Mining and Resources Demonstrations

See also: Rocks, Plate Tectonics

Mining and resources activities show how materials are extracted and used, as well as the challenges of sustainability. They provide a direct way to connect science with real-world issues of resource use and environmental impact.

Demonstration	Materials	Difficulty	Safety	Summary
Cookie Mining	★☆☆	★☆☆	★☆☆	Students mine chocolate chips out of cookies using toothpicks to simulate coal mining. The activity models the environmental impact of strip mining on habitats and helps students understand that fossil fuels are non-renewable resources.
Copper Electroplating	★★☆	★☆☆	★★☆	In this demonstration, a steel nail or other metallic object is coated with a thin layer of copper using an electric current. The copper ions in solution are attracted to the polarized nail, which acts as the cathode, resulting in a visible copper coating.
Copper Extraction Using Carbon	★★☆	★★☆	★★☆	When a mixture of copper(II) oxide and carbon is heated, the carbon reduces the copper oxide to form copper metal and carbon dioxide gas. This reaction demonstrates how some metals are extracted from their ores.
Froth Flotation	★★☆	★☆☆	★☆☆	Students simulate the froth flotation process used in mining to separate valuable minerals from waste rock. By adding water, kerosene, and detergent to a mixture of sand and iron filings, they observe how bubbles can help separate materials.
Making Fossils	★★☆	★☆☆	★☆☆	Students create fossil replicas by pressing shells, leaves, or other objects into plasticine to form a mold, then filling it with plaster of paris. The plaster hardens into a fossil-like cast that can be painted for detail.
Oil Spill Cleanup	★☆☆	★☆☆	★☆☆	This demonstration models an oil spill in water using vegetable oil. Students explore how oil floats on water, test different cleanup methods, and learn how dish soap helps break up oil.
Panning for Gold	★☆☆	★☆☆	★☆☆	Students simulate a gold rush by panning for “gold” (metal pieces or BBs) in a container filled with sand, pebbles, and minerals. They learn how the density of gold causes it to separate from lighter materials when shaken in water.
Rock Testing and Classification	★★☆	★☆☆	★☆☆	Students test rock samples for properties such as hardness, luster, texture, porosity, and reactivity. They record observations, classify each sample as igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic, and connect their findings to real-world engineering challenges.
Testing Rock Hardness	★★☆	★☆☆	★☆☆	Students perform a scratch test to compare the hardness of different rocks. They discover that harder rocks can scratch softer ones and explore how rock hardness affects their practical uses.

Materials
★☆☆ Easy to get from supermarket or hardware store
★★☆ Available in most school laboratories or specialist stores
★★★ Requires materials not commonly found in school laboratories

Difficulty
★☆☆ Can be easily done by most teenagers
★★☆ Available in most school laboratories or specialist stores
★★★ Requires a more experienced teacher

Safety
★☆☆ Minimal safety procedures required
★★☆ Some safety precautions required to perform safely
★★★ Only to be attempted with adequate safety procedures and trained staff