Natural Resources Cookie Surface Mining Lab
Scientist: Per. _____
Learning Goals: Demonstrate how surface mining impacts the environment and human
health. Complete a profit and loss statement and explain what is meant by the “cost of
production.”
Pre-lab: Complete the following prior to beginning the lab. Use Internet research or notes to thoroughly answer the
questions below in complete sentences.
1. Describe the differences between strip mining and subsurface mining.
2. Describe the differences between strip mining, open pit mining, and mountain top removal.
3. Describe the difference between renewable and nonrenewable natural resources.
4. What is a mining overburden and how does it affect the health of humans and the environment?
5. How does surface mining impact human health?
6. List and describe four or more ways that mining negatively impacts the environment.
Procedure:
1. Set up your town on the gridded handout. On the grid, draw a map of your town. Color your town map. On your
map, you can make as many different features as you’d like, however you must include the following:
a. River, Ocean, or other water source
b. Wildlife Preserve and Forest
c. Vegetable and Livestock Farm
2. Place your cookie on your map.
3. Trace a circle around your cookie.
4. When you are instructed by the teacher to begin, start mining for your ore.
a. The ore is represented by chocolate chips.
b. You can only use the mining equipment to get it out of the ground
c. You may use your other hand to hold your cookie in place, but you can only mine from the top of the
cookie. You may not pick up or turn over the cookie.
d. You must time yourself during the entire mining process. Keep in mind you will undergo land
reclamation.
e. Once you complete the mining (record time), rub in any tiny bits of chocolate onto your paper. This
symbolizes the pollution left over by mining. DO NOT DISCARD YOUR COOKIE or ORE!
f. Complete the first half of the Cookie Mining Worksheet Profit & Loss Statement using the Reference
Sheet
g. Start your timer again. Place the remaining cookie pieces back inside the circle, draw additional circles
around the crumbs that are not placed inside the main cookie circle. Stop your timer.
h. Complete the remainder of the Profit & Loss Statement.
i. Choose 4 of your town features from your map and fill in the table below.
Town Feature How Does This Feature Benefit the Town How Was This Feature Affected by Mining?
and/or Environment?
5. Why did you decide to place your cookie mine where you did on your map?
6. What item in this lab represents mining overburden? What places in town did your overburden pollute?
7. How did knowing in advance that the land must be restored affect the time you took for mining?
8. How has mining for ore impacted your town’s environment and wildlife?
9. Does the chocolate chip ore represent a renewable resource? Why or why not?
10. What benefits does society get from mining?
11. How did pollution from surface mining affect your town? At the end of the activity, you swept up the crumbs and
cleaned your area. Do you think this could be done at a mining site? Explain
12. What is the conclusion of your cost-benefit analysis? Were your costs more or less than the benefits/gains?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
13. From what you have learned, how would you refine your mining decisions and approach to increase your profit? What is
your advice to other cookie miners?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
CER Post Lab: Complete a claim, evidence, and reasoning writing exercise. Claim
Evidence
Question: Does mining positively or negatively impact humans and the environment? Reasoning
Rebuttal
Claim (Write a complete statement answering the question above)
Evidence (Write 2 statements of evidence that support your claim) Cite your sources.
1.
Source:
2.
Source:
Reasoning (Write 2 statements of reasoning that justify how you linked your evidence to your claim) Use background
knowledge and facts to back up how your evidence supports your claim and reasoning.
1.
2.
Rebuttal (Write a counterclaim – opposite of your claim – and provide counter evidence and reasoning why the
alternative claim is not appropriate)
