An inquiry-based science lesson exploring nonrenewable mineral extraction, ore geology, electronics manufacturing lifecycles, and the environmental trade-offs of modern technology.
Your Mission: Can your mining corporation profit while protecting the watershed? Zero Prep • Pencil & Dice
Sustainable Future
Urban Mining & Circular Solutions
Urban Mining
1 metric ton of old phones yields 300 grams of gold—nearly 100× richer than raw underground ore!
Right to Repair
Easy-to-open phones let people replace batteries instead of tossing the entire device and its precious metals into landfills.
Closed-Loop Tech
Makers buy back used devices so 100% recycled cobalt, gold, and aluminum become brand new smartphones.
Debrief Prompt: Why is recycling phones cleaner than digging open-pit mines? Classroom Reflection
5 Watershed Environmental Fine
Did any of your 6 drills land on a blue River square?
River squares hit: ____ × $3.00
Total Environmental Fine: $ ________
6 Company Profit / Loss Statement
Gross Mineral Money:+ $ _______
- Permit Cost:- $ 4.00
- Drilling Labor (6 drills):- $ 6.00
- Environmental River Fine:- $ _______
Final Net Profit / Loss: $ _______
7 Geological Analysis: What Did We Learn?
1. Resource Distribution: Were the valuable mineral squares evenly spread across the map, or clustered in certain zones?
Circle one: The ores were ( evenly spread / clustered in uneven pockets ).
2. Environmental Impact: Complete the sentence:
If a mining company pollutes a nearby river with toxic waste, then .
3. Urban Mining Solution: Complete the sentence:
Recycling old smartphones is better than digging new mines because .
Mineral Heist Paper Grid Lab • Adapted for High School Special Education Earth Resources Unit
Paper Grid Lab: Answer Key & Exemplar Math
Sample financial balance sheets, expected sentence completions, and debrief prompts
EXEMPLAR KEY
Sample Student Data Walkthrough
Scenario 1: High-Yield Lucky Drills
Permit Cost:$4.00
Drilling Labor (6 drills × $1):$6.00
River Fine (0 hits):$0.00
Total Expenses:$10.00
Strikes (2 Li @ $3 + 2 Gold @ $2 + 1 Co @ $2):$12.00
Net Profit:+$2.00 Profit!
Scenario 2: Watershed Contamination
Permit Cost:$4.00
Drilling Labor (6 drills × $1):$6.00
River Fine (2 hits × $3):$6.00
Total Expenses:$16.00
Strikes (1 Li @ $3 + 1 Co @ $2 + 2 Plain Rock):$5.00
Net Loss:-$11.00 Loss
Reflection Prompts Answer Key
1. Resource Distribution:
Correct Choice:clustered in uneven pockets. Reinforces NGSS MS-ESS3-1 (Earth's mineral resources are unevenly distributed due to past geological events).
2. Environmental River Impact:
Exemplar Completion:"people who drink water downstream can get sick, and fish and plants in the river will die."
3. Urban Mining Benefit:
Exemplar Completion:"it keeps dangerous e-waste out of dumps and stops us from destroying mountains and rivers to get tiny amounts of metal."
Classroom Debrief Discussion
"Notice how much plain gray rock we hit compared to valuable lithium or gold. In real life, mining companies have to haul away millions of pounds of plain rock just to find enough gold for a few smartphones!"
Mineral Heist Teacher Guide • Paper Grid Edition Classroom-Ready Material
Performance
Criteria Met
Teacher Feedback & Next Steps
Proficient (4)
Names all 5 items; accurately explains how each operates the phone; uses transitions.
Full mastery. Challenge student to identify which of the 5 items is hardest to recycle.
Approaching (3)
Names 3–4 items correctly with basic descriptions; simple sentence structure.
Review the word bank clues for the remaining items. Provide sentence frames.
Developing (2)
Names 1–2 items; descriptions are incomplete or confused.
Offer oral dictation or speech-to-text; review Slide 2 together with a paraprofessional.
Special Education Scribing & Modified Response Protocols
Oral Dictation / Speech-to-Text: For students with dysgraphia or motor fatigue, allow students to dictate their 5 sentences to a co-teacher or recording device.
Cut-and-Paste Sentence Strips: Provide pre-printed strips for the 5 items that students arrange in chronological order and paste onto the exit ticket.
Smartphone Paragraph Rubric • High School Special Education Classroom-Ready Resource
