These units of work and their supporting materials have been designed by teachers and pre-service teachers to assist teachers in the teaching of minerals and energy topics.

Queensland Resources Council (QRC) acknowledges the efforts of Queensland teachers, including teachers from Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy schools in the preparation and design of these units.

Click on the title of the unit to open the unit outline, and the icon of the folder to open its supporting materials.

Chance and Data - 'Climate Change-is it all just hot air?' Unit
This climate change themed, Chance and Data unit of work ‘Climate Change-is it all just hot air?’ has been developed for year 9 Maths students. It provides teachers and students with resources which increase their understanding of the cause and effect of climate change at a global and local level. Students are able to analyse the huge increases in global energy demand, predict future trends, calculate their carbon footprint and examine the practicality and size of personal reductions.

The three week unit includes a series of learning activities followed by an assessment item and a guide to making judgements. Multiple worksheets are provided, with the integration of ICTs being a prominent feature of the unit. The unit has been aligned with the end of year 9 Essential Learnings but could also be useful for the senior years in the study of climate change and data interpretation. Click on the title of the unit to open the unit outline, and the icon of the folder to open its supporting materials.

Queensland Resources Council wishes to acknowledge Glen Watt Acting HOD Middle School - Mathematics Brisbane School of Distance Education for the development of this unit.

 
Supporting Materials - this is a compressed zip file (1.1MB)
                               

Copper Processing Unit
A short unit of work (4-5 lessons) on copper. Includes PowerPoint, experiment and worksheets on the history, mining and processing and uses of copper. Suitable for year 10. Click on the title of the unit to open the unit outline, and the icon of the folder to open its supporting materials.

    

Supporting Materials - this is a compressed zip file (3.4MB)
                                
    

Supporting PowerPoint (1.06MB)
 

Geography of Mines and Mining: A spatial approach
A suite of junior geography resources that involve analysis of data, decision making and presentation of results in various forms. Click on the title of the unit to open the unit outline, and the icon of the folder to open its supporting materials.

    

Supporting Materials - this is a compressed zip file (3.1MB)
 

Geophysical Prospecting
QRC acknowledges QRC Teacher Award winner Andrew Carter for the development of this unit of work. It explores Geophysical Prospecting including gravity, seismology and radioactivity. Suitable for years 11-12. Click on the title of the unit to open the unit outline and syllabus requirements, and the icon of the folder to open its supporting PowerPoints or other materials.

    

Supporting PowerPoints - this is a compressed zip file (3.3MB)
 

    

Supporting Materials - this is a compressed zip file (0.5MB)
 

    

STAQ PowerPoint - this is a compressed zip file (1.2MB)
 

Hard Rock to Heavy Metal
This unit aims to introduce students to some of the common ore minerals mined in Queensland and allow them to become familiar with methods for processing these minerals. The students are also provided with an opportunity to explore the common properties of the metal produced. The unit can be presented in its entirety or a section of the unit can be incorporated as a teaching resource. Suitable for years 8-10.
Click on the title of the unit to open the unit outline, all supporting materials are linked within the outline. Click the icon of the folder below to see curriculum links.

    

Curriculum Links

Low Emission Energy Sources - An Introduction (based on year 10 guidelines)
As the urgency grows for the world to shift its energy dependence from non-renewable to a hybrid of energy fuel sources, a sound understanding of the science of the various technologies is increasingly important.  Low emission energy sources which includes renewable and fossil fuel based energies such as gas and coal based energies incorporating carbon capture and sequestration are under intense discussion by policy makers worldwide. Suitable for year 10 in line with Queensland Studies Authority Year 10 Guidelines. Click on the title of the unit to open the lesson sypnosis, and the icon of the folder to open the full outline and supporting materials.

    

Supporting Materials - this is a compressed zip file (0.3MB)
 

Mathematics in Mining (based on year 10 guidelines)
The mining industry in Queensland provides a relevant and engaging context in which students can investigate the mathematics of measurement. The lessons in this unit may be utilised as a standalone unit, or individual lessons may be used within other units of work to introduce problem solving in a real-world context. This unit investigates the mathematics of measurement in mining in Queensland using the resources on the www.oresomeresources.com site. Suitable for year 10 in line with Queensland Studies Authority Year 10 Guidelines. Click on the title of the unit to open the unit outline, and the icon of the folder to open its supporting materials.

    

Supporting Materials - this is a compressed zip file (0.3MB)
 

Physics Unit
This unit of work compares the thermal energy capacity of three supply options: coal, hot dry rocks, and nuclear energy. Suitable for students in years 10-12 and written by senior physics teacher Clayton Russell from Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy school, Alexandra Hills. The unit is aligned to the new Queensland physics syllabus to be implemented in 2008 and 2009.
Click on the title of the unit to open the unit outline, and the icon of the folder to open its supporting materials.

    

Supporting Materials - this is a compressed zip file (3.4MB)
 

Powerful Maths
Powerful Maths is a unit of work that investigates the mathematics of space as it applies to the generation of coal fired power in Queensland.
Students learn about the construction, surface area and volume of prisms, pyramids, cones and spheres and engage with complex compound shapes used in the construction of power plants. The specification sheet for one of the largest mining trucks in use in the world will provide the information to calculate the capacity of the bucket. Students will use networking, mapping, bearings, latitude and longitude to plan a helicopter course for the Premier of Queensland to visit the largest power stations in the state. Throughout the unit students engage with on-line videos, animations, data and calculation tools, further exemplifying the real-world, up-to-the-minute relevance of these activities. The lessons in this unit may be utilised as a standalone unit, or individual lessons may be used within other units of work to introduce problem solving in a real-world context.
The unit is aligned to the Essential Learnings and year 10 guidelines. Suitable for year 10 Maths but does have application in Maths and Engineering Technology in the senior years.
Click on the title of the unit to open the unit outline, and the icon of the folder to open its supporting materials including worksheets and assessment.
  

 
Supporting Materials - this is a compressed zip file (10MB)
 

What gas is that?
A science unit outline linked to the essential learnings for year 7, with assessment tasks provided. This unit explores the formation of carbon dioxide from a number of sources, its place in the carbon cycle and its roll in the greenhouse effect. Anthropogenic (man-made) sources of carbon dioxide are investigated, particularly the production of the gas as a by-product of power generation, and the present research and low emission technologies that may reduce carbon emissions in future energy production. Suitable for years 6-7, adaptations may be made for use in other year levels.

    

Supporting Materials - this is a compressed zip file (0.3MB)
 

Award winning units of work by Pre-Service Teachers
QRC acknowledges the efforts of award winning Queensland Pre-Service Teachers from Queensland University of Technology and University of Queensland in the preparation and design of the following units. Click on the icon of the folder to open its the contents of the unit of work.

Mining and Minerals
QRC acknowledges QRC/QUT Pre-Service Teacher Silver Award winners, Laura Tanner and Tegan Streeter in the preparation and design of this unit. Click on the icon of the folder to open rationale, unit overview, syllabus links, and lesson plans.

    

Supporting Materials - this is a compressed zip file(5.7MB)                             

The Earth beneath our feet: Rocks and Minerals
QRC acknowledges QRC/QUT Pre-Service Teacher Bronze Award winner, Eric McSween in the preparation and design of this unit. Click on the icon of the folder to open general overview, lesson plans and resources.

    

Supporting Materials - this is a compressed zip file (0.8MB)
 

Exploring Energy
This unit of work explores energy and energy transfers. It focuses on the ‘Energy and Change’ strand of the ‘Essential Learnings’ and is suitable for middle years students. QRC acknowledges QRC/QUT Pre-Service Teacher Gold Award winners, Alanah-Rei Castledine and Rick Shingles in the preparation and design of this unit.
Click on the icon of the folder to open rationale, unit plan and syllabus links, and lesson plans.

    

Supporting Materials - this is a compressed zip file (2.4MB)