6172RB Science a STEM approach Year 2 low res watermark

Lesson 4
Earth and space sciences
OUR RESOURCEFUL WORLD
Teacher notes
Science inquiry focus:
What do we use Earth’s minerals for and where are
they found? How do minerals get from a source to
a factory and what happens to them at the factory?
Science Inquiry Skills:
• Questioning and predicting QP
• Planning and conducting PC
• Processing and analysing data and
information PA
• Evaluating E
• Communicating C
Science as a Human Endeavour:
• Students observe, ask questions about and
describe how we mine minerals, including
rocks, gems and metals for use in a variety
of products and how these resources are
transferred from a mine to a factory for smelting
and refining.
Background information
• A mineral is a solid material that is
inorganic, meaning it is not alive and
never was. Scientists have discovered
approximately 2000 different minerals,
which can be categorised into three main
groups—metals, rocks and gems/crystals.
• Minerals can be found on or under Earth’s
surface and are extracted by mining.
The type of mining required (surface or
underground) depends on the mineral
being extracted.
• To extract minerals in the most costeffective
and environmnetally-friendly
way, scientists locate the minerals using
high-tech equipment and perform tests to
examine the type, quality and quantity of
the mineral to assess if it is worth mining.
Miners then use tools and heavy machinery
to carefully extract the mineral before
sending it to a factory for smelting and
refining. Finally, the land is restored to its
natural state.
• Minerals are used to produce metal, crystal
and stone products used for a variety of
electronic, household and infrastructure
purposes.
Technology/Engineering/Mathematics links:
• participating in an online quiz
• taking a digital photograph
• uploading, resizing and printing a
digital photograph or uploading a
digital photograph to a class blog
(optional)
Assessment focus:
• Use the photograph of each group’s
sorted minerals to assess the student’s
inquiry skills and their ability to sort
different minerals that occur naturally
on Earth into groups of different types
of minerals.
• Use observations to assess the student’s
understanding of minerals during the
online quiz.
Resources
• Completed copies of page 80 from Lesson 1
• Online video—Real world science: Rocks
and minerals at
• Grassed area or large sandpit
• Large plastic tub filled with sand and the
following ‘minerals’: gold and silver glitter
to represent metal-based mineral particles;
gold and silver glitter pipecleaners (cut in
half and rolled into a ball) and aluminium
foil (scrunched into small balls) to represent
load deposits of metal-based minerals;
small, rough limestone-based rocks and
pebbles to represent rock-based minerals;
and rock salt and a variety of small and
medium rhinestones to represent gem/
crystal-based minerals
• Digital camera or iPad® for each group.
• One piece of A4 paper for each group
• Online video—Modern Mining—How Eagle
Mine produces nickel and copper at
© R.I.C. Publications
Low resolution display copy
90 Science:
A STEM APPROACH
YEAR
2
978-1-925431-95-7 R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricpublications.com.au