Open Pit Uranium Mine - Australia

Science- Grade 4UNDERSTANDING LIFE SYSTEMS : HABITATS AND COMMUNITIES

UNDERSTANDING EARTH AND SPACE SYSTEMS: ROCKS AND MINERALS

Mr. T. E. Holt

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UNDERSTANDING LIFE SYSTEMS : HABITATS AND COMMUNITIES

Big Ideas:

Changes to habitats (whether caused by natural or human means) can affect plants and animals and the relationships between them.

Overall Expectations:

By the end of Grade 4, students will:

1. analyze the effects of human activities on habitats and communities;

2. investigate the interdependence of plants and animals within specific habitats and communities;

3. demonstrate an understanding of habitats and communities, and the relationships among the plants

and animals that live in them.

Specific:

1.1, 2.2, 2.5 – all fit well.

Notes:

Our habitats help us to determine what materials we need in order to survive. Mining provides us with useful minerals that help make life easier (copper, iron ore, gold, etc.). Mining has effects both negative and positive, on plant and animal life. We need to develop a harmonious balance with our environments so that we can get the materials we need to live but not destroy where we, or other people, live at the same time.

Curriculum Expectations2

UNDERSTANDING EARTH AND SPACE SYSTEMS: ROCKS AND MINERALS

Big Ideas:

Change and Continuity, Sustainability and Stewardship, Structure and Function. Rocks and minerals have unique characteristics and properties that are a result of how they were formed. The properties of rocks and minerals determine society’s possible uses for them. Our use of rocks and minerals affects the environment.

Overall Expectations:

By the end of Grade 4, students will:

1. assess the social and environmental impacts of human uses of rocks and minerals;

2. investigate, test, and compare the physical properties of rocks and minerals;

3. demonstrate an understanding of the physical properties of rocks and minerals.

 Specific:

1.1, 1.2, 2.4 – all fit well. For cross curricular ties, link in Grade 4 Social Studies B1.2 and B2.1.

Notes:

The properties of specific minerals make them useful to us, such as copper, iron, and gold. They are used in a variety of everyday means and we have come to rely on them to sustain our way of life. How we extract these minerals from the earth affects plants, animals, and the environment. Our supply of minerals is not infinite and we look to other countries to help fill our needs. Developing sustainable, fair, and environmentally sound mining practices is our responsibility as stewards of the planet.

 

Curriculum ExpectationsWulfenite

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Where do we all get our food from? How are we all connected? Why is this important to know?

SUN Water

Interdependence – We’re all connectedFood Cycle

Plant Life – Trees, flowers, grass, fruits, vegetables, etc.

Animal Life –Cattle, pigs, game,birds, fish, cats, dogs, etc.

Human Life –You, me, her, him, them,EVERYONE!!!

We adapt to where we live. For example, The Inuit sometimes make igloos. In Canada, they use a mixture of many materials, like stone,

wood, and plastics, to build homes. Many people in hot, dry climates make adobe homes. Many people in Asia use bamboo for building all kinds

of things including homes.

Our Environment

To make life easier and more comfortable, people need materials to work with so they can build useful things. Some of these materials are called MINERALS.

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What is a mineral? Let’s find out! The Oxford University Museum of Natural

Historyhttp://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/thezone/minerals/de

fine/

Some very useful minerals are copper, iron, and gold.

Minerals

Can you guess which mineral is which?

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ACTIVITYWith a partner or group, pick one of the three

minerals and investigate their uses. (Copper, Iron, Gold)

Write down at least three ways in which we use the mineral you chose to investigate.

Share your findings with the rest of the class.

What do we use them for?

Copper is especially useful because it is malleable and because of its physical properties. It conducts heat/electricity very well, it’s easy to work with, and there is lots of it in the world.

Minerals are normally found deep within the earth. In order to get at them, people create mines.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uLuecS_PTk (Diamond mine in Siberia)

Have you heard of ‘Minecraft’? In ‘Minecraft’, the player uses materials to build

anything you can imagine. How does the player get these materials?

How do we get them?

In the real world, there are a limited number of materials and getting them out of the earth has consequences. 11

http://cidpnsi.ca/blog/portfolio/canadian-mining-investments-in-latin-america This is a link to a CIDA resource. It is an interactive mining map of Canadian

Investment around the world.

Canada is home to the most mining companies in the world (75%).

Other countries look to Canada as an example of how to best mine for minerals.

Our companies go to other countries and mine the minerals there, for example, Peru, which is located in South America.

Canadian companies have many mines in Peru and they extract minerals like Copper, Gold, Silver, Zinc, and Lead.

Canada and Mining

The Peruvian flagLa bandera Peruana 12

Mining affects the environment in different ways.Chemicals used for extracting minerals can harm plants,

animals, and people. They can also pollute the water and poison the earth.

Deforestation to make room for waste causes loss of biodiversity.

There can be soil erosion, sink holes, and waste sites. Mining companies can upset the balance of life that local peoples have had with the environment for a long time. Sometimes people get so mad that violence can often erupt.

Negative Affects of Mining

The city of Arequipa, Peru - These two mountains are actually live volcanoes. Three volcanoes surround the city of Arequipa. The first is Chachani, the second is Misti, and the third is Pichupichu. - Arequipa is located high in the Andes mountain range.- Because of all of the volcanic activity of the region, there are many minerals to mine.

Chachani Misti

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Much of Peru is agricultural land which relies on water that comes from lakes and rivers that flow from the mountains. Much of the mining in Peru takes placein the mountains. The picture below is of terraced gardens and canals. Reflection: How might mining impact the farms and the farmers?

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Would you drink the water?

Translation from the machine:“Drink it and we’ll pay you 10$ US.” Translation from the bottle:“Yanacocha Water”

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Gold mining in Yanacocha is blamed for poisoning the water.

1. Mining gives us useful minerals like copper, silver, gold, and iron which we use to make other things (pipe, wire, tools, pots, currency).

2. Mining companies help build local infrastructure. That means things like roads, bridges, dams, electricity, sewage systems, air ports, telecommunication, etc.

3. The Canadian government gives funding to help Peruvians develop infrastructure and improve their quality of life.

4. Mining can create jobs for local people. http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/peru-perou/bilateral_relations_bilaterales/canda_peru-perou.a

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This is a link to the Canadian Government website. This section talks about Canada’s relationship with Peru specifically regarding business and aid funding.

Positive Affects of Mining

If we make a mess at home or at school, who should clean it up?

Responsible Mining Practices

If mining companies make a mess, who should clean up their mess?

We should clean it up!

Group ActivitySee the handout provided

Responsible Mining Practices

Image/Video Sources  1

http://www.acfonline.org.au/sites/default/files/images/rich_page/main/be-informed-northern-australia-nuclear-uranium-mining-ranger_0.jpg

2 http://www.liquid4lifesystems.com.au/images640/tree.Small.jpg 3 http://skywalker.cochise.edu/wellerr/mineral/wulfenite/6wulfenite14.jp

g 4 http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b08RWB-bfFM/Sm8vLjERTUI/AAAAAAAAA1

U/sNrKj3YlOeE/s1600-h/inupiat-eskimo-igloo_438.jpg 5 http://ed101.bu.edu/StudentDoc/Archives/ED101fa09/ypark07/Images/

adobehouse01.jpg 6 http://chinablog.cc/wp-content/gallery/residential/bamboo/bamboo-hou

se-1.jpg 7 http://factorycms.champion-homes.biz/SitesContent/11/SiteContent/Ma

nchester_Retouch_LR.jpg 8 http://nevada-outback-gems.com/copper-ores/copper_malachite01.jpg 9 http://peruiron.com/rnd/Iron%20Pyrite%202.jpg 10 http://www.newark.osu.edu/facultystaff/personal/jstjohn/Documents/G

old-Ores/Red-Lake-Gold-Ore_files/image002.jpg 11 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/eb/Minecraft_Beta_1.0.2_c

rafting_a_stone_axe_-_from_Commons.png 12 http://www.america-atlas.com/pictures/peru-map.jpg 13 “Chachani” – Personal Photo – Elijah Holt 14 “Misti” –Personal Photo – Elijah Holt 15 “Terraced gardens in Arequipa” - Personal Photo – Elijah Holt 16 http://newint.org/features/web-exclusive/2011/12/07/2011-12-07%20p

eru%20577%20congas%20protester,%20dirty%20water.jpg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uLuecS_PTk (Diamond mine in

Siberia)

Web Sourceshttp://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/thezone/minerals/define/

Oxford University Museum of Natural History

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uLuecS_PTk

Bloomberg News - YouTube

http://cidpnsi.ca/blog/portfolio/canadian-mining-investments-in-latin-america

The Canadian International Development Platform

http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/peru-perou/bilateral_relations_bilaterales/canda_peru-perou.aspx

The Government of Canada Website