Minerals are everywhere

This learning activity highlights people, places, or innovations that relate directly to the province of Ontario. Enjoy the exploration!

Mining in Ontario is a multi-million-dollar industry. The life of a mine can last a few years to decades, and during that time, the mines create hundreds of jobs for local people.

Minerals from Ontario mines such as gold, nickel, copper, and zinc are among many that are found in the Earth. How important are these minerals to people who live in Ontario?

You might know that gold is used to make jewelry and for currency, but did you know gold is also used in medicine for arthritis and some cancer treatments? It can be used to improve efficiency of solar panels and used in satellites to reflect heat radiation.

You may be aware that copper is used to make the pipes that bring water to the bathroom shower or for electrical wires and cables for its conductivity. Copper is also becoming a popular choice for new technologies like solar cells and electric vehicles.

Examine your environment and determine how minerals are used in everyday products that you use. Explore the following images and examples to help you.

Task: Mining simulation

People mine to extract valuable minerals that are found underground.

Mining can occur above ground in what is called an open pit mine, or below ground using mine shafts and tunnels. Wherever a mine is situated, it can affect the natural environment in many ways.

To help understand how mining can affect nature, let’s create a model of a mine using a chocolate chip cookie.

For this task, you have the following two options:

• Option 1: Explore a video of a simulated mining activity using a chocolate chip cookie as a model to develop an understanding of the environmental impact of extracting minerals from the Earth.
• Option 2: Conduct a mining simulation using the following materials and a cookie as a model to develop an understanding of the environmental impact of extracting minerals from the Earth.

It’s time to experiment!

Before beginning your cookie mining experiment, explore the following video. This will help guide you as you work your way through this activity.

Check out this video to learn about the steps of the Scientific Experimentation Process.

Mining and the environment

Many people share concerns about the effects of mining on natural habitats. Everything from water systems to forest ecosystems can be negatively affected by a mining operation.

Mining in Ontario is a multi-million dollar operation to extract valuable minerals that are found underground.

There are many ways to create a mine. One way is to dig underground tunnels and shafts, known as underground mining. Another way is to use large machines to remove top layers of the soil and rock to create a pit, which is known as open pit mining. Machines scrape at the soil and dig into it to locate the minerals. As they continue to dig, a hole is created, which sometimes fills with water.

In both underground and open pit mining, explosives may be used to create tunnels, or to break up the Earth’s surface into smaller pieces for extraction.

Explore the following carousel that shares some extraction techniques used in mining.

Extracting minerals in these ways can pollute the land, air, and water near the areas being mined. It may destroy the habitats (homes) for many living creatures, including humans.

Indigenous knowledge

The possible damage to the land, animals, plants, and communities are concerns raised by many people, especially Indigenous communities.

Indigenous knowledge systems are important. They share how important it is to learn from the land, and how, when we learn from the land, we connect with the natural world.

Indigenous knowledge keepers explain that land is not treated as a “thing.” It is our relative, which impacts how we treat the land and understand how we interact with it.

Explore the following video of Douglas Sinclair sharing his knowledge about our relationship and responsibilities to the land.

Today, Indigenous communities may choose to get involved in mining and extract natural resources, but not all do this. When mining companies extract minerals from the land, they need to create a written agreement that outlines the expectations of the company and the expectations of the people who live on that land.

Sometimes, these agreements are ignored by companies and haven’t been discussed with the Indigenous communities, who are the rights-holders to the lands, prior to extraction.

Through legal victories by First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, this process is changing, and now consultation must happen. Sometimes, these agreements are fulfilled, and at other times, they are not. Each community is unique in how it chooses to address the issues and decide which partnerships best meet the needs of their communities.

Description

Explore the previous video and description, as well as the other images in this learning activity, and create a list of the living creatures, environmental areas, and local communities which could be damaged or destroyed by extracting minerals in these areas.

Record your answers on paper, digitally, or orally.

Mining and technology

The world of gaming meets the world of mining in the following video. Mine workers who drive excavators and other heavy equipment no longer must be inside the mine to perform their jobs. Find out how remote control mining technology is being used in the mining industry to support miners and keep them safe from the dangers of their jobs. Remote control mining means that mining operators are using remote controls to control their mining vehicle or mining tools.

It’s amazing how a person can operate machinery when they are 500 km away from the mine site.

Reflect on mining

Use your learning about mining to answer these questions.

Mining for minerals has positive and negative consequences. Use what you have learned about mining to list the consequences, both positive and negative. You can use the fillable and printable chart provided or use a method of your choice to record your list.

Complete the Positive and Negative Consequences of Mining in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts.

Reflection

As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.