Mining Makes Life Possible Activity Source: Minerals Education Coalition Background Think of items you use on a daily basis. Mining is necessary to obtain materials for transportation, lighting, heating/cooling and housing, as well as for food, clothing, health, and safety. Mining removes materials such as rocks, minerals, and metals from the Earth to make products we need in our everyday lives. Materials Paper/pencil or computer (with internet access) Crayons/markers Graphic Organizer Procedure For each of the categories in the diagram, list your favorite thing or things that you use regularly. [Read More]

My Mineral Activity Source: The Mineralogical Society of America Background Minerals are the naturally occurring solid materials that make up rocks and sands and are found in soil. You have probably heard of minerals such as diamond, halite (table salt), graphite, garnet, and quartz, but there are many others. New minerals are being discovered all the time. There are 6,017 minerals as of this writing, and you can learn about them online in the Handbook of Mineralogy, Mineralogy4Kids, and on the Mindat website. [Read More]