Activity 4.2 - Mining Sand

Joy Branlund (Southwestern Illinois College)

This activity has been reviewed by 2 review processes (view details)

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This activity was selected for the On the Cutting Edge Reviewed Teaching Collection

This activity has received positive reviews in a peer review process involving five review categories. The five categories included in the process are
- Scientific Accuracy
- Alignment of Learning Goals, Activities, and Assessments
- Pedagogic Effectiveness
- Robustness (usability and dependability of all components)
- Completeness of the ActivitySheet web page
For more information about the peer review process itself, please see https://serc.carleton.edu/teachearth/activity_review.html.

Initial Publication Date: October 16, 2014 | Reviewed: July 17, 2017 (see revision history: 3 events)

Summary

Students will analyze data and answer questions regarding the weathering, erosion, and deposition responsible for concentrating shoreline titanium placer deposits in Florida.

Sedimentary Geology, Mining, Mineral Resources | College Introductory, College Lower (13-14)

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Topics

Sedimentary Geology, Mining, Mineral Resources

Grade Level

College Introductory, College Lower (13-14)

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These materials have been reviewed for their alignment with the Next Generation Science Standards as detailed below.

Overview

This activity provides opportunities for data and graph interpretation as well as constructing arguments based on evidence.

Science and Engineering Practices

Analyzing and Interpreting Data: Construct, analyze, and/or interpret graphical displays of data and/or large data sets to identify linear and nonlinear relationships. MS-P4.1:

Engaging in Argument from Evidence: Construct, use, and/or present an oral and written argument or counter-arguments based on data and evidence. HS-P7.4:

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions: Construct and revise an explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from a variety of sources (including students’ own investigations, models, theories, simulations, peer review) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future. HS-P6.2:

Cross Cutting Concepts

Energy and Matter: Matter is conserved because atoms are conserved in physical and chemical processes. MS-C5.1:

Cause and effect: Cause and effect relationships can be suggested and predicted for complex natural and human designed systems by examining what is known about smaller scale mechanisms within the system. HS-C2.2:

Disciplinary Core Ideas

The Roles of Water in Earth's Surface Processes: Water’s movements—both on the land and underground—cause weathering and erosion, which change the land’s surface features and create underground formations. MS-ESS2.C5:

Natural Resources: Humans depend on Earth’s land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for many different resources. Minerals, fresh water, and biosphere resources are limited, and many are not renewable or replaceable over human lifetimes. These resources are distributed unevenly around the planet as a result of past geologic processes. MS-ESS3.A1:

Earth’s Materials and Systems: All Earth processes are the result of energy flowing and matter cycling within and among the planet’s systems. This energy is derived from the sun and Earth’s hot interior. The energy that flows and matter that cycles produce chemical and physical changes in Earth’s materials and living organisms. MS-ESS2.A1:

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Learning Goals

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

Describe the processes that act to make sedimentary rocks with specific reference to how sedimentary processes redistribute and concentrate mineral resources. This activity specifically addresses erosion, deposition, and chemical weathering.
Diagram how the processes link together to form placer deposits that are mineral resources.
Apply knowledge of sedimentary environment, climate, and sedimentary processes to infer potential types and locations of mineral resources.
Give examples and uses of mineral resources that are formed by sedimentary processes. Specifically, students will see that titanium dioxide (from the mineral illmenite) is derived from sedimentary processes, and should be able to list its use in paints, papers, and plastics.

Context for Use

This activity focuses on sedimentary processes and can be used in introductory geology or environmental science classes. The level of prerequisite knowledge is minimal, but we suggest that students read the background information and understand basic characteristics of minerals. This activity is designed to be completed in groups, but it can also be completed independently. This activity can be completed in classes of any size, as well as online.

Description and Teaching Materials

There are several titanium-rich sand deposits in Florida and Georgia. One such sand deposit is the Trail Ridge mine owned by DuPont. Although titanium is used as a lightweight metal, especially in airplanes, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is used by DuPont to created pigments for paint. The mine also recovers the minerals zircon and staurolite, both of which are used as abrasives.

Some heavy mineral sand deposits are beach deposits (deposited by waves), but the Trail Ridge deposit is an aeolian (windblown) dune field inland from the shoreline. In the Pliocene or Pleistocene (sometime between 12 thousand and 5.33 million years ago), the Trail Ridge dunes existed just west of the beach.

Studying the Trail Ridge deposit allows students to apply concepts such as erosion and deposition to the concentration of heavy mineral sands, and chemical weathering to the concentration of titanium in the mineral ilmenite.

Student Handout: Mining Sand Activity in Word (Microsoft Word 423kB Jul17 24) and in PDF. (Acrobat (PDF) 456kB Jul17 24)

Instructor Answer Key for Mining Sand Activity in Word -- private instructor-only file
and
in PDF. -- private instructor-only file

Teaching Notes and Tips

This activity should be completed in small groups during the class period. All needed materials are provided in the handout (provided above). However, providing an introduction to the mine site and uses of mined minerals would be ideal. Use the DuPont website to create this introduction.
To complete this activity in only 35 minutes, the instructor should omit Questions 7 and 8. The activity's Question 7 requires that students both draw a graph and make predictions, which can be a daunting (and time-consuming) task for introductory students.

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Assessment

Student answers to questions can be collected and graded, or self-graded and discussed.

Assessments and Learning Outcomes

The learning outcomes are addressed by the activity questions as listed below:

Describe the processes that act to make sedimentary rocks with specific reference to how sedimentary processes redistribute and concentrate mineral resources. This activity specifically addresses erosion, deposition, and chemical weathering: Activity Questions 1, 2, 6, 9, and 10.
Diagram how the processes link together to form placer deposits that are mineral resources: Activity Question 3.
Apply knowledge of sedimentary environment, climate, and sedimentary processes to infer potential types and locations of mineral resources: Activity Questions 9, 10, and 13.
Give examples and uses of mineral resources that are formed by sedimentary processes. Specifically, students will see that titanium dioxide (from the mineral illmenite) is derived from sedimentary processes, and should be able to list its use in paints, papers, and plastics: The entire activity deals with ilmenite (TiO₂), which is concentrated during erosion and deposition, and used to make white pigment.

References and Resources

DuPont Corporation's Trail Ridge Facility.

Force, Eric R. 1991. "Geology of Titanium-Mineral Deposits." GSA Special Paper 259.

Force, Eric R., and Rich, Fredrick J. 1989. "Geologic Evolution of Trail Ridge Eolian Heavy-Mineral Sand and Underlying Peat, Northern Florida." U. S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1499.

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Activity 4.2 - Mining Sand

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Science and Engineering Practices

Cross Cutting Concepts

Disciplinary Core Ideas

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Context for Use

Description and Teaching Materials

Teaching Notes and Tips

Assessment

Assessments and Learning Outcomes

References and Resources

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