Students will gain an understanding of where minerals come from and the environmental impact of mining.

1. An LSU Museum of Natural Science presentation to
accompany the activity
Louisiana Rocks andLouisiana Rocks and
MineralsMinerals

2. Objective: Students will gain an
understanding of where minerals come from
and the environmental impact of mining.
Materials
For teacher: Stop watch, scale, bucket of pennies
For student: 4 chocolate cookies, toothpicks, pencil,
data recording sheet, small weigh boat
Mining for MMM…Mining for MMM…
MineralsMinerals

3. Investigating the layer-
cake earth
What is stratigraphy?
Study of sediment layers
and the relationship
between rocks and
fossils with time.

4. Rules of StratigraphyRules of Stratigraphy
• Steno’s Principle of Superposition
Lower layers are older than higher layers
• Original Horizontality
Layers are deposited in (near-) horizontal
manner
• Principle of Lateral continuity
Layers extend laterally in all direction
• Cross-Cutting Relationships
Layers intruded by other rocks are older than the
intruding rocks

5. Unconformities-
represents a gap in
deposition – lost
time!
• Nonconformity
• Angular
• Disconformity
Sediment layers are LostSediment layers are Lost…..…..
http://epod.usra.edu/archive/images/uncoformitysm.jpg

6. ……..And Moved..And Moved
Faults - Surfaces where rocks have fractured and
been displaced (move relative to one another).

7. Rules apply across Space and Time!Rules apply across Space and Time!

8. Given the diagram, list the order (oldest to youngest) in
which the following events happened:
A. Faulting B. Tilting E. Intrusion
C. Erosion D. Deposition
Classroom assessment activity
Deposition 1
Deposition 1
Tilting
Tilting
Deposition 2 Deposition 2
Intrusion
Erosion
Faulting
1. Deposition 1 2. Tilting 3. Erosion
4. Deposition 2 5. Intrusion 6. Faulting

9. Illustration of example cake set-up. Note different
cake layers (different colors) and fault.

10. Illustration of example cake set-up. Note different
cake layers (different colors) and fault.