Extraction – Optional Activity

Backyard Mining Operation

Your Mission: Experience what it's like to be a real miner! You'll try different mining techniques and discover how hard it is to find treasures underground.

What You'll Do:

1. Set Up Your Mine (30 minutes - adult help needed):
   • Work with an adult to choose your "mining area" (sandbox, big plastic tub, or garden spot)
   • Gather your "gems": colored glass marbles, costume jewelry, interesting rocks, small crystals
   • Create different types of deposits like real mines:
     • Placer Deposit: Mix treasures into sand
     • Hard Rock Deposit: Bury treasures in packed dirt or clay
     • Stream Deposit: Hide treasures in gravel that can be washed
2. Assemble Your Mining Tools:
   • Digging Tools: Spoons, forks, brushes, different sized sieves
   • Water Tools: Spray bottles, buckets, shallow pans for washing
   • Collection Gear: Small containers, tweezers, magnifying glass
   • Safety Gear: Gloves and knee pads if you want them
3. Try Different Mining Methods: Open Pit Mining (20 minutes):
   • Dig straight down from the surface using your tools
   • Carefully excavate layer by layer
   • Record what treasures you find at different depths
   • Notice how this method digs up a really big area
   Placer Mining Like Gold Miners (25 minutes):
   • Scoop up sand and gravel mixtures
   • Use your sieves to separate materials by size
   • Wash everything in water and watch heavy items sink to the bottom
   • Swirl water in your pan like real gold miners do
   Underground Mining Simulation (15 minutes):
   • Use long-handled spoons to reach into "tunnels" (toilet paper tubes buried in sand)
   • Try to get treasures out without messing up the surface
   • Notice how this is much harder but doesn't disturb as much area
4. Document Your Mining Results:
   • Make a map showing where you found each treasure
   • Record which mining method found the most treasures
   • Compare how much mess each method made
   • Think about which method real miners would choose in different situations

What You Will Learn: You'll experience firsthand that mining is really hard work! You'll discover that different situations need different mining techniques, and you'll understand why miners have to think about both finding treasures and taking care of the environment.

International Gem Society

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