More Than Striking It Rich.
Nuggets Of Wisdom
With my young son fascinated and borderline obsessed with finding gold, I knew that creating a home school lesson plan about the topic would work in my favor. Gold aside though, I wanted to explore more than just the rare treasures, and more about the work and process of how these minerals are unearthed. I wanted to cover the in's and out's of mining and how it has played a major role in civilization for thousands of years.
Heigh-Ho Heigh-Ho, It's Off To Work I Go.
So in order to prepare a fun and engaging lesson plan with enough information to fill a mine cart, I had to get down to the facts. I had to be prepared to answer the ever popular questions 'why' and 'why does it matter'.
Struck The Mother Lode!
After researching, I came to understand the importance of mining better than ever before. I had a greater appreciation of all those working, or who had worked, in the mining industry- my Papaw included. This importance and appreciation that I could now share and build a lesson plan around that would be explosive!
So here's an elementary level list of reasons mining is important -
and not only in order to find gold.
Mining Provides Us With Modern Living and Innovation.
Many types of minerals are mined. Ore is one type that contains metal. Iron ore is used to make steel which can be used to build houses, buildings, and vehicles. Diamonds, copper, nickel, and silver are other types of minerals that are used for drill tips, jewelry, and coins. Coal, of course, is mined to produce electricity.
Without Mining, We Would Not Have:
Plumbing; Toilets; Electricity; Concrete; Refrigerators; Vitamins; Ingredients for food; Television; Telephones; Computers; Medical Equipment...Just to name a few.
Mining Creates Steady Jobs and Good Wages.
More than 500,000 people work in the mining industry in the United States.
Mining Is Important to the Economy.
The mining industry provides taxes that pay for schools, hospitals, and public facilities.
Taking a look into the process, benefits, and disadvantages of mining fueled our minds with thinking that was worth its weight in gold! These quick facts are just scratching the surface.
You've Hit Pay Dirt!
Find My Unique and Complete Mining Lesson Plan Here.
Comments