======Panning for Gold======


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**Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\
**Difficulty: **{{$demo.difficulty_description}}\\
**Safety: **{{$demo.safety_description}}\\
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**Categories:** {{$demo.categories}}
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**Alternative titles:** Simulated Gold Rush
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====Summary====                   
{{$demo.summary}}



====Procedure====  
  -Fill a large container (plastic tub, pool, or sand table) with a mixture of sand, small and large pebbles, optional minerals, and magnetite until 2–4 inches deep.
  -Rinse with water, then add 3–4 inches of clean water above the mixture.
  -Sprinkle in gold pieces (or copper BBs) along with pyrite (“fool’s gold”).
  -Distribute gold pans or pie tins to students and have them scoop up a sample of the mixture while keeping the pan underwater.
  -Shake the pan vigorously back and forth for about 30 seconds to let gold settle at the bottom.
  -Remove larger pebbles that rise to the top and return them to the container.
  -Tilt the pan at about a 40° angle and dip it in and out of the water to wash away lighter sand and gravel.
  -Continue until mostly fine sand remains.
  -Swirl the pan gently in a circular motion to shift fine sand aside and reveal heavy gold at the bottom.
  -Pick up gold pieces with a dry fingertip and collect them in a vial or bag.
  -Repeat until finished; when done, add bleach to disinfect and drain the container for future use.



====Links==== 
Gold Panning with kids - Coins for Amateurs: 
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📄 Gold Panning - Earth Science Week: [[https://www.earthsciweek.org/resources/classroom-activities/gold-panning/]]\\

📄 Panning for Gold Kid’s Activity - Learning Through Literature: [[https://www.learningthroughliterature.com/panning-for-gold-kids-activity/]]\\

====Variations====
  *Add a variety of minerals such as quartz or garnet and have students identify them after panning.
  *Use magnets to recover magnetite from the sand.
  *Create a competition to see who can collect the most gold in a set time.
  *Name the simulated river after a real gold rush location for a historical connection.



====Safety Precautions====
  *Use only non-toxic materials for gold substitutes (such as BBs or beads).
  *If using bleach to clean, ensure adult supervision and proper ventilation.
  *Keep work areas dry and clear of spills to prevent slipping.
  *Wash hands after handling soil, sand, or minerals.




====Questions to Consider====
  *Why does gold settle to the bottom of the pan while lighter materials are washed away? (Gold is much denser than sand and pebbles.)
  *How do natural processes create placer deposits? (Weathering releases gold from rock veins, and water transports and concentrates it in riverbeds.)
  *Why might prospectors mistake pyrite for gold? (Pyrite has a shiny, metallic appearance but is less dense and more brittle.)
  *What environmental impacts did historic gold panning and mining have on rivers and ecosystems? (Sediment disruption, pollution, and habitat destruction.)