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This study presents a practical developed for an undergraduate geotechnical engineering course. The practical was designed to reduce systematic issues so that students could focus on cognitive and conceptual issues rather than practical minutiae. Compression tests were carried out on dry halite, enabling consistent specimen densities to be achieved by different groups who then produced a composite compression curve for a given particle size range by piecewise loading to different maximum stresses. Using this approach, the compression test could be completed within a 1.75-h practical session, rather than over several days as is often the case for compression tests of clays. Data of sufficiently high precision were produced for students to link findings to research reported in the literature. Carrying out tests on halite also enabled students to re-engage with minerology concepts presented in geology courses from previous years. Student feedback suggested that the most challenging aspects of the assignment were handling the large data set, making sense of the literature, and writing a single-page report. These were all key learning outcomes anticipated for this activity.

This paper reports on a service-learning component introduced in an upper-level undergraduate geology course. Students identified rock types used by a local countertop manufacturing company and made fliers describing their mode of formation. Students then completed a final rock identification exam. To assess the effect of participating in the service-learning on students' rockidentification abilities, an Independent Samples t-test was used to compare scores of students that completed the course to those from previous semesters who did not participate in service-learning. Students who participated in service-learning achieved higher final rock identification exam test scores (M = 91.71, SD = 1.59) in comparison to those who did not take part in any service-learning activity (M = 80.36, SD = 1.88), t (19) = 4.59, p < 0.05. Service-learning projects that involve local geology related industries, thus, can facilitate knowledge sharing between the University and the community.

Every substance is associated to emission of electromagnetic radiation whose peaks are essentially influenced by temperature. Hot bodies (i.e., at T >700 °C) emit electromagnetic radiation in the field of visible light (incandescent light). The radiation emitted by cold bodies (i.e., at normal ambient conditions) in the visible light range is defined as luminescence. Luminescent light is emitted by exciting substances by means of electron fluxes (e.g., those generated in a cathode ray tube), using photon fluxes associated to electromagnetic radiations with wavelengths lower than ~390 nm (fluorescence), by mechanical stress (triboluminescence), by small temperature increase (thermoluminescence) or by biological processes (bioluminescence). The value of luminescence demonstrations in teaching is unique. Indeed, by illuminating specific minerals and other substances (such as chicken eggs, seashells, fossils, wood, scorpions, soda drinks) with non expensive ultraviolet (UV) lights, it is possible to introduce the audience to several scientific arguments. Among these, the most important are: a) the concept of radiation and electromagnetic spectrum, including the ?- and x-ray as well as the radio wave extremes; b) the discovery and the essence of natural radioactivity; c) the concept itself of visible light and the nature of the colours; d) the adaptability of the human eyes to the environment; e) the principles of the atomic structure as well as the basic concepts of energy quantization, including the photoelectric effect; f) the basic aspects of black-body radiation.

Minerals and metals are part of everyday existence, including in the air people breathe. They are either in, or have a hand in creating, nearly all of consumer products. As essential as they are, minerals and metals are too often unseen, unappreciated, and unnoticed. In the teaching of preservice primary and secondary teachers as well as high school students, the authors have found that while students might understand the relationship between burning coal and air pollution and may have learned about gold and diamond mining in history courses, they have little understanding about the extraction of minerals and metals that fuel their lives. The authors believe that lessons framed around the motivations, harms, and consequences of mining, in particular metals and minerals, are critical in fostering a heightened attunement to the precarious state of the environment and the role product consumption plays in its ongoing deterioration. Upon completion of the lessons in this article, students will have a heightened awareness of the role mining and minerals play in the creation of everyday objects and will begin to theorize possible alternative framings to renewable energy.

The mineral identification lab is typically the entry level college student's initial hands-on introduction to minerals. Our research focused on identifying alternative mineralogy conceptions that students bring to an introductory geology course and investigating the origins and nature of these conceptions. We identified a number of alternative conceptions and to help make sense of these ideas we grouped them into four categories: (1) differences between minerals and rocks (e.g., they are the same), (2) mineral composition (e.g., lighter crystals contain more air), (3) where minerals form (e.g., caves), and (4) mineral surface features. The fourth category encompassed alternative conceptions based on immediately observable features and included six daughter categories: (1) mineral characteristics (e.g., all are smooth and crystal-like), (2) origin of planar surfaces (e.g., were cut), (3) sedimentary knowledge (e.g., minerals like mica are formed from layering), (4) mineral relations (e.g., minerals of similar shape are related), (5) environmental impacts (e.g., during formation sand was incorporated to turn the mineral orange), and (6) age of minerals (e.g., age can be determined by fragility). Further, we identified three main knowledge sources from which students construct alternative conceptions: (1) prior science courses, (2) outdoor activities, and (3) jewelry and solar and water impacts. Our research adds to previous work on the alternative conceptions held by novice earth science students. Students' answers reflect how their knowledge can contribute to creating alternative conceptions.

Each location on earth has its own mix of climate, minerals, land cover, politics, religion, and other features. Geographic inquiry starts (but does not end) with careful observation of these conditions, because geographers assume that they can influence what happens in that place. Future articles in this series will look at different modes of spatial reasoning that geographers use to analyze these influences. This article is about the basic process of geographic observation.

Evidence from isotopes other than radiocarbon shows that dinosaur fossils are millions of years old. Despite that, bone mineral from Mesozoic dinosaur fossils yields a falsely young radiocarbon "date" of less than 50,000 years, due to its accumulation of new radiocarbon via recrystallization. Similarly, the so-called collagen fraction of Mesozoic fossil bone (actually the total organic fraction) yields a falsely young "date," due to the presence of organic contaminants, including glue that is added during fossil excavation. The contaminants are responsible for the falsely young radiocarbon "date." That problem can be overcome by the HYP method: subjecting only the hydroxyproline (the part of the "collagen" fraction that is specific to collagen) in the "collagen" fraction to radiocarbon dating. Science educators need to be aware of the details of these phenomena, so as to be able to advise students whose acceptance of biological evolution has been challenged by young-Earth creationist arguments that are based on radiocarbon in dinosaur bone "collagen."

Interdisciplinary studies foster integration of ideas across disciplines. The knowledge building pedagogy, with its 12 principles and associated technology, Knowledge Forum®, provides multifaceted support for linking ideas across disciplines and communities. This exploratory study aims to assess the extent to which elementary-school students within knowledge building communities work productively with ideas across content areas. Toward that end we examine "crisscrossing topics" -- student use of concepts from multiple content areas -- to explore the extent to which students think and theorize across disciplinary boundaries, use concepts found in curriculum guidelines at and beyond their grade level, and generate cross-topic notes that advance discourse. Results show that elementary school students engaged in knowledge building can extend knowledge boundaries and bring a considerable range of conceptual content to their work, resulting in productive discourse threads that contribute to community knowledge.

Improvisational or "improv" theater is a live form where the elements of a scene are made up during the performance. Research in various academic disciplines has found the use of improv in classrooms beneficial. However, there is no such literature of use in the geosciences. Presented here are the results from two semesters of nearly daily usage of improv games in upper division geoscience courses (Mineralogy and Petrology). Results from a student perception survey indicate agreement in the usage of these games toward: 1) fostering a community of practice, and 2) developing students' transferable skills. The former benefits learning in the course and may increase retention of a more diverse student body. The latter prepares students to be adaptable in a dynamic workplace, preparing future scientists to contribute to societal challenges. The role improv might play in a classroom that employs active learning strategies is also discussed.

Spatial visualization is an essential prerequisite for understanding geological features at all scales, such as the atomic structures of minerals, the geometry of a complex fault system, or the architecture of sedimentary deposits. Undergraduate geoscience majors bring a range of spatial skill levels to upper-level courses. Fortunately, spatial thinking improves with practice, and students benefit from intentional training. Several promising teaching strategies have emerged from recent cognitive science research into spatial thinking: gesturing, predictive sketching, and comparison, including analogy and alignment. Geoscience educators have traditionally incorporated many of these tools in their teaching, though not always consciously, intentionally, and in the most effective ways. Our research team, composed of geoscientists and cognitive psychologists, has collaborated to develop curricular materials for mineralogy, structural geology, and sedimentology and stratigraphy courses that incorporate these strategies intentionally and purposefully, supporting student understanding of the spatially challenging concepts and skills in these courses. Collectively, these two dozen learning activities comprise the Spatial Thinking Workbook (http://serc.carleton.edu/spatialworkbook/index.html). Pre- to posttest gains on a suite of assessment instruments, as well as embedded assessments, show that these curricular materials boost students' spatial thinking skills and strengthen their ability to solve geological problems with a spatial component.

As part of an outreach initiative by the Natural History Museum in Vienna, Austria, an interdisciplinary educational module was developed to teach students about sustainability through the lens of mineral resources used to produce mobile phones. The overall goal of the module is to provide teachers of different subjects with a multifaceted tool to include sustainability in their classrooms and create greater awareness of our resource-rich lifestyle. The evaluation of efficacy and impact of the module in formal classroom environments is facilitated through two case studies: an assessment of teacher experiences across Austria with our teaching kit, and an assessment of student learning in Austria and the U.S. During the development of the teaching module in Austria, workshops with 97 teachers were conducted to identify educators' needs and offer an interdisciplinary usable teaching kit. The study showed that teachers greatly appreciated the hands-on workshops and implemented the module in their curriculum. For the student study, 416 students from Vienna, Austria, (209 students) and the Greater Boston area in the U.S. (207 students) were taught the same module by the same instructor. Student performance and learning impact were assessed using pre and post questionnaires. For the Austrian students, an additional long-term post questionnaire was completed six months after the intervention. Students' short-term performances increased significantly immediately after the module. This paper describes the outreach project and our teaching module, and proposes the development of curriculum extensions and teacher professional development for implementing interdisciplinary science concepts.

Mineralogy is an essential component of Earth Science education, yet many students struggle to obtain adequate comprehension and knowledge of mineralogy during tertiary (postsecondary) degree programs. The use of educational games can be an effective strategy for science teaching as games provide an active learning environment that enhances student engagement and motivation. This paper introduces a new card game called ''Mineral Supertrumps'' that can be used to counter the challenge of learning mineralogy at either secondary or tertiary level. The card game includes information on the properties of 54 minerals, which include the most important rock-forming minerals as well as minerals of industrial and economic significance. The game is easy to learn and play, and it is designed to motivate learning of mineral properties through active and competitive game-play in a group setting. Group play also helps to build identity and culture around student cohorts, which may also promote learning outcomes. Most students in the second year of a tertiary geology program surveyed after playing the game found it enjoyable to play and considered it to be effective for enhancing learning about mineral properties and their application to society and other Earth Science disciplines. Nevertheless, our survey results also indicate that student engagement with the game (and hence, learning benefits) may be limited if the game is not integrated with other course content, and/or it is not linked to incentive-based exercises (e.g., assessment).

The objective of this study is to use personal analogy as a pre-organizer. The subject of the personal analogy is chosen as minerals. For this purpose, geography teacher candidates were asked the questions, "Which mineral would you like to be? Why?" They explain the properties of the minerals by matching them with their own characteristics. It is considered that the study will increase their awareness level of the environment. The study was carried out with 67 geography teacher candidates taking the Geomorphology Practice lecture in Karadeniz Technical University, Fatih Education Faculty and Department of Geography Teaching between the academic years 2012-2014. The study is phenomenological. The content analysis was carried out using NVivo 10 software on the data obtained in the research and a model, in which the findings were visualized, was created. As a result of the study, it was found out that most of the geography teacher candidates would like to express themselves by amethyst due to its psychological effect, the attractiveness of its colour and its aesthetic look. Furthermore, minerals were categorized under seven themes according to their aspects of analogy, which are the impression, appearance, the process of formation, content, areas of use, processing conditions and values. It was also found that geography teacher candidates use the concept of the mineral in the place of element and stone. As a result of the study, recommendations were given to promote the application of personal analogies in geography lectures at undergraduate level.

In recent years, the new environmental problem are arising due to industrial hazard wastage, global climate change, ground water contamination and etc., gives an attention to protect environment.one of the major source of contamination of ground water is improper discharge of industrial effluents these effluents contains so many heavy metals which are cause more effects the human life. The present study about contamination of ground water due to trace metals in and around the Vijayawada. 60 samples are collected industrial area around the Vijayawada. The study area divided into five zones depending on the nature of industries are present in the study area .The following trace metals are analyzed Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Hg, Ni, Se, and Zn were analyzed in all the sample. In some ground water sample are found to be more concentration of metals are exceeds maximum limits values of WHO, ISI standards. The result gives important information of ground water quality.

The assessment of water resources plays an important environmental and economic role, since it allows developing an effective program of regional development with regard to the environmental load. The hydro-chemical regime of lakes includes water temperature, content of biogenic elements, total mineralization, oxygen regime, and other parameters (transparency, color, and smell). However, this assessment cannot be considered full, since it does not take into account the effect of human activity. Therefore, various systems of water monitoring have been developed, one of which is the assessment of zooplankton. The state of zooplankton is a universal marker. The quantitative and qualitative assessment allows monitoring the physical and chemical state of water resources and assessing their bio-production potential. This research investigated zooplankton communities in lakes Aksuat, Altybai and Taly (Kostanay Region, Kazakhstan). The qualitative composition and dominant species of zooplankton was determined; their population dynamic was monitored. The oxygen regime of lakes remained stable; no oxygen deficiency was found. The lakes have favorable conditions for the development of zooplankton. This also provides favorable conditions for commercial fish farming if the main diet of fish is zooplankton.

The present article analyzes the comparative characteristics of the recreational potential of hydro areas of the Republic of Kazakhstan. 20 hydro areas were marked out for comparative assessment of their attractiveness and recreational possibilities of the development of medical health tourism on the basis of balneological resources. The aim of the study is to identify the areas with the high natural recreational potential, but with a low level of exploration, thus identifying the most promising areas for the development of medical health tourism. The article gives comparative characteristics of areas with health-improving resources and the level of their development to achieve this goal. The outline maps of natural and socio-economic and recreational resources of Kazakhstan and zoning were made for the purpose of comparison of the recreational potential areas on the basis on the performed analyses. As a result, the hydro mineral regions of Kazakhstan were classified into 4 groups with very high, high, medium and low-recreational potential. The presented results of the study will help to formulate proposals for the development of specific areas with a high medical-health potential.

The approaches and interpretations of a class of 6th graders and a class of 8th graders in a U.S. middle school asked to engage in tasks that involved using observations to describe and classify samples is the subject of this paper. Overall 8th graders were better able to perform the tasks, suggesting a developmental advantage aspect. However, the descriptions of the rock and mineral samples recorded by students can be considered salient for identification purposes. However, the descriptions were not recognized as salient features by most of the grade 6th and 8th U.S. students.

The Mineralogy Concept Inventory (MCI) is a statistically validated 18-question assessment that can be used to measure learning gains in introductory mineralogy courses. Development of the MCI was an iterative process involving expert consultation, student interviews, assessment deployment, and statistical analysis. Experts at the two universities at which the MCI was developed were consulted in detail to identify key concepts in their mineralogy courses. Additional experts who have recently taught introductory mineralogy courses in postsecondary institutions were consulted via an online survey. These experts (n = 75) indicated that, on average, 87% of their total course content is included within the 7 key concepts targeted by the MCI. Think-aloud interviews with students were conducted to generate response options written in student language, providing the greatest chance that students will understand the questions as intended. The validity and reliability of the questions on the MCI were evaluated using Rasch analysis to ensure the assessment includes questions that range from high to low difficulty, that it can distinguish between low- and high-performing students, and that the test is not biased toward any subset of the population.

The introductory physical geology laboratory courses taught at North Carolina State University aims to promote scientific thinking and learning through the use of scientific inquiry-based activities. A rubric describing five possible levels of inquiry was applied to characterize the laboratory activities in the course. Two rock and mineral laboratory classes and a geologic time laboratory class were found to contain a greater proportion of low-level inquiry activities than the other laboratory classes. Student exercises within these classes were modified by increasing the degree of student independence, exploration, and prediction required for several activities. Such modifications included students categorizing rock samples before instruction on rock types and predicting the placement of fossils along a geologic time line. Learning gains were measured and compared between students in the traditional lower-inquiry (control) and the revised higher-inquiry laboratory classes (treatment). In all three classes, the increase in inquiry level was found to positively influence student academic performance on postlaboratory assessments and related exam questions.

Ancient cultures or civilizations carried out different technological improvements without the knowledge of the scientific processes involved. At the Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyeria Industrial de Barcelona (ETSEIB), some courses deal with the technological achievements in the antiquity and, in particular, one course deals with the achievements of the Ancient Egyptians, not only to learn what the Ancient Egyptians knew and made but also to look for scientific solutions to modern problems related with the antiquity. In this sense, this work considers the teaching of the chemical basis involved in one technological development of the ancient Egyptians which is taught in one Elective Course entitled: "Questions of technology and civilization in the Ancient Egypt". The students use their knowledge on Basic Chemistry as well as on Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry in order to understand the chemistry involved in the technological development carried out at the Bronze Age (3000-1200 BC) and propose solutions to the variation in the color of the hieroglyphs painted in papyri. The experience acquired in the lessons taught in the Elective Course together with the feed-back from the students is used to implement a new optional course in the Bachelor's Degrees in Industrial Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Materials Engineering named "Technological and Scientific Developments in Antiquity: Ancient Egypt and Middle East and North Africa".

A novel learning intervention has been developed and tested in which honor's level Earth science students were tasked with conducting interviews with established geologists working in the Southern African minerals sector. The task was designed using Laurillard's conversational framework as a theoretical underpinning, which offers an iterative and communicative approach to learning. The teaching goals for the task were that students would come to understand the role of the geologist in the minerals sector, and that students would have exposure to developing professional networks. Data from student feedback surveys showed that the learning intervention was a success and that both goals were achieved. Because of the depth of knowledge accessed from the interviewees, students attained a much deeper level of understanding of the role of the geologist in the minerals sector. The success of the intervention is further discussed in terms of knowledge and social capital transfer across the university--industry interface and in terms of developing graduate attributes.

A plan for national education to train outstanding engineers has been put into practice at Henan Polytechnic University (HPU). Practical education is a basic characteristic of engineering education. This paper proposed ideas and models to reform the mineral processing engineering education system and also described the discipline and the objective of cultivating students for careers in mineral processing engineering. On the basis of a survey and analysis of the quality of graduate student cultivation, we established a practical teaching system of 'four levels, seven categories' and the effect of this system was initially apparent.

Using an ALTA II reflectance spectrometer, the USGS digital spectral library, graphs of planetary spectra, and a few mineral hand samples, one can teach how light can be used to study planets and moons. The author created the hands-on, inquiry-based activity for an undergraduate planetary science course consisting of freshman to senior level science majors and nonmajors. The activity follows a guided-inquiry approach that unites lab-based investigation of minerals with online datasets, and enables students to import, configure, graph, analyze, and compare data using spreadsheet software. The activity includes two parts: (1) analysis of mineral hand samples and spectra, and (2) exploration of planetary reflectance spectra. The activity culminates with students using techniques analogous to those employed by planetary scientists to establish rationales for determining compositional information about, and categorizing and identifying, several planetary bodies in the solar system based solely on reflectance spectra.

Nigeria (total land area of 923,768 km2 ) is underlain by a crystalline Precambrian basement, Jurassic granites, and Cretaceous to Recent sedimentary rocks, and is prone in places to environmental degradation and geohazards. The country hosts approximately 34 different mineral types in about 855 locations with considerable oil and gas reserves. Given this background and with less than 0.004% of the country's population being professional geoscientists, this study sets out to ascertain, across a broad spectrum of the population, the levels of awareness of the geosciences in relation to: mineral endowments including oil and gas, geohazards, agriculture and food production, water supply, and national development. The survey, which utilized questionnaire and oral interview methods, involved a total of 21,252 respondents comprising students, school teachers, informal traders, professionals, and artisanal miners, drawn from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria (North-west, Northeast, North-central, South-west, South-east, South-south), for comparative purposes. The results show generally low but wide variations in the levels of awareness of the relationship of the geosciences to the highlighted issues among the respondents. For example, the highest awareness of any of the issues was 75.12% by teachers in the South-east zone on the relationship of geosciences and geohazards, while the lowest was recorded among the primary school pupils of the North-east zone on the same issue (0.12%). A noticeable trend revealed by the survey is the relationship of the awareness levels and the literacy level among the respondents on one hand and the geopolitical zones on the other. Also, the awareness level also correlates with the relative intensity of geoscientific activity in the various zones. Appropriate strategies needed to enhance the level of awareness are suggested in the study.

Mineralogy is a core topic for tertiary geoscience programs worldwide. We report on the use of laboratory group work as an effective and integral part of a new introductory mineralogy curriculum at the University of British Columbia. The new laboratory curriculum was developed by incorporating student feedback with evidence-based pedagogies. These pedagogies include (1) learning goal-based restructuring of content, (2) use of applied topics (e.g., economic mineralogy) and custom projects to promote student engagement, and (3) use of group work and group assessment in order to provide students with opportunities for peer-supported learning and meaningful feedback from teaching assistants (TAs). The new curriculum was evaluated by using a pre- and posttest system and anonymous student surveys in the 2008 and 2009 fall terms. The pre- and posttest results indicate that groups performed better than did individual students, with groups of three and four showing the most positive effects, albeit in different ways. In addition, successful collaboration within groups led to an overall improvement in student performance over the term, with most groups showing an overall larger "success" in the posttest than in the pretest, and the range in student scores within groups getting smaller (by members benefiting from group peer education). Student surveys showed student satisfaction with the new laboratory curriculum and the use of group work and group assessment. Future improvements include the use of a validated instrument in order better understand learning gains and better use or training of TAs to encourage and maintain positive group dynamics.

Learning optical mineralogy requires students to integrate a complex theory with microscope manipulations and image interpretation. To assist student learning, we performed lecture demonstrations during which digital photomicrographs were taken and delivered to students using Tablet PCs, whereupon they were imported into note-taking software and annotated with digital ink by both instructor and students. We tested two different methods for delivering images: (1) images were delivered via an ad hoc wireless network using the file transfer capability of NetSupport School, using the instructor's computer as the hub, and (2) images were saved to a shared folder that could be accessed by students via the regular campus wireless network. Students loaded the images into either Microsoft OneNote or PowerPoint, and then annotated them with digital ink using the stylus pen as the instructor lectured. Use of the campus wireless network resolved issues of slow image delivery encountered with the ad hoc wireless network. Summative assessment revealed that most students thought the Tablet PCs helped them to understand the complex visualizations. The degree of acceptance among students of using Tablet PCs for note-taking during lectures improved considerably when the issue of slow image delivery was resolved. In addition, students commented that it was helpful to have the images close up and that the colors were highly accurate.

This article describes ways to incorporate high-precision measurements of the specific gravities of minerals into undergraduate courses in mineralogy and physical geology. Most traditional undergraduate laboratory methods of measuring specific gravity are suitable only for unusually large samples, which severely limits their usefulness for student projects involving minerals in ordinary rocks of the sort usually encountered by working geologists. To overcome this limitation, a custom-built apparatus is described that, when combined with a precision analytical balance of the type commonly present in academic research laboratories, can be used to determine the specific gravities of samples as small as several milligrams. For a balance with precision to 0.01 mg, G can typically be measured with an accuracy of ±0.01 or better for specimens weighing several tens of milligrams and ±0.03 or better for specimens as small as 5-10 milligrams. The apparatus is easy to make and easy to use. It provides students with a simple and effective way to use quantitative methods to characterize and identify minerals in hand specimen, including small single crystals separated from common medium-grained rocks.

Using a conceptual framework constructed around self-efficacy, this study explores specific recruitment programs that may contribute to the development of self-efficacy for students of color in the geosciences. This mixed methods study of geoscience education includes quantitative analysis of the Summer Experience in Earth and Mineral Science Program and qualitative analysis of the Summer Research Opportunity Program. Findings identify programmatic components that fostered self-efficacy, thus contributing to students? continued interest in careers in geoscience. This study has potential implications for higher education institutions interested in cultivating programs that attract, support, and retain students of color through various stages of the geoscience education pipeline.

Numerous and varied methods are used in introductory Earth science and geology classes to help students learn about rocks and minerals, such as classroom lectures, laboratory specimen identification, and field trips. This paper reports on a method using online social networking. The choice of this forum was based on two criteria. First, many traditional students are likely comfortable with such an interface and its associated learning style. Second, social networking sites have functionality, such as the ability for users to link and group themselves, which is not available in other common web-facilitated learning environments such as course management systems. Each student was assigned the role of a unique mineral and rock. They were required to create a separate web page for each, with a photograph and description, on MySpace.com, a popular social networking web site. They were also required to join groups based on the classification of the rock or mineral. Finally, they were required to link to the minerals that constitute each rock by becoming "friends." A post-exercise questionnaire showed all students found this a useful and enjoyable exercise, and most believed it helped them to learn and remember information about rocks and minerals.

Minerals are commonly taught in ways that emphasize mineral identification for its own sake or maybe to help identify rocks. But how do minerals fit in with other science content taught? The author uses mineral formulas to help Earth science students wonder about the connection between elements, compounds, mixtures, minerals, and mineral formulas. This weeklong 5E learning cycle (Bybee 2014) lesson has been used with middle school students being introduced to the periodic table as well as high school students in Earth science, physical geology, and chemistry. The unit addresses the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States 2013; see p. 23). This lesson focuses on the mineral-classification-by-formula portion of the unit.

For many students, the first--and sometimes only--chance to look through a microscope is in high school biology class, where they observe plant and animal cells up close. Even in college, few students use a microscope for a subject other than biology. Thus, it can be a surprise to learn that microscopes are a primary tool used to understand the chemical and physical properties of rocks (e.g., Gunter 2004, Reinhardt 2004). "Petrography"--the use of microscopes to study optical properties of rocks and minerals--is a cornerstone of a geoscience education. Polarized-light microscopes show thin, polished rock slices in a beautiful and informative light. Though such microscopes are expensive, a standard high school microscope can be easily and inexpensively altered so it can identify fascinating features in rocks. This article describes a lesson plan developed for an Advanced Placement (AP) environmental science (APES) class that can be adapted for any course that addresses the rock cycle. Parts of the lab could also be used in a physics class that addresses light waves.

This article aims to introduce the lanthanides (also known as the lanthanoids) to teachers and their students. The lanthanides are not mere "footnotes" at the bottom of the periodic table but make up a group of interesting and unique metallic elements. They and their compounds have widespread technological applications that have become increasingly important in our everyday lives, such as permanent magnets (in small electronic devices), superconductors, fibre optic amplifiers and MRI contrast agents.

Investigating the stories behind the makers of 3D models of crystals has proved unexpectedly unstraightforward. Drawing on actor-network theory (ANT), this article investigates the references behind a set of models of mineralogical crystals made of pasteboard held by National Museums Scotland (NMS), to uncover the history and tradition of such models and the role that pedagogy plays in their stories. The contributions of many of the main actors have been neglected, dismissed, ignored, forgotten, or otherwise rendered invisible in the historical record, either intentionally or accidentally. It became clear, however, that there was a significant tradition of modelling in paper, from the earliest years of learning, play and education. Many more people than those intending to become professional model makers were capable of making paper models of subjects from the crystals found in rocks, to buildings made of them.

The response by agriculture/natural resources and community development Extension educators to shale development in Ohio has been proactive. There is a need, however, to understand the impact that shale development is having broadly on families and communities and specifically as it relates to lease payments and the perceptions and realities of resource windfalls or sudden wealth. This article presents the preliminary results of a qualitative study. In the course of data analysis, themes emerged around the topics of money, family and community life, and land. A discussion of the role of Extension professionals is provided.

General chemistry and introductory chemistry students were presented with a laboratory exploration for the determination of the mass percent of copper in rock and mineral samples. They worked independently in the laboratory, which involved multiple lab (pipetting, preparing standard solutions by quantitative dilution, recording visible spectra with spectrometers) and data analysis skills (graphing and multistep stoichiometry calculations) using spreadsheet software. The results from the malachite mineral samples were used to evaluate the success of the copper extraction and analysis methods. Students were tasked with evaluating the economic viability of a "mining site" using their analysis of the malachite bearing rock samples. They worked with the entire class data set to make this evaluation. Students' lab reports and spreadsheets (submitted electronically) were evaluated using a grading rubric. Their engagement and enthusiasm for this exploration was high as they were eager to solve this real-life problem scenario that would be tackled by a professional chemist.

Internationally, there is a growing body of research on industry-school partnership, particularly regarding the principles that contribute to effective and efficient partnership models that facilitate vocational-industrial education. However, there are very few articles in the literature that seek to understand the sustainability of industry-school partnerships. Hence, this paper adopted ecological system principles as a framework for understanding the threats that impact on the sustainability of such partnership arrangements. The author reports on a large-scale government led industry-school partnership, the Gateway to Industry Schools Program, established in Queensland, Australia. Central to this initiative is the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA), a lead organisation for 34 schools and 12 multi-national sponsor companies. This research used an explanatory case study methodology sourcing data through interviews and documents. The main findings were that resilience and adaptive capacity are critical principles for the sustainability of ISPs.

Industry-school partnerships (ISPs) are increasingly being recognised as a new way of providing vocational education opportunities particularly in industries where there are skills shortages. However, there is limited research investigating their impact on school to work transitions. This paper reports on a government-led ISP, the Gateway to Industry Schools Program, established in Queensland, Australia. Central to this initiative is the Resources Academy, a lead organisation for 28 schools and 17 multinational sponsor companies. This research adopted a qualitative case study methodology and draws upon boundary crossing theory as means to understand a Minerals and Energy ISP. We distinguish four types of boundary crossing mechanisms, which partners navigate in ISPs. The main findings were that boundary crossing mechanisms assist ISPs to develop industry-based contextualised curriculum and to prepare school students for employment.

Probably owing to the prejudice that gold is a metal too noble to be used much in chemistry, the chemistry of this element has developed much later than that of its congeners and neighbors in the periodic table. In fact, before and after the time of alchemists, and up to the 20th century, all chemistry of gold was mainly performed in attempts to provide humans with more gold metal for jewelry and coinage. The potential of the chemistry of gold was left largely unexplored. Now, within only a quarter of a century, gold chemistry has become one of the most popular areas of research and technology. In mostly interdisciplinary endeavors, gold and its alloys and compounds have become the focus of projects in quantum chemistry, homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, surface science, metal clusters, nanotechnology, photophysics, and medicine. As a particular benefit, these application-oriented studies have further promoted investigations into the fundamentals of the chemistry of this element. Gold exhibits some extreme properties owing to particularly strong relativistic effects. This review summarizes several recent exciting advances in gold chemistry.

This article describes a field course in Cornwall looking at mineral processing with the focus on the chemistry involved. The course was split into two parts. The first looked at tin mining based around Penzance. This involved visiting mines, hunting for mineral samples, carrying out a stream survey and visiting the Camborne School of Mines Mineral Processing Department. The second part focused on china clay extraction based around St Austell and included a visit to Wheal Martyn China Clay Museum and a china clay works.

When the challenge of adapting curriculum to meet the requirements of the Common Core State Standards were presented, this author immediately sought out the assistance of experts in another field: the school library staff. It was apparent that staff needed to practice the beneficiation of the current curriculum to meet the CCSS requirements. During the process of assisting students in their research, a pattern emerged. Students could easily navigate the Web to find information, but the information they reveal is not always reliable or at their ability level. A strong partnership between the departments and the library staff ensure that the students are being exposed to the most current information available. The school librarian introduced students to resources available through the library's website and had students familiarize themselves with the databases most useful for their project. The Common Core State Standards encourage educators to enrich students' learning with a vast array of resources beyond textbooks. Core content teachers will need to collaborate with the library staff to maximize potential outcomes through effective use of literature and research. School librarians' understanding of resources available to support content will supply a foundation for supporting the diverse learning needs of the students. The expanded number of resources available for classroom instruction will expose students to a greater variety of materials that address the same key content concepts but in a multitude of ways.