LESSONPLANTEMPLATE

YourName:MarielMendez
TitleofLesson:FossilFuels:ChocolateChipCookieExtraction
Grade:6thgrade

MSESS3-1.

MSESS3-3.

STANDARDS
Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions
of Earth's mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and
current geoscience processes. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on how these
resources are limited and typically non-renewable, and how their distributions are
significantly changing as a result of removal by humans. Examples of uneven distributions of
resources as a result of past processes include but are not limited to petroleum (locations of
the burial of organic marine sediments and subsequent geologic traps), metal ores (locations
of past volcanic and hydrothermal activity associated with subduction zones), and soil
(locations of active weathering and/or deposition of rock).]
Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human
impact on the environment. *[Clarification Statement: Examples of the design process
include examining human environmental impacts, assessing the kinds of solutions
that are feasible, and designing and evaluating solutions that could reduce that
impact. Examples of human impacts can include water usage (such as the withdrawal
of water from streams and aquifers or the construction of dams and levees), land
usage (such as urban development, agriculture, or the removal of wetlands), and
pollution (such as of the air, water, or land).]

LESSONSUMMARY/OVERVIEW

Studentswillbelearningabouttheenvironmentalissueofmining.Specifically,hereinArizona,
miningisharmingtheenvironment.Studentswillbelearningthatbyextractingenergysources,
specificallycoalcandamageourplanet.Inthislessonstudentswillbeabletomimiccoal
mining,anditwillshowthemhowmuchweneedtodowhileweminetoavoiddestroyingthe
landaroundit.Studentswilleachgetacookie,thechocolatechipswillrepresentcoal,andthe
restofthecookiewillrepresentthelandaroundit.Studentswillthenbegivenachoiceto
whetherminewithapapercliporflattoothpick.Thentheywillbegiven3minutestoextractas
manychocolatechipsfromthecookieusingtheirtool.Studentswillthencompareresultsfrom
extractingwiththepaperclipandthetoothpick.Theywillalsobestudyingtheimpactthatthe
miningoftheirchocolatechipshadontherestofthecookie.
OBJECTIVES

Studentswillbeabletoanalyzeinformationandthinkcriticallyabouttheeffectsthatmininghas
ontheEarthandtheenvironment.
ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION

StudentswillcreatetheirownPowerPointpresentationthatexplainstheimpactsthatmininghad
ontheircookie.Eachstudentwillneedtoanswerthesequestions
1. Wasiteasytoextractthechocolatechipsfromyourcookieinonly3minutes?
2. Whathappenedtoyourcookiewhenyouextractedallthechocolatechipsfromit?

3. WhatdidyoudodifferentlywhenIgaveyouasecondcookieandwhy?
4. Howdidthetoolyouusedaffectyourcookie?
5. HowdidthisactivityrelatetomininginArizona?

PREREQUISITEKNOWLEDGE

Studentspriortothislearnwillneedtoknowwhatfossilfuelsareandbeabletonamed
thedifferenttypesoffossilfuels.
Studentswillalsoneedtoknowhowfossilfuelsareformed.
Studentswillneedtoknowabouttheminingextractionprocessspecificallyaboutcoal
extractioninArizona.
StudentswillneedtoknowhowtouseMicrosoftPowerPoint
MATERIALS

Chocolatechipscookies
Papertowels
Toothpicks
Paperclips
Stopwatch
Computers
VOCABULARY/KEYWORDS

MiningtheextractionofmineralsfromtheEarth
Extractiontopullordrawout
TEACHINGPROCEDURES

1. RememberwhenwelearnedaboutcoalmininginArizona,andsomereviewhowwe
extractcoalhereinArizona?Waitforstudentsresponse
2. Youwillthenprovidestudentswithmoredetailsaboutcoalanditsextraction
3. Todayyouwillbeminers,youwillgetachocolatechipcookieandthechocolatechips
representcoalinthearea,youwillthenget3minutestominecoal,butrememberwe
dontwanttodestroythesurroundingland,whichistherestofthecookie.Foreach
chocolatechipyouextractyouwillget$500.BeforewebeginIwantasaclasstomakea
hypothesisofhowmanychipswillbeineachcookieWritethehypothesisontheboard
NowIwantyoutolookatyour
4. Youwillpassoutthematerialsforeachstudent
a. 1chocolatechipcookie
b. papertowel
c. Toothpickorpaperclip
5. Explaintothestudentstohavethemexaminetheircookieandstudyandtakenotesabout
itbeforeextractingthechipsIwantyoutomakeahypothesisaboutyourowncookie,

6.
7.
8.

9.

andhowmanychocolatechipswillbeinyourcookieandcomparethathypothesistothe
classhypothesis
Whenallthestudentshavetheirmaterialsthenyouwillstartthetimerandsetitfor3
minutes
Havestudentscounttheirchipsandrecordthem
Nowexplaintothestudentsthattheyneedtoplanawaytomineasecondcookiebut
withnotbreakingthecookiesomuchYouwillnowgetasecondcookieandhaveonly5
minutestomine,butyouwillonlygetpaid$300foreachchipandyouneedtopay$400
foreachpiecethatbreaksoffthecookie.
Studentswillthencomparetheirresultsandworkwithapartnertocompletetheir
PowerPointpresentation

RESOURCES
Listanyreferencesyouusedtocreatethislesson.Ifyouborrowedideasfromanylessonplanspleasenote
themhere.UseAPAformat.

FuturesThinking

WAYSOFTHINKINGCONNECTION

The idea of how the past and the present influence each other was important to me when
choosing this lesson. Fossil fuels are a finite resource and because we are using them at such a
high rate students need to be aware of the effects they have. Futures thinking are based on
multiple, possible outcomes of decisions and actions. In this lesson students are able to work on
hands-on activity that allows them to see how mining effects the Earth. Throughout the activity I
would like my students to keep in mind that their actions will determine the outcome of the
cookie environment. In this activity I give the students an opportunity to mine again but with
different expectations. Students are given an opportunity to correct their mistakes and possibly
make better decisions or be more careful with their second cookie. This is a great connection to
futures thinking, because students are making decisions that effect the future and in this lesson
can fix their mistakes so it can have a better outcome.