Activity 1.1 - Minerals and Products

Upon completion of this segment, students should be able to:

• Cite examples of mineral resources, the products that contain them, and the mineral properties that cause these resources to be used in these products.
• Describe how elemental abundance relates to mineral abundance and hence resource availability.

This activity provides an introduction to the Human's Dependence on Earth's Mineral Resources module by requiring students to link everyday products with the minerals that are used to create them. Sets of minerals are compared with sets of products made from them, and the students must match the two up using what they know or can tell about the properties of both.

• Suggested Minerals and Products to Use in This Activity in Word (Microsoft Word 35kB Feb26 16) and in PDF. (Acrobat (PDF) 41kB Feb26 16)
• Product Photos (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 1.7MB Sep26 13) in case the instructor cannot obtain the necessary product supplies.
• Example of Student Handout for Minerals and Products Matching Activity in Word (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 79kB Sep30 14) and in PDF. (Acrobat (PDF) 85kB Sep30 14)
  

Different options for how to run this activity are provided below.

Once students complete their lists, instructors should go through the answers one by one, asking if anyone can guess the correct answer and why they made that particular pairing. The instructor can give the correct pairing (if different) and review how physical or chemical properties of that mineral made it useful in its associated product.

Assemble kits (e.g. use sample boxes sold by Wards or another company or old egg cartons) that contain 10 minerals (or the desired number) that are used in products. Collect samples of the products as well (or pictures of them if necessary).

Make enough mineral kits so that every 2--3 people will have one kit. The mineral names and formulas should be provided for the minerals (see List of minerals and products to use in class (Acrobat (PDF) 41kB Feb26 16) linked above). It should be clear which name and formula matches which mineral in the kit. The formulas can be attached to the kit lids, printed and handed out separately, or projected.

Students can pick up a mineral kit, or a TA, instructor, or volunteer student can pass mineral kits down the rows once students are seated.

Students should number a piece of paper. Numbered products can then be either placed around the room (in small classes, so that groups can walk around the room with their mineral kits to view the products), or handed around (in large classes, multiple sets of products may be needed). Students write the product name next to the number and then look at the samples in the mineral kit to find the mineral that's in that particular product. They then write that mineral name next to the product on their piece of paper. Alternatively, photos of the products (and their ingredient labels) can be projected on the screen. The PowerPoint linked above contains some photos that can be used.

Tell students that many pairs can be matched based on the mineral properties, but for other pairs, they may need to read the ingredients.

Option 2: One Set of Minerals (small classes only; will take longer than Option 1)

On index cards, write each mineral's name and chemical formula large enough so that they can easily be read from two feet away. Place the minerals on or near the index cards and group all the minerals in one area on tables or desks.

Attach product names to actual products. It helps to number these, so that student can record answers all in the same order (this helps with discussion). Place the products together in a different area on tables or desks. Ideally, tables and desks are arranged so that students can easily move around them, but are close enough so that students can quickly move between them.

Ask students to take out a sheet of paper, number from 1 to 10 (or to however many products you are using). They should write the product name next to the number, then find the mineral that is in the product and write that next to the product name.

Tell students that many pairs can be matched based on the mineral properties, but for other pairs, they may need to read the ingredients.

This will be a bit chaotic, but students will eventually have a completed list.

Option 3: Photos

This is the least desirable way to do this activity, because many mineral and product properties cannot be seen in a photo.

Photos of minerals and products are shown (including ingredient lists, if needed), and students attempt to match them. For example, this can be done so that three minerals and three products are shown, and students should match them up. Or maybe one product and five minerals. Ideally, there should not be more than six photos on one PowerPoint slide.

• Ideally, students use actual mineral samples in this activity. There are many important mineral properties that are not distinguishable in a photograph.
  
• Especially if time is restricted, it is a good idea to tell the students how many minutes they have to complete this activity. Otherwise some of the students will spend 10 minutes agonizing over a single mineral--product pairing.