As part of a well-rounded geography education, it is important for students to learn about the processes by which natural resources are extracted from the Earth and the ways these resources are used. It is also important for students to recognize that there are always environmental and human impacts caused by the resource extraction process. This lesson asks students to focus on gold and the process that takes it from miners to jewelers. By learning about this process, students will be encouraged to think about the individuals behind the production process and the environmental and human impacts associated with producing their belongings.

Geography, economics, physical science, environmental science, geology

Standard 14: "How human actions modify the physical environment"
Standard 16: "The changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution, and importance of resources"

Three to four hours

• Computer with Internet access
• Blank Xpeditions outline maps of the world, one for each student
• Drawing materials

Students will

• discuss the uses of gold and the reasons people want gold;
• go to a Web site to see how the price of gold has changed over the last ten years, and discuss the implications of these changes;
• map the locations of the world's largest gold mines;
• research and take notes on various stages in the gold jewlery production process, from mining to the jewelry consumer; and
• create posters illustrating the stages in the process, including the role of geologists and environmentalists.

Ask students to name some natural resources that are considered very valuable. They might mention oil, wood, gold, or diamonds. Focus their attention on gold. Why do they think gold is valuable? Why do people want gold?

Have students go to the "Minerals and Their Products" page. listed below, and scroll down to "Gold Ore" to read about a few of the uses of gold. Ask them to list the products that gold is used for.

Have students find out about gold prices over the last ten years by going to Kitco site, listed below, and linking to "10 Year Gold Chart." Ask them to describe in a sentence what has happened to the price of gold over the last 10 years. Then ask them to explain why they think gold prices might go up or down. What factors might make gold cheaper? What factors might make it more expensive? Spend a few minutes discussing these questions as a class.

Have students look at this Project Underground list to see where the world's largest gold mines are located and where the largest gold mining companies are headquartered. Give students blank outline maps of the world and ask them to draw Xs or other symbols to represent the world''s largest gold mines. For the mines in the United States, have them use the Internet to find out where they are located and label them on the map.

Have students use the Internet to learn about U.S. gold mines, starting with the Barrick Gold Corporation site.

Have students work with partners to find out about the various individuals involved in the stages of extracting and using gold. Tell them that they will focus on the end product of gold jewelry, since that's the gold product they are probably most familiar with. First, ask them to draw two-columned charts with rows that are labeled with the following people:

• Mine worker
• Mining company executive
• Jewelry manufacturer/jeweler
• Customer
• Geologist
• Environmentalist

Have students use Internet and print resources to find out the role of each person on their list. Ask them to take notes in the chart, describing each person's role in the gold extraction, production, or consumption process. They can start their research by exploring the Web sites listed in the Related Links section.

Have students stage a class debate over the status of gold mining in the United States. They should address the points of view of gold miners, mining executives, environmentalists, Native Americans, and other relevant individuals. The debate should focus on the question of what changes, if any, should be made to current methods of extracting gold in the United States.

Have each pair of students create a poster that shows the relationship between the individuals on their lists from the Development section. The posters should be organized to show the process of creating a piece of gold jewelry, from the initial mining activities to a customer purchasing the jewelry in the United States. The posters should include the role of geologists and environmentalists in this process.

The posters should contain pictures or illustrations and detailed captions that describe each person's role, the reasons why each person is involved in this process, and the thoughts that each person might be having during the process (what the person's motivations are for being involved in the process).

Have students create brochures for U.S. jewelry consumers describing the process by which gold gets from the ground to the jewelry store. They should also list the environmental and human impacts of gold mining.

Barrick Gold Corporation
Kitco: Ten Year Gold Chart
Minerals and Their Products
Mining Technology
Mining and the Environment
National Geographic: Xpeditions Activity—The Quest for Gold
National Mining Association
National Union of Mineworkers–South Africa
Project Underground