Mineral Exploration

28 S P R I N G 2 0 1 6 Photographs : Mark Kinskofer/AME BC W hen 108 elementary students converged at Vancouver's Canada Place for their first- ever convention experience, the first thing one noticed was the excitement on their faces. Children at this age are delightful: oozing with enthusiasm, curiosity and an eagerness to learn. The annual Mineral Exploration Roundup proved to be an exceptional environ- ment for them to further their under- standing of the world around them – in particular, the world of rocks, minerals, mineral exploration and mining. W hile many classes throughout British Columbia study mining-related topics in the classroom, these lucky stu- dents were invited by MineralsEd to attend Roundup for the day. MineralsEd, established in 1991 as a teacher-industry partnership program, is a not-for-profit educational organization operating in British Columbia. It is dedicated to encouraging and supporting Earth sci- ence, mineral resources and mining edu- cation in schools. MineralsEd provides key resources and supports teacher-generated programs in schools across the province. "These students have been studying Earth science or mining since school began last fall," explains MineralsEd director Sheila Stenzel. "They are in Grades 4 to 7, from schools in Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond and West Vancouver. We have supported them and their teach- ers with their classroom teaching and field trips this fall. We invited them to Roundup to reinforce what they have learned in school, to meet the people who make up our industry and to learn many new things from them." Learning stations At Roundup, the MineralsEd staff organ- ized a rich and rewarding experience for the young students, using a stationed approach. The Stump the Geologist sta- tion (where the children bring a rock from home to see if the geologist can identify it correctly) prompted Alysha, from Anderson Elementary School, to com- ment, "I brought a rock sample, and the geologist was spot-on with identifying it!" Field trip ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS EXPERIENCE ROUNDUP By Patty Kiloh Another station featured a diamond exploration activity, in which the stu- dents learned how diamonds form and how indicator minerals are used by geol- ogists to locate diamond pipes. Parent helper Sarah, from École Cedardale in West Vancouver, says, "I did not know that diamonds came from deep down and were found in exploded volcanic rocks." This is an example of lifelong learning; perhaps the seed was also planted for an interesting dinner-table conversation with her family later that evening. Another interesting station featured a presentation from exploration geologists who explained their role in the industry through photos and the gear they wore and carried in the field. Commenting on the benefit of students attending Roundup, teacher Sue Funston, from A nderson Elementary School, says, "Knowing that those two people who were standing there talking to the kids were the same people who took the pho- tos, had those experiences [and] were in those helicopters, is very neat. They're real people. Those are possible jobs for these students in their future." Doors were opened; minds were too. One of the most popular stations was a rockhound table, complete with large and impressive rock and mineral samples, microscopes, and volunteer geologists, who helped the students explore and discover more about the items on display. Julia, a Grade 5 student from Fraser Academy in Vancouver, observes, "They really teach you about rocks. They don't just hand you a rock

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