Oil Drilling Game

Jordan Makower, Pegasus Ed. Svcs
Author Profile
Initial Publication Date: April 18, 2017

Summary

Students are each given 100 feet of drilling, to be used on a 144 mile square map under which is an oil trap. Working in teams, they construct cross-sections, based on stratigraphic and fossil data collected by their group members. By studying the sections, they determine where and how deep to drill to strike oil. Each member writes a report supporting their findings.

Share your modifications and improvements to this activity through the Community Contribution Tool »

Context

Audience

For high school to junior college level. Sciences used: Earth Science, Geology, Stratigraphy, Paleontology. Skills used: Cooperative learning, graphing, team work, researching materials on the internet and library

Skills and concepts that students must have mastered

Basic graphing, cooperative learning, computer use, library use.

How the activity is situated in the course

A week-long project, done after studying minerals, rocks, and fossils. Usually done in high school classes after the first half year.

Goals

Content/concepts goals for this activity

Stratigraphy: oldest layers on bottom in a sedimentary sequence. Paleontology: Fossil complexity increases with time. Budget limited drilling allotment to produce a two-dimensional graph. Oil floats on water. Rocks may be porous/nonporous. Teams must share data and cooperatively use that information to find an oil trap.

Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity

Analysis of data to produce a graph. Study of literature to learn how oil may be trapped underground. Cooperative learning. Budgeting available resources and time.

Other skills goals for this activity

Each team member writes a report describing how their collected data and graph(s) were used to locate a hidden oil trap. Use of computer and library research to determine age of fossils, types of oil traps. Oral report may be given to class by team leader.

Description and Teaching Materials

Description of Oil Drilling Game. Sample cross-section of on type of oil trap for teacher use in construction their own graph. Sample test using data to produce a graph that will show the best place (map area & depth) to drill for oil.
Oil Letter (Microsoft Word 149kB Apr17 17)
Oil test (Microsoft Word 35kB Apr17 17)
Oil Game (Microsoft Word 45kB Apr17 17)

Teaching Notes and Tips

Teachers should draw their own graph of a shallow oil trap. Use different graphs for each class. Use different fossils for sedimentary rock strata for each class. Students should be encouraged to only drill 1 foot of their 100 feet drilling allotment, in order to determine an age order (geologic column). Deeper drilling will also give a geologic column, but will use up drilling allotment.

Assessment

A sample test is included for students to utilize data to draw a graph showing an oil trap. Questions on the test are based on this graph and the exercise previously done in class.

References and Resources

Research is needed to determine which fossils are representative of particular ages (index fossils). Research is needed to view types of underground oil traps, and where in the 'trap' oil is to be found.