Teacher guide Bringing mining to life: STEM careers

TLF ID M019975

This is a unit of work about mining, occupations in the mining industry and the history and future of mining in Australia. The resource includes: An introduction with teacher notes, student tasks, embedded videos and links to additional resources. Specific topics explored include jobs in the mining industry; the role of mining in our everyday lives; and how mining influences science, engineering and technological research and environmental (ethical) issues around mining that are important. The resource is a career resource written for both classroom teachers and career counsellors.





Educational details

Educational value
  • This is a highly useful resource for the year 7, 8 and 9 Science curriculum. It is particularly useful for the content descriptions referring to the way people use understanding and skills from across the disciplines of science in their occupations (year 7 and 8) and how advances in science and technology affect people's lives creating new career opportunities (year 9). Task 1: Getting your head around mining is particularly relevant here as it includes four videos of interviews with mining scientists and engineers discussing their work, with associated student tasks. Task 5: If you worked in the mining industry is also relevant, which asks students to reflect on their own career aspirations on completion of the unit.
  • It is a highly useful resource for the year 7 and 8 Science curriculum. It is particularly useful for the content descriptions referring to the way science understanding influences the development of practices in areas of human activity such as industry, agriculture and marine and terrestrial resource management. Task 3: What does the future of mining in Australia look like? Is particularly relevant here as students explore issues facing the mining industry in Australia and possible solutions or methods of dealing with the issues.
  • The resource is also very useful for the year 7 and 8 Science curriculum, particularly the content description referring to ethical considerations that science and technology solutions present. Task 4: Mining and the environment - ethical discussion is particularly relevant here and provides an opportunity for students to consider whether we should continue to mine when there are environmental risks.
  • This resource is also very useful for addressing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and culture cross-curriculum priority. Task 4: Mining and the environment - ethical discussion is particularly relevant and the Jabiluka uranium mining proposal in Kakadu National Park is an interesting example that could be explored with students.
  • This is a very valuable source of information for the year 9 and 10 Work Studies curriculum particularly for the sub-strand career development and life design.
Year level

7; 8; 9

Other details

Contributors
  • Contributor
  • Name: Education Services Australia
  • Organization: Education Services Australia
  • Description: Data manager
  • Address: VIC, AUSTRALIA
  • URL: http://www.esa.edu.au/
  • Copyright Holder
  • Name: The Royal Institution of Australia Inc (RiAus)
  • Organization: The Royal Institution of Australia Inc (RiAus)
  • Address: AUSTRALIA
  • URL: http://riaus.org.au/
  • Publisher
  • Name: The Royal Institution of Australia Inc (RiAus)
  • Organization: The Royal Institution of Australia Inc (RiAus)
  • Description: Publisher
  • Address: AUSTRALIA
  • URL: http://riaus.org.au/
  • Resource metadata contributed by
  • Name: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Organisation: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Address: AUSTRALIA
  • URL: www.esa.edu.au
Access profile
  • Unknown
Learning Resource Type
  • Online
Rights
  • Except where otherwise noted, content on this website is licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.