Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region VI – Western Visayas
Schools Division of Passi City
PASSI NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Senior High School Program
Tel. No. 311-5997

SELF LEARNING MODULE FOR

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
LEARNERS

Grade Levels: Grades 11

Core Subject: Earth Science
QUARTER 1 – WEEK 3

LEARNING COMPETENCY:

1. describe how ore minerals are found, mined, and processed

for human use. (S11ES-Ic-d-8)
2. Described how fossil fuels are formed. (S11ES-Ic-d-10)

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 LESSON 3.1 ORE MINERALS

At the end of the module, you should be able to:

1. describe how ore minerals are found;
2. identify the different mining method; and
3. explain the different steps in mineral processing.

Direction: Read each item carefully and use your notebook to write your
answers. Write the letter of the best answer.
1. Which of the following is not a mineral ore?
a. a rock with fossilized insect c. a sediment that has gold traces
b. a rock combined with copper d. a rock that contains valuable
mineral
2. How do modern miners determine the prospective mineral ore body?
I. using geophysical techniques
II. determining the elevation of the area
III. measuring the magnetic reading of the area
IV. determining the sonic responses of the location
a. I, II and III b. I, II and IV c. II, III and IV d. III, IV and I
3. Nickel is an important ingredient in the production of stainless steel. In
the Philippines, CARAGA region has the most numbered nickel mining
site where miners remove a thin parallel strip of soil to extract the ore
deposits. Which mining method did the miners use?
a. Dredging c. Strip mining
b. Open-pit mining d. Underground mining
4. Which of the following mining methods are used in mining gravel?
a. Dredging
b. Open-pit mining
c. Strip mining
d. Underground mining
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5. Sand is composed of mineral grains that are widely used as a
construction material. Which of the following method is the most
applicable way to mine sand?
1. Open-pit mining 2. Strip Mining 3. Dredging
a. 1 and 2 b. 1 and 3 c. 2 and 3 d. 1, 2 and 3
6. Which of the following is the correct step by step process in mineral
processing?
a. comminution, dewatering, crushing, grinding, and analysis
b. sampling, analysis, comminution, filtration, and dewatering
c. sampling analysis, comminution, concentration, and dewatering
d. dewatering, comminution, analysis, sampling, and surface mining
7. Which of the following is not included in the group?
a. Dredging c. Strip mining
b. Open-pit mining d. Underground mining
8. What method of mining involves digging of tunnels to extract the ore
deposits?
a. deep mining c. underground mining
b. pit mining d. surface mining
9. Which mineral mining process involves filtration and sedimentation of the
mining water and drying of the solid minerals harvested from the
suspension?
a. comminution b. concentration
c. dewatering d. sampling
10. Randie examined the ore sample from the undeveloped mining site in
Batangas. He tested the chemical, mineral and particle size of the
mineral sample from a site. What mineral processing did he perform?
a. analysis b. comminution
c. dewatering d. sampling

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PRE-ACTIVITY: Directions: Read the situation below and answer
the guide questions. Minerals have been extracted from the earth
since prehistoric times and the history of civilization and industrial
advancement has been linked with man’s ability to harness and
use the minerals available. Once a mineral deposit has been
found it has to be extracted from the ground to access the
valuable minerals it contains. Use the idea of this bowl as layers
of rocks. In these layers of rocks are mineral deposits.

Guide Questions:

1. Since we cannot see what underlies beneath, what can you suggest on
how minerals can be found?
____________________________________________________________
2. What do you think are the mineral deposit present in these layers of
rocks?
____________________________________________________________
3. How will you separate each mineral component?
____________________________________________________________

Have you ever visited a mine or a place where ore minerals

are processed? What do you think you will do when you find a
rock- containing ore during a mountain trip with your friends? Will
you rushed directly to a nearby processing plant for this ore to be
checked and analyzed?
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 Mining is the process of extracting the valuable materials
from the Earth. In the Philippines, mining is a growing and
promising industry. According to the Mines and Geosciences
Bureau’s (MGB) Mining Facts and Figures, our country is
acknowledged as the largest copper-gold deposits of the world
and the fifth mineral-rich country of the world for gold, copper,
nickel and chromite. In 2018, our country was the world’s second-
largest producer of nickel ore and sold most of its output to its top
buyer China.
Modern mining technology uses geophysical techniques
that involve measuring the magnetic, gravity and sonic responses
of rocks above and around a prospective mineral ore body.

There are two methods of mining:

a. Surface Mining – is used to extract ore minerals near the
surface of the earth. The soil and rocks that covered the ores
are removed through blasting. Blasting is a controlled use of
explosives and gas exposure to break rocks.

Some examples of surface mining are:

1. Open-pit mining - This is the most common type of surface
mining. Open pit means a big hole (or pit) in the ground. The pit
in mine is created by blasting with explosives and drilling. It is
used to mine gravel and sand and even rock.
2. Strip mining – This mining type involves the removal of a thin
strip of overburden (earth or soil) above a desired deposit,
dumping the removed overburden behind the deposit, extracting
the desired deposit, creating a second, parallel strip in the same
manner, and depositing the waste materials from that second
(new) strip onto the first strip. This mining method is used for
coal, phosphates, clays, and tar mining.
3. Dredging – This is the process of mining materials from the
bottom of a body of water, including rivers, lakes, and oceans.

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b. Underground mining – is used to extract the rocks, minerals
and other precious stories that can be found beneath the earth’s
surface. In underground mining, miners need to create a tunnel so
they can reach the ore minerals. This kind of mining is more
expensive and dangerous as compared to surface mining
because miners need to use explosive devices to remove the
minerals from the rocks that cover them.

Mineral processing is the process of extracting minerals from the

ore, refining them, and preparing these minerals for use. The
primary steps involved in processing minerals include:

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1. Sampling – is the removal of a portion which represents a
whole needed for the analysis of this material.
2. Analysis – is important to evaluate the valuable component in
an ore. This includes chemical, mineral and particle size analysis.
3. Comminution – is the process where the valuable components
of the ore are separated through crushing and grinding. This
process begins by crushing the ores to a particular size and
finishes it by grinding the ores into a powder form.
4. Concentration – involves the separation of the valuable
minerals from the raw materials
5. Dewatering – uses the concentration to convert it to usable
minerals. This involve filtration and sedimentation of the
suspension and drying of the solid materials harvested from this
suspension.

The Milling Process or Recovery Process

1. Heavy media separation: The crushed rocks are submerged
in liquid where the heavier/denser minerals sink thus are
separated from the lighter minerals. This is commonly used to
separate chalcopyrite from quartz before the refining
processes of extracting copper.
2. Magnetic separation: If the metal or mineral is magnetic, the
crushed ore is separated from the waste materials using a
powerful magnet.
3. Flotation: The powdered ore is placed into an agitated and
frothy slurry where some minerals and metals based on
physical and chemical properties may either sink to the bottom
or may stick to the bubbles and rise to the top thus separating
the minerals and metals from the waste.
4. Cyanide heap leaching: This method used for low-grade
gold ore where the crushed rock is placed on a “leach pile”
where cyanide solution is sprayed or dripped on top of the pile.
As the leach solution percolates down through the rocks, the
gold is dissolved into the solution. The solution is processed
further to extract the gold. The waste material is either used
as a backfill in the mine or sent to a tailings pond, while the
metals are sent for further processing.

Moreover, ore minerals can be found in the Earth's surface or to its

crust and at the ocean floor. Quarts, mica and olivine are some of
the silicate rocks that are frequently found on the surface of the
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Earth. Likewise, igneous rocks (granite, gabbro and basalt),
metamorphic rocks (gneiss, schist and amphibolite) and
sedimentary rocks (sandstone, shale, and limestone) can also be
found on the Earth’s crust (Williams 2013, 3). In the ocean floor or
the “seabed”, the presence of various ore minerals can also be
found since the ocean floor itself is made up of crystallized matter
from silicate magma known as mafic rocks. Moreover, numerous
Volcanic Massive Sulfide (VMS) deposits can be observed in the
ocean floor which are rich in ore that can be mined for its resources.
Minerals found under the seabed include gabbro, basalt,
serpentine, peridotite, olivine and ore minerals from Volcanic
Massive Sulfide deposits. Franklin, J.M.; Sangster, D.M.; Lydon,
J.W.; 1981,485-627)

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 Describe how fossil fuels are formed (S11-1d-10)

At the end of the module, you should be able to:

1. identify the components of a fossil fuel;
2. discuss how fossil fuels are formed; and
3. differentiate the three major types of fossil fuels formation

PRE-ACTIVITIES:
ACTIVITY 1: Direction: Let’s have a memory work review. There
are three important terms below associated with the previous
lesson. Choose and underline the description on the column at
the right which correctly describe the word.

ORE - It is naturally occurring solid matter that has

a metal inside it.
- It is a man-made material that contains
valuable minerals
MINING - It is a process by which oil industries use to
produce cheaper fuel.
- It is a process of extracting valuable
materials such as gold
MINERALS - It is solid and have crystal structure. It is
naturally occurring material. - It is a
consolidate aggregate of rocks.
OPEN-PIT - It is the most common type of mining that
MINING involves making a big hole (or pit) in the
ground.
- It involves the removal of a thin strip of
overburden (earth or soil) above a desired
deposit.

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UNDERGROUND - It is used to extract the rocks, minerals and
MINING other precious stories that can be found
beneath the earth’s surface.
- It is used to extract ore minerals near the
surface of the earth.

ACTIVITY 2: RENEWABLE OR NONRENEWABLE!

Direction: Classify the following energy sources into renewable or
nonrenewable by putting check on the correct answer.

ENERGY RESOURCES Renewable Nonrenewable

1. COAL
2. GEOTHERMAL
3. NUCLEAR
4. NATURAL GAS
5. SOLAR
6. HYDROELECTRIC
7. WIND

The graph below was lifted from the Total Primary Energy
Demand Forecast from Phil DOE Philippine Energy Plan 2012-
2030. It shows the total primary energy demand, by fuel type, in
MTOE (million tonnes of oil equivalent).

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“How important is energy to the advancement of society and how do we
ensure self-sufficiency for the current and future generations (energy
independence)?”

Fossil fuels are source of energy derived from the fossilized remains of once
living plants and animals million years ago. Those remains of dead plants
and animals long time ago were buried and fossilized in the earth’s crust,
thus this fuels are found beneath the earth’s surface. Since this fuel
originated from the remains of once living organisms, fossil fuels composed
mainly of high content of carbon and hydrogen, called hydrocarbons. Fossil
fuels includes coal, oil (includes petroleum or crude oil) and natural gas.

What are the major types of fossil fuels and where are they usually
found?

There are three types of fossil fuels formation: coal, oil, and natural gas

COAL- It is an important and primary fossil fuel present on Earth. Coal

resources are found predominantly where forest trees, plants and marshes
existed before being buried and compressed millions of years ago.
Philippines uses approximately 50% coal resource to produce energy and
electricity.

There are four major ranks of coal.

1. First is anthracite, which is the highest rank of coal. It is a
hard, brittle, and black lustrous coal, often referred to as hard
coal, containing a high percentage of fixed carbon and a low
percentage of volatile matter.
- Anthracite is 86 to 98% pure carbon and 8 to 3% volatile
matter. It is an excellent fuel that is still used to heat homes.
2. Second is the bituminous coal. It usually has a high heating
value and is the most common type of coal used in electricity

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 generation. It appears shiny and smooth at first glance, but
when you look closely, you will see that it has layers.
Bituminous coal contains 70 to 86% carbon and 46 to 31%
volatile matter. It is used to make coke, used in metallurgy
3. The third one is subbituminous coal, which is black in color
and dull, and has a higher heating value than lignite.
Sub-bituminous coal is 70 to 76% carbon and 53 to 42%
volatile matter. It is burned in industrial boilers.
4. The last in rank is lignite, which is also known as brown coal.
It is the lowest grade coal with the least concentration of
carbon.
Lignite is 65 to 70% carbon and 63 to 53% volatile matter. It
is a low-grade fuel with a high moisture content that is used
in industrial boilers.

OIL- Most of the oil that we are using today started forming
millions of years ago. Oil is an organic material, mostly algae,
which was buried in mud at the bottom of the sea and lakes. It is
used mainly for the production of transportation fuels and
petroleum-based products.

A. Philippines imports crude oil and petroleum from Saudi Arabia

and Russia. The majority of the market are Petron Corporation,
Pilipinas Shell, and Chevron Philippines.
B. NATURAL GAS- It is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas with
the mixture of methane. It is the Earth’s cleanest fossil fuel and
is odorless and colorless in its natural state. Natural gas is
produced from sedimentary rock formation by forcing chemicals,
water, and sand down a well under high pressure. The
Philippines’ main domestic source of energy is the Malampaya

natural gas field which is located at Palawan Island.

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How are fossil fuels formed?
Millions of years ago the remains of prehistoric plants and
animals are buried beneath the Earth’s surface. These remains
were covered by mud. The mud sediment was buried by more
sediments and It started to change into rock as the temperature
and pressure increase. In that case fossil fuels are formed in a low
oxygen environment. The plant and animal remain were altered
chemically by this process, and slowly changed into crude oil and
natural gas. Through the spaces of permeable rock, the oils move
upwards and will be trapped if it reached impermeable rock. Oil
companies can drill down through the impermeable rocks to get it
out. They are then able to turn it into products we can use, such as
petrol and diesel. On the other hand, coal can be extracted from
the Earth through underground mining. Once it has been extracted,
it can be used to fuel power plants for electricity.
Process of formation of the different types of fossil fuels is
almost the same. They both originated from the remains of living
organisms that lived millions of years ago. However, coal formed
from vegetation while oil came from marine organisms. Over
millions of years, the remains of these organisms were buried
deeper beneath the earth’s surface as time passes by. As the
remains buried deeper, it will experienced extreme heat and
pressure beneath. Due to high pressure and temperature, this will
result to the formation of fossil fuels. Nowadays, these fossil fuels
are drilled and extracted for human used. Coals are fuelled in
power plants to generate electricity. Oils are refined and
transformed into usable fuel like gasoline that fuels your engine.
Natural gas is now used for fuel and a source of energy for
electricity.

Note: Just answer any one Performance Task and the Assessment as
required outputs to be submitted. Activities can be answered in your
notebook only.
Those who are in quarantine or under community lockdown, you may opt
to pass the pictures of your outputs and send through your class group
chat on messenger.
Please follow the schedule for submission of answer sheets/outputs
every week. Queries/clarifications about the lesson will be entertained
only on weekdays (Mon-Fri), from 8:00 – 11:30 and 1: 00 – 4:00 in the
afternoon.
Thank you.
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 PERFORMANCE TASK
TASK 1. MIND MAP!

Direction: Using the concept learned, make a mind map starting

from the word inside the circle below.

MINING

TASK 1: Directions: List down 5 major mode of transportation in

the Philippines and their energy sources.

MODE OF SOURCE OF ENERGY

TRANSPORTATION
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

GUIDE QUESTIONS:
1. Among the 5 modes of transportation, which is the most
common?
2. What is the common source of energy of the different mode of
transportation?
3. What do you think is the effect on the mode of transportation if
the source of energy is not available?
4. What do you think will be its impact on our economy?

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TASK 3. TELL ME A STORY!
Direction: Every picture has a story to tell. Below are pictures
given in chronological order to perfectly describe and tell a short
story of the formation of fossil fuel. The story of each picture are
posted and scrambled in the story board. Pick a strip and rewrite it
in the callouts found above each picture.

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 Philippines depends primarily on fossil fuel as a main source of
energy in different mode of transportation. Since this source is a
nonrenewable, it means there will be a time that it will perish. As a
STEM student, what can you do or suggest to solve this problem?

I. Direction: Read each item carefully and use your notebook to

write your answers. Write the letter of the best answer.

1. Which of the following is a mineral ore?

1. a rock with fossilized insect
2. a rock combined with copper
3. a sediment that has gold traces
4. a rock that contains valuable mineral
a. 1, 2 and 3 b.1, 3 and 4 c. 2, 3 and 4 d.4, 2 and 1

2. Which of the following mining methods is applicable in mining

gravel?
a. Dredging b. Open-pit mining
c. Strip mining d. Underground mining

3. Chromite miners in the Philippines use drill or explosive to bore

hole in the ground to extract the mineral deposits. Which mining
method did the miners use?
a. Dredging b. Open-pit mining
c. Strip mining d. Underground mining

4. The following are the processes done by modern miners to

determine the prospective mineral ore body except
a. using geophysical techniques
b. determining the elevation of the area
c. measuring the magnetic reading of the area
d. determining the sonic responses of the location

5. Black sand is mined at sea and coastline in some areas in the

Philippines. Which method is applicable to mine black sand?
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 a. Dredging c. Strip Mining
b. Open-pit mining d. Underground mining

6. Which of the following is not included in the group?

a. Dredging c. Strip mining
b. Open-pit mining d. Underground mining

7. A geologist examined the ore sample from unidentified mining

site. He tested the chemical, mineral and particle size of the
mineral sample. What mineral processing did he perform?
a. Analysis c. Dewatering
b. Comminution d. Sampling

8. Why is coal considered as a non-renewable energy source?

a. because it is sustainable
b. because it is expensive to mine
c. because it takes millions of years to form
d. because it can be regenerated or replaced

9. Which of the following contribute to the formation of fossil

fuels?
a. water and air c. carbon and oxygen
b. heat and pressure d. oxygen and carbon dioxide

10. Coal is one of the major types of fossil fuels. In which types of
organic matter does coal come from?
a. mostly algae c. dissolve minerals from rocks
b. marine organisms d. forest trees, plants and marshes
11. Which of the following statement is correct?
a. Natural gas is not a fossil fuel.
b. Coal, natural gas, and oil are fossil fuels.
c. Fossil fuels are man-made energy source.
d. Coal is the most expensive energy source in the world.
12. Which of the following is an example of non-renewable
energy?
a. coal b. solar c. water d. wind
13. Which energy resource is derived from natural organic
materials?
a. fossil fuels b. geothermal c. solar d. water

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14. Malampaya is one of the fossil fuel reservoirs of the
Philippines situated at the island of Palawan. What type of fossil
fuel is harnessed in it?
a. Coal b. Coal and Oil c. Natural Gas d. Oil
15. Based from the Department of Energy 2017 power statistics,
coal is the main source of energy in the Philippines. What do
you think might happen if coal reserves run out?
a. It will result to decreasing number of air pollutants.
b. It will decrease the energy resources present in the
Philippines.
c. It will not affect Philippines economy because it is an infinite
resource.
d. Both A & B

II. Direction: Write True if the statement about fossil fuels is correct
and False if otherwise.

___________1. Coal, oil, and natural gas are fossil fuels.

___________2. Fossil fuels are presently the world’s primary
energy source.
___________3. Mining is the process of extracting coal, oil, and
natural gas from the ground.
___________4. Lignite is the highest-grade coal.
___________5. Fossil fuels are formed in an oxygen-rich
environment.
___________6. Only combustion of oil and natural gas are linked
to global warming, while coal and methane are
exceptions.
___________ 7. Oil is an organic material mostly made from algae.
___________ 8. Natural gas is produced from sedimentary rock
formation by forcing chemicals, water, and sand
down a well under high pressure.
___________ 9. Anthracite coal has the lowest fixed carbon
content compared to other types of coal.
___________10. Low pressures and temperature facilitate the
formation of fossil fuel.

References:

Earth Science Alternative Delivery Mode Quarter 1 – – Module 7: Formation of Fossil Fuels, First Edition,
2020 (DepEd Region IV-A)

Page 18 of 22
Earth Science- Grade 12 Alternative Delivery Mode Quarter 1 - Module 3: Minerals and Its Importance to
Society First Edition, 2020 (Division of Cagayan de Oro City)

Earth Science – Grade 12 Alternative Delivery Mode Quarter 1 – - Module 4: Energy Resources - Fossil
Fuels, First Edition, 2020 (Schools Division of Bataan)

Earth Science Teaching Guide for Senior High School, published by the Commission on Higher Education
in collaboration with the Philippine Normal University., 2016

Pearson Earth Science by Edward J. Starbuck, Frederick K. Lutgens and Dennis Tasa

Earth Science Alternative Delivery Mode Quarter 1 – Module 6: Ore Minerals: How they are Found, Mined,
and Processed for Human Use
First Edition, 2020 (DepEd Region IV-A)

Earth Science- Grade 12 Alternative Delivery Mode Quarter 1 - Module 3: Minerals and Its Importance to
Society First Edition, 2020 (Division of Cagayan de Oro City)

Earth Science – Grade 11 Alternative Delivery Mode Quarter 1 – Module 3: Important Minerals Mined,
Processed and Used First Edition, 2020 (Schools Division of Bataan)

Earth Science Teaching Guide for Senior High School, published by the Commission on Higher Education
in collaboration with the Philippine Normal University., 2016

Pearson Earth Science by Edward J. Starbuck, Frederick K. Lutgens and Dennis Tasa

Prepared by:

MANILYN Q. CARO
T-III
Passi National High School

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