LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

EARTH SCIENCE
FIRST Quarter 2021-2022

Date: August 2021

TOPIC Fossil Fuels
Week: 2 Lesson 2
OBJECTIVE
At the end of the lesson , the students can describe how ore minerals are found, mined,
and processed for human use by
1.1 describing how ore minerals are found, mined, and processed for human use
1.2 citing ways to prevent or lessen the environmental degradation as a result from the
exploitation, extraction, and use of mineral resources

I ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

1.1. Summary of Essential Concept

A. Mining Exploration

Stages in mineral exploration

1. Project Design
- initial stage in formulating a project. It involves review of all available data
(geologic reports, mining history, maps, etc.), government requirements in
acquiring the project, review of social, environmental, political and economic
acceptability of the project, and budget and organization proposals.
2. Field Exploration
Three Phases:
A. Regional Reconnaissance:
- To identify targets or interesting mineralized zones covering a relatively large
area (regional). It involve regional surface investigation and interpretation.

B. Detailed Exploration:
- involves more detailed surface and subsurface activities with the objective of
finding and delineating targets or mineralized zones.

C. Prospect Evaluation: The main objective is to assess market profitability by

(1) extensive resource, geotechnical and engineering drilling
(2) metallurgical testing and
(3) environmental and societal cost assessment.

3. Pre-production Feasibility Study:

It determines and validates the accuracy of all data and information collected from the
different stages. The purpose is for independent assessors to satisfy interested investors
to raise funds and bring the project into production.

B. Mining Methods:

2 Main Methods of Mining

 Types of mines: (A) Underground, (B) Surface (Open pit), (C) Strip, (D) Placer (being
mined by a floating dredge) (Source: Physical Geology Earth Revealed by Carlson,
2011, p 564)

1. Surface Mining - Utilized to extract ore minerals that are close to Earth’s surface
- Different types include open pit mining, quarrying, placer mining
and strip mining.

600m deep open pit diamond mine (Source: CK12 Earth Science)
Limestone Quarry in northern Illinois(source: Physical Geology Earth Revealed by Carlson, 2011)

2. Underground Mining
- Utilized to extract ore minerals from the ore body is that is deep under the Earth’s surface

A 3-D view of an underground mine showing the ore body at subsurface(source: Physical Geology
Earth Revealed by Carlson, 2011 p565)

C. Milling Process

- the materials extracted or “mined" are rocks composed of both ore

and waste material (part of the rock which contain very little or no element or
mineral of economic value).
.
- Recovering the minerals from the ore and waste materials can involve one
or more processes where in the separation is usually done in a mill.

Milling or recovery methods or processes

1. Heavy media separation:

The crushed rocks are submerged in liquid where the heavier/denser minerals sink thus
are separated from the lighter minerals.

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.

D. Environmental Impacts
Environmental impacts of irresponsible mining
- Improper mining can cause flooding, erosion, subsidence,
water and air pollution, damage to wildlife and habitat.

Measures to prevent or mitigate the harmful effects of irresponsible mining

- Topsoil replacement using uncontaminated soil
- reintroduction of flora and fauna
- neutralizing acidic waters
- backfilling and sealing of abandoned underground mines
- stabilizing the slope of impacted area to reduce erosion

1.2. Testing of Knowledge

Answer the following questions.
1. Describe some methods used in surface mining.
_____________________________________________________________________
The three most common types of surface mining are open-pit mining, strip mining, and quarrying.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2. How is it possible for materials presently considered as waste become economically
mineable in the future?
_____________________________________________________________________
Because of advances in technology. Advances in technology can greatly increase the demand for certain
_____________________________________________________________________
materials, or merely reduce the cost of recovering them from something previously considered waste.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

1.3. Knowledge Scanning

An open-pit mine may in the future be converted into an underground mine. Why
would this happen?
__________________________________________________________________
Because of the direction of the orebody you can only mine to a certain depth on open cast then it
__________________________________________________________________
become too dangerous
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

1.4. Integration of Learning

 3-2-1

Three things you found out.

1. ________________________________
I learn about the three important types of mining which are
2. ________________________________
open-pit mining, strip mining, and
3. ________________________________
quarrying.

Two interesting things you have learned.

1. ________________________________
The types of mining and the
2. ________________________________
cause of it

One question you still have ask.

______________________________________
For this lesson i haven't question.

II SELF-DETERMINING PRACTICE

F
C

D
A
 https://miningmatters.ca/docs/default-source/mining-matters---resources/books/activitybk-jan30-
v2-0.pdf?sfvrsn=2370ba98_0
III. REFLECTION/ACTION

After learning how minerals are mined and milled to create products and materials that
we use everyday, we also learned that mining has a huge impact in the environment.
As a student how can you help lessen the effects of mining in the environment?
___________________________________________________________________________
By saying to the people that mining isn't good and you need a permission to the people that live besides where
___________________________________________________________________________
you're mining. Because mining can affect to the land and it's people.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

REFERENCES:

https://miningmatters.ca/docs/default-source/mining-matters---resources/books/activitybk-jan30-
v2-0.pdf?sfvrsn=2370ba98_0\

Physical Geology Earth Revealed by Carlson, 2011 p565)

Prepared By:

Jerry G. Tubongbanua
Teacher

Noted:
Rowena D. Elias
SHS Asst. Principal