Critical Minerals Resource Unit
Be among the first to experience MineralsEd’s newest Critical Minerals Resource Unit, launching this fall! This engaging resource introduces students to the essential role minerals play in our everyday lives and the technologies shaping our future. Through hands-on activities, mineral identification, research, videos, and real-world scenarios, students explore how minerals are identified and extracted, why certain minerals are considered critical, as well as the environmental, economic, social, and Indigenous considerations surrounding mining.
Developed as an inquiry-based student challenge to accompany the B.C. Earth Science 11–12 curriculum, this resource provides educators with a structured and engaging approach to teaching critical minerals. The unit culminates in a Mine Proposal simulation, where students take on different stakeholder roles, research critical minerals, evaluate potential benefits and impacts, develop recommendations, and participate in a town council debate and vote.
Participating teachers receive a comprehensive support kit which includes:
- Teacher Guide
- Student Worksheets
- Class Set of Mineral Identification and Mineral Information pages, including Mohs’ Hardness Scale
- MineralsEd Mineral Cards
- Rock and Mineral Kit
- Mineral Identification Tool Kit, including a penny, nail, ceramic tile, glass plate (or tungsten carbide scribe), magnet, HCl dropper, UV light, and hand lens
- Mineral Identification Lab Kit, including five unknown mineral samples for the Mineral ID Quiz