MelWQ

In order to make sure that your WebQuest stays aligned with your unit, you will need to copy and paste 3 things from your Stages 1 and 2 from Dr. Grace's wiki onto this page. (This will also help Dr. Theresa give you better feedback on your Intro, Task, and Conclusion.)

=G.R.A.S.P.S= //( Feel free to copy and paste what you have on your wiki page for Dr. Grace for the GRASPS portion. Note that you don't need the Standards part, though you can include it if you want.)// =Understanding(s)= //(Copy and paste the big understanding(s) you have listed in your unit for Dr. Grace. What are the academic goals for the unit (which will also be the purpose of the WebQuest).)// • natural resources are formed by Earth processes over time. • humans rely on Earth cycles, processes, and resources. ||
 * Goal || Evaluate the environmental, economic, political, and moral (or other) factors relating to the acquisition and use of a specific mineral resource. ||
 * Role || Students will become journalists investigating the story from all sides to compile a podcast for National Public Radio (NPR). ||
 * Audience || The audience will be a team of editors, producers, and programming staff who will be judging whether the story is ready to air. ||
 * Setting || The team from NPR will be evaluating if your story is thorough, clear, and factual to determine if it is ready to be broadcast. ||
 * Presentation || The product will be a podcast version of the radio segment with graphics. ||
 * **//Students will understand that://** **(U)** ||
 * • a variety of natural cycles and processes control Earth's environment.

=Introduction= //(Set the stage, give us any background info that we might need to know (but just a hint), this is your HOOK. Provide a segue to the Task . . . make your reader want to click to the next section. There should be nothing that sounds like school work in this section. Don't give away what's going to happen in the Task.)//

In your lifetime you will use nearly 3 million pounds of fuel, metal, and mineral resources (MII, 2011). That's about as much material by weight as a large battleship or submarine. . . and all of these resources were mined from the Earth's crust where they formed over billions of years.

Fuels and metals are refinements of nonrenewable geologic resources including mineral resources. These resources are considered to be nonrenewable because there is a limited supply contained in the Earth's crust and regeneration of these resources would happen on a scale much larger than human considerations. The peak minerals theory suggests that for every mineral resource there will be a peak in economic production where the resource is being mined, processed, transported, and used most advantageously. After a resource hits its peak it will go into depletion because it will be more scarce, more difficult to process, and more expensive to buy. Minerals are a crucial resource in modern society and the threat of depletion could mean significant lifestyle and societal changes if the global population were to allow the depletion of key resources.

References: "38,052 Pounds of Minerals and Energy Are Needed Each Year for Every American." Mineral Information Institute (MII). 2011. []

T. Prior, D. Giurco, G. Mudd, L. Mason, J. Behrisch, Resource depletion, peak minerals and the implications for sustainable resource management, Global Environmental Change, Volume 22, Issue 3, August 2012, Pages 577-587, ISSN 0959-3780, 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2011.08.009. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378011001361)

=Task= //(This story should match the Task Description/Summary from your unit. You can copy and paste from Dr. Grace's wiki.// //Tell the story of the Role, Audience, Setting, and Presentation. Be a story teller. Save any classroom-specific information for the Process. Build the scenario and stay in character. You can reference the Introduction but try not to duplicate the information that's in the Introduction.)//

Students will take on the role of journalists investigating a range of factors (including but not limited to: environmental, economic, political, and moral) influencing the acquisition and use of a specific mineral resource. Each group of journalists is expected to do research on the issue and gain an understanding of the positions of any opposing interest groups regarding their resource. The story should discuss the source of the resource, how it is mined or acquired, how it is used, how rapidly the resource is being used, and if it is in danger of being depleted. Each team of journalists will compile a radio segment for National Public Radio (NPR) that tells the story of human interactions with the chosen mineral resource. Journalists must back up their claims with factual evidence, primary sources, or interviews. Mock interviews based on accurate and factual information or real interviews are also acceptable. A podcast edition of each segment with graphics must be submitted to a team of NPR editors, producers, and programming staff for final review before the segment can air. The NPR team will be looking for segments that tell a cohesive story and artfully integrate interviews and factual evidence to back up any claims made in the segment. Graphics for the podcast should be synced with the audio and enhance the listeners understanding of the topic by presenting illustrations, photos, graphs, or diagrams that relate to the material being discussed.

=//(Tie everything the participants have done back to the Goal. Why did they go through all of this? Tie the scenario to the real world. Remind them of the "Big Idea" that they were supposed to gain from this, just in case they didn't make the connection on their own. Don't get preachy. If you ask a question here, it has to be rhetorical. No work or assignments should be included. Short is good.)//Conclusion=

The Earth has a limited supply of mineral resources and the depletion of these resources is not in the best interest of the human race or the planet. Even so, many people are economically, politically, or culturally motivated to continue to use mineral resources in a manner that is not sustainable. Advocating for the sustainable use of mineral resources requires a holistic knowledge of the cultural and environmental factors involved. Scientifically literate and informed people can make the difference between expediting the depletion of key resources and creating a more stable and sustainable world for future generations.