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A Safe Mine

Recommended Grade Level(s)

  • 3-5
  • 6-8
  • 9-12

Primary Subject Area(s)

  • History
  • Geography
  • Economics
  • Science
  • Language Arts

Related Artifacts

Activity Description

Have students research why they used a bell system in the past and whether and what types of signals they use today in various parts of the world. Next, have them write a persuasive essay about the benefits of modern-day systems and recommendations for mining locations around the world that lack the modern equipment.

Standards Addressed

  1. History
    1. Grade 4 Standards
      1. H2.4.2: Describe the experiences of pioneers moving west.
      2. H3.4.4: Explain how advances in technologies have impacted Nevada, i.e., railroads, mining, and gaming.
    2. Grades 6-8 Standards
      1. H4.[6-8].11: Examine how decisions made in the settlement of the West affected modern foreign commerce, i.e., energy, mining, and multinational corporations.
    3. Grades 9-12 Standards
      1. H1.[9-12].3: Assess the impact of technological innovations and urbanization on society's social and economic development.
  2. Geography
    1. Grade 4 Standards
      1. G8.4.3: Explore the impact of human modification of Nevada's physical environment on the people who live there.
    2. Grades 6-8 Standards
      1. G6.[6-8].7: Compare how cultural characteristics affect different points of view with regard to places and regions.
  3. Economics
    1. Grade 4 Standards
      1. E9.4.1: Give examples of incentives and determine whether they are positive or negative.
    2. Grades 6-8 Standards
      1. E9.[6-8].1: Discuss choices made by individuals including the concepts of opportunity cost and total benefit.
      2. E9.[6-8].4: Discuss career paths considering: specific skills required wages, impact of skills on wages.
    3. Grades 9-12 Standards
      1. E9.[9-12].1: Analyze choices and incentive systems used by parents, teachers, employers and government using the concepts of: total benefits and opportunity costs, impact of marginal costs and marginal benefits, effectiveness.
      2. E9.[9-12].4: Evaluate career paths considering: specific skills required, wages, impact of skills on wages, response of wages to market demand.
      3. E10.[9-12].13: Compare the unemployment rates for groups of people who differ by age, sex, ethnicity, occupation, and education.
  4. Science
    1. Grades 3-5 Standards
      1. N.5.B.1: Students know that, throughout history, people of diverse cultures have provided scientific knowledge and technologies.
      2. N.5.B.2: Students know technologies impact society, both positively and negatively.
      3. N.5.B.3: Students know the benefits of working with a team and sharing findings.
    2. Grades 6-8 Standards
      1. N.8.B.1: Students understand that consequences of technologies can cause resource depletion and environmental degradation, but technology can also increase resource availability, mitigate environmental degradation, and make new resources economical.
    3. Grades 9-12 Standards
      1. N.12.B.1: Students know science, technology, and society influenced one another in both positive and negative ways.
      2. N.12.B.2: Students know consumption patterns, conservation efforts, and cultural or social practices in countries have varying environmental impacts.
  5. Language Arts
    1. Grade 4 Standards
      1. 3.4.1: Identify how one event may cause another event.
      2. 3.4.7: With assistance, explain the influence of historical events.
      3. 4.4.1: Identify the purpose of and gain information from illustrations, graphs, charts, titles, text boxes, diagrams, headings, maps.
      4. 4.4.2: With assistance, identify how language creates persuasion and propaganda.
      5. 4.4.3: With assistance, compare events.
      6. 5.4.1: Explore a topic to plan written work.
      7. 5.4.2: Draft multiple paragraphs on a single topic that address audience, purpose, supporting details introduction, and conclusion.
      8. 5.4.3: Revise drafts for organization, focused ideas, voice, audience, purpose, relevant details, word choice, and sentence fluency.
      9. 6.4.6: Write persuasive paragraphs and compositions that include supporting evidence.
    2. Grade 7 Standards
      1. 3.7.7: Explain the influence of time periods.
      2. 3.7.9: Synthesize information.
      3. 4.7.1: Evaluate information from illustrations, graphs, charts, titles, text boxes, diagrams, headings, maps.
      4. 4.7.2: Explain how language is used for the purpose of persuasion and propaganda.
      5. 5.7.2: Draft multiple paragraphs on a single topic that address, audience, purpose, supporting details, introduction, conclusion, and transitions.
      6. 6.7.6: Write persuasive essays and compositions that include a thesis statement, supporting evidence, relevant evidence, cause/effect structure.
    3. Grade 12 Standards
      1. 4.12.1: Evaluate information from illustrations, graphs, charts, titles, text boxes, diagrams, headings, maps.
      2. 4.12.2: Explain how language is used for the purpose of persuasion and propaganda.
      3. 6.12.6: Write persuasive essays and compositions that include a theses statement, supporting evidence, relevant evidence, cause/effect structure, problem/solution structure, and rhetorical strategies.
      4. 6.12.9: Write research papers by choosing and narrowing a research topic, locating and collecting information from primary and secondary resources recording information, paraphrasing and summarizing information, organizing collected information, documenting source.
 

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