EARTH SCIENCE

FIRST QUARTER
11
Module 3

Mineral Exploration

Fossil Fuels

Most Essential Learning Competency:

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

for human use (S11ES-Ic-d-8); and

2. Describe how fossil fuels are formed (S11ES-Id-10).

 To the Learners

This module will help you generate ideas on the topic finding, mining, and processing minerals
as well as fossil fuels. Before you start with the module, please set aside other task that might
distract and take you away from the accomplishment of the objectives. Following the instructions
below will facilitate effective use of the module.
1. Begin with answering the pre-test because it will give insights of what to be learned.
2. Be perceptive in reading the contents and following instructions. It will help you gain
more from the tasks you are about to take.
3. Take down note and record necessary details. It will help you in remembering the
concept learned.
4. Ask the assistance of your teacher or members of your family if you encounter
challenges while studying the module.
5. You may use supplementary material to gain extensive understanding of
the lesson.
6. Perform all task conscientiously.
7. Answer the post-test to determine what you have learned
8. Reflect on how the new learning will be useful in your practical life.
9. More importantly, relax and have fun while learning this module.

Expectations

Lesson 1: Mining and Mineral Processing

From the previous lesson, you have learned that most of the materials humans deemed
necessary are minerals obtained from the ground. This module will aid you in understanding:
a.) How the mining process is done?
b.) What are the techniques in mining?
c.) How are minerals extracted?
Lesson 2: Fossil Fuels
Science has always defined energy as the capacity to do work. Energy has always been
important in many life processes. The earth provides numerous energy resources available for
human consumption. Among these are fossil fuels. This module will help you:
a.) Define fossil fuels; and
b.) Provide insights about the formation of fossil fuels.

1
 Pre-Test

Directions: Read the questions carefully. Write the letter of the correct answer on the blank
provided before the number.
____1.
B Which of the following processes is involved in finding where minerals are?
A) Drilling B) Exploration C) Extraction D) Refining
C
____2. Which does NOT belong to the group?
A) Open-pit B) Quarries C) Shaft D) Strip
C
____3. According to the Philippine Statistics, which of the following minerals our country is
abundant yet not being extracted due to its high production cost?
A) Nickel B) Manganese C) Iron D) Copper
D
____4. Which of the following statement is true about fossil fuels?
A) Fossil fuels are organic substance.
B) Oil, coal, petroleum, and natural gas are fossil fuels.
C) Fossil fuels came from sources that may be depleted.
D) All the statement is correct.
C
____5. Which of the following statement only describes natural gas?
A) Forms mostly from plant matter.
B) It pollutes the environment when burned.
C) Forms mostly from microscopic animals.
D) Nonrenewable source of energy

Looking Back

Directions. Write the letter of the correct answer before each number.
1-3. Do you still remember the minerals introduced from the previous lesson? Below are images
of these minerals. Which one is describe in the preceding items?

A) Bauxite B) Copper ore C) Diamond D) Gypsum

D 1. Plaster, cement, and wallboard.
_____
A
_____ 2. Source of aluminum for cans, foil, appliances, and utensils.
B
_____ 3. Electrical wire, plumbing and coins.
D
_____. 4. Which of the following process can result in the formation of an igneous rock?
I. Magma that rises and became trapped to the earth’s surface cools down and
then crystallize to a solid mass.
II. The lava cools and hardens to form a rock.
III. Extreme heat and pressure recrystallize rocks without melting.

2
 IV. Fragments of rocks, fossils, sand form layers that are eventually compacted
due to extreme pressure.
A) I and II B) II and III C) III and IV D) I and III
C
_____. 0 0
5. Most metamorphism happens at temperatures 150 C to 1000 C and even
higher. Why are these rocks not melting at such extremely high temperature?
A) Most rocks have melting temperature that are higher than 1000 0C.
B) Metamorphism occurs at an extremely fast pace.
C) The rocks are also under very high pressure.
D) Layers of sediment are not formed.

Brief Introduction

A lot of what you need in your everyday lives involve minerals. Minerals are utilized in a
lot of purpose. From tools, weaponry, ornaments, devices, transportations, machineries,
electronics, and other forms of energy transmission. Minerals are among earth’s resources
that may be unearthed and processed first to be utilized. The process of obtaining them
involves exploration, mining, and processing. The first part of the module deals with the
different phases and methods involve in finding, mining, and processing of minerals.

Earth resources in not limited to minerals. Energy sources are also among the things the
earth generously provide. These sources may be renewable such as wind, solar, geothermal,
or nonrenewable such as those that are derived from fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas). According
World Bank report (World Data Atlas, n.a.), it was conveyed that in 2014, 62.4% of the
Philippines total energy consumption from fossil fuels ranging from coal, oil, petroleum, and
natural gas. It only proves that most of the country’s energy expenditure was derived from
nonrenewable source. Is the world’s supply of fossil fuels limitless? How are these energy
sources produced?

Activity 1

Sci-Awitan: Treasures Underground (To the tune of Savage Love)

Objective: Find similarities between mineral and fossil fuels.
Underground, resources that are dug up from under the ground
Minerals like calcite, copper, gold that are mined
Or energy from fossils buried underground
Oh treasures found…
Think about:
1. What is common between minerals and fossil fuels?
They are resources that are dug up from under the ground.
___________________________________________________________________

3
 Activity 2

Sequencing Events: Identify which process occurs first

Objective: Identify the steps in the mining process.
Direction: The Philippines is among the largest copper-gold deposit in the world and is the fifth
most mineral-rich country in the world for gold, nickel, copper, and chromite (Quintans 2017). The
Philippine Statistics Authority also reported that iron and manganese are among the minerals
found in the Philippines with iron being plenty but not being extracted due to high cost production.
The mining process is a tedious and expensive series of activity described below. Arrange
sequentially the steps involved in the mining process by writing the word/s inside the box?

Crushing & Milling

Drilling & Blasting
Exploration

Distribution Separation
Refining

Process Description
Crushing and milling Getting mineral out of the ore
Distributing the mineral or metals to where they are
Distribution
needed
Separation Separating the mineral from the waste rock
Exploration Finding high quality ore
Refining Cleaning the mineral or metal
Drilling and blasting Getting ore out of the ground

Activity 3

Blank Space: Sentence Completion Activity

Objective: Describe how minerals are processed.
Direction: The following passage discuss how minerals are made available for use. Choose the
correct word/s from the box to complete the statement.

Surface mining, remote sensing, smelting Underground mining, flotation

4
 The Philippines is among the many countries that is richly endowed with mineral
resources. In July 2012 issue of the Inquirer.Net, it was reported that according to Mines and
GeoSciences Bureau, of the 30 million hectares of the country’s total land area, 9 million ha. have
been identified as having high mineral potentials. The country has mines in different area such as
Palawan, Zambales, and Agusan del Sur, among others. Minerals are found in rocks, but several
processes are involved to make them available for human use. The process can be divided into
3 basic method which includes finding, mining, and processing. Finding involves mineral
remote sensing
exploration which can be done through _________________, geophysical method and
geochemical method. When ore bodies are identified, mining follows. There are two methods
Surface mining
involve, the first one ______________, to remove ores near the earth’s surface. The three more
types are open-pit mining, quarries, and strip mine. If minerals are found deeper down below the
Underground mining
earth surface, the method involve is __________________, also called shaft mining.
Finally to recover the minerals, ores are processed through basic crushing and grinding
smelting
that can be extracted as, _______________ which involves subjecting the ore to a very high
flotation
temperature usually in a blast furnace, ____________ which employs the use of air bubbles.
Leaching which a liquid substance like an acid is made to react with the minerals, or redox reaction
among others.
.

Activity 4

Sci-Awitan: Where fossils came. (To the tune of Alab by SB19)

Objective: Recognized how fossils are formed and how these are relevant for humans.

Tatlong daang milyong panahon

May mga buhay sa mundong naglaho
They’ve sunk deep into the ground
Forced by pressures caused by matters above
Now they’re used as fuels, from fossils deep underground

Know that they’d get, know, know that they’d get

Know that they’d get, energy from the sun that’s stored
Now they know them as coals or natural gas
Oil na nakukuha sa ilalim ng dagat

Burning up fire
To power jets and jeep
Hit me like fire
Bring power to our houses
Oh fuel from fossils, like coals and oils
Energy source hard to live without

5
 Coal now, coal now
Coal supplies most of earths’ energy
Oil now, oil now
Oil is why we can travel daily
Think about:
1. From the song can you deduce the reason why fossil fuel was named as such?
These fuels are called fossil fuels, since they are formed from the remains of dead animals
___________________________________________________________________
and plants.
2. What are the types of fossil fuels?
Coal, Petroleum & Natural Gas.
___________________________________________________________________
3. List down uses of fossil fuels mentioned in the song?
Used as: Fuel, power to our houses, to power jets & jeep.
___________________________________________________________________

Activity 5

How well do you know me?

Objective: Compare between the different types of fossil fuels.
You’ve been familiar with the concept of energy since you were in grade school. You know
that energy came from a lot of different sources, one of which is fossil fuels. In the table below
are characteristics that describe the three types of fossil fuels: coals, oils and natural gas. Choose
which characteristic describes each type and write the number that represents the fossil fuel in
the Venn diagram below.
Characteristics of Fossil Fuels
1. forms from organic matter 6. forms mostly from plant matter
buried beneath sediments 7. forms mostly from microscopic
2. changed by high pressures animals
and temperatures 8. releases energy when burned
3. exists mostly as a solid 9. pollutes the environment when
4. exists mostly as a liquid burned
5. exists mostly as a gas 10. nonrenewable resource

Coal

9
8
6 1
10
2
4
Oil
7 Natural
5
gas

6
 Remember

1. Mineral exploration is a process that refine and access mineral ore. This could be done
through remote sensing which uses a distance radar, sonar or satellite images,
geophysical method which uses geology and physical property of metals, and
geochemical method which combines the knowledge of geology and the chemistry of
minerals.
2. When mineral is near the surface of the earth, surface mining may be employed. In open-
pit mining, used in gold and copper, explosives break up rock layers and later processed.
Quarries are open mines where rock, gravel, and sand are obtained. Large pieces of
coals called strips are obtained through strip mining.
3. Underground mining involves digging tunnels or shaft into the earth crust.
4. Extraction and refining techniques may involve milling where crushing and grinding takes
place. Other techniques are flotation, smelting, cyanidation, leaching, and oxidation
reduction reaction.
5. Fossil fuels are nonrenewable source of energy formed when pressure and temperature
change organic matter buried under rocks for thousands of years into coal, oil, or natural
gas.
6. Coals are formed when dead plants buried under sediments transformed into peats. The
energy that the coal possessed is proportional to the pressure exerted to it through time.
7. Oils and natural gas are formed from microscopic organisms that live in ancient seas.
It releases energy as well as pollution in the atmosphere when burned.

Check Your Understanding

In a September 3, 2016 airing of I-Witness, a well-known documentarist Kara David featured

the episode “Sa Ngalan ng Ginto” which showed the lives and experiences of miners in Aroroy,
Masbate, a region of Bicol.
Assume that you are one of them and make an open letter addressed to the president
emphasizing the reasons why the processing of minerals should continue or should be stopped.
The table in next page will serve as the rubric for rating your work. Attach a separate sheet for
your work. (Note: You need not watch the video, just assume that you are a miner. But you may
do so to gain inspiration for your work)
Rubric for grading the open letter to the president.
3 2 1
Understanding of the The student There is a little Student know the
process employed in illustrated a detailed understanding of the steps but not how
exploration, mining account of the different processes each process is
and processing of different processes employed in mining. done.
minerals employed in mining
in brief yet thorough
statements

7
 Knowledge of the Student displays an Students have little The student know a
effect of mining to understanding of understanding of the little about the effect
human and the safety measures to dangers of mining of mining but is not
environment prevent accident as and its effect to the aware of the danger
well as the long term community. while working in it.
effect of mining to
the community.
Language Skill The letter follows the The format is The letter has less
appropriate format appropriate in terms than the number of
used for writing a of whom the letter is words required with
letter to the president for. The number of few grammatical flaw
in not less than 150 words used is not but it does not follow
words. less than 150 with the appropriate
The body of the letter few grammatical format of the letter
is clear and the tone flaw. addressed to the
is fitting. president.

Post-Test

Directions: Read the questions carefully. Write the letter of the correct answer on the blank
provided before the number.
C
____1. In which of the following processes remote sensing method is employed?
A) Drilling B) Exploration C) Extraction D) Refining
C
____2. Which mining technique must be employed if the mineral ore to be recovered is located
at areas deep below the earth crust?
A) Open-pit B) Quarries C) Shaft D) Strip
D
____3. Which method of processing the ore minerals involve subjecting the material to extremely
high temperature?
A) Flotation B) Milling C) Reduction D) Smelting
A
____4. How would you relate the energy of a coal to the amount of pressure in which the raw
materials are derived?
A) Directly proportional C) Not applicable
B) Inversely proportional D) Cannot be determined
C
____5. Which of the following descriptions can only be attributed to petroleum?
A) Forms mostly from plant matter.
B) It pollutes the environment when burned.
C) Forms mostly from microscopic animals.
D) Nonrenewable source of energy

8
 Reflection

The Philippine relies on coal as the country’s dominant energy source with a 52% share
in gross power generation as of December 2018, as opposed to 48% other source that includes
natural gas, oil and renewable sources (Thomas, 2019). But coal is a major source of greenhouse
gas as well as it is a resource that is not in abundance in the country, that’s why yearly over 50%
of the country’s coal consumption is imported mostly from Australia and Indonesia (Thomas,
2019). Make a slogan advocating an end to the use of coal. The slogan must consist of a
maximum of twelve (12) word. Be guided by the rubrics below.

3 2 1
Message Comprehensive Displays enough Shows little
understanding of the knowledge about knowledge about the
effect of the use of greenhouse gas disadvantages of
coal as energy emission using coal.
source
Design The slogan is The slogan shows The slogan is
exceptionally creativity and is presentable
creative and neat presentable
Originality Exceptional use of Good use of new Average use of new
new idea idea idea

9
 Guide Questions:

1. What is mining?
-Mining or Mineral Exploration is a process that refine and access mineral ore. This could be done
through remote sensing which uses a distance radar, sonar or satellite images, geophysical method
which uses geology and physical property of metals, and geochemical method which combines the
knowledge of geology and the chemistry of minerals.

2. What is the process of mining?

-it starts by Exploration (finding high quality ore), Drilling & Blasting (getting ore out of the ground),
Crushing & Milling (getting mineral out of the ore), Separation (separating the mineral from the waste
rock), Refining (cleaning the mineral or metal), and Distribution (distributing the mineral or metals
to where they are needed).

3. What are the different types of mining?

-When mineral is near the surface of the earth, surface mining may be employed. In open- pit
mining, used in gold and copper, explosives break up rock layers and later processed. Underground
mining involves digging tunnels or shaft into the earth crust.

4. What are the impacts of mining?

-Impacts can result in erosion, sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, or the contamination of soil,
groundwater, and surface water by the chemicals emitted from mining processes.