in common?

(10 minutes)

Prepare for the next class: In the next unit, students will investigate how and where some geological resources form.

If students have not already completed the rock and mineral identification activity, then they should review mineral and rock formation before the next class (see pre-class work for this unit).

Students will probably need some reminders about terminology and what is expected for a material or component (e.g., students will mix up minerals and metals), so the instructor should monitor students' worksheets to make sure they are on the right track. Consider going through an example before the groups start. Also, remind students that they are looking for geological materials, so biological materials such as wood and rubber do not count.

The spreadsheet linked above has many common resources, but is in no way exhaustive. I recommend that instructors encourage students to use the spreadsheet, but that they may need to use other resources such as the internet to determine what geological materials are in some objects. Students may need guidance to come up with the key geological components in an object, as they may be easily sidetracked by trace materials.

Formative assessment. Students will submit a summary of the geological resources they deemed most important to society (the resources worksheet). This list will form the foundation for the activities in Unit 3.3, and can be revised as students progress through the assignment.

Readings about geological resources:

An introduction to ore deposits: https://opengeology.org/Mineralogy/9-ore-deposits-and-economic-minerals/

A very similar resource as the one above, but in a slightly different format (may be easier for students to read): https://geo.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Geology/Mineralogy_(Perkins_et_al.)/09%3A_Ore_Deposits_and_Economic_Minerals

USGS mineral resources program: https://www.usgs.gov/programs/mineral-resources-program

USGS infographic about mineral resources in our daily lives: https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2001/0360/pdf/of01-360.pdf