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EARTH SCIENCE
QUARTER 1 – MODULE 4

Mineral Resources

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Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to the Earth Science Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module Mineral
Resources.

This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by educators both
from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher or facilitator in helping
the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum while overcoming their
personal, social, and economic constraints in schooling.

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims to help
learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration their
needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of
the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module. You
also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to manage their
own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist the learners as
they do the tasks included in the module.

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For the learner:

Welcome to the Earth and Life Science Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on
Mineral Resources.

The hand is one of the most symbolized part of the human body. It is often used to
depict skill, action and purpose. Through our hands we may learn, create and
accomplish. Hence, the hand in this learning resource signifies that you as a learner is
capable and empowered to successfully achieve the relevant competencies and skills
at your own pace and time. Your academic success lies in your own hands!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for
guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning resource while being an active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

What I Need to Know This will give you an idea of the skills or
competencies you are expected to learn in
the module.

What I Know This part includes an activity that aims to

check what you already know about the
lesson to take. If you get all the answers
correct (100%), you may decide to skip this
module.

What’s In This is a brief drill or review to help you link

the current lesson with the previous one.

What’s New In this portion, the new lesson will be

introduced to you in various ways such as a
story, a song, a poem, a problem opener, an
activity or a situation.

What is It This section provides a brief discussion of

the lesson. This aims to help you discover
and understand new concepts and skills.

What’s More This comprises activities for independent

practice to solidify your understanding and
skills of the topic. You may check the
answers to the exercises using the Answer
Key at the end of the module.

What I Have Learned This includes questions or blank

sentence/paragraph to be filled in to
process what you learned from the lesson.

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 What I Can Do This section provides an activity which will
help you transfer your new knowledge or
skill into real life situations or concerns.

Assessment This is a task which aims to evaluate your

level of mastery in achieving the learning
competency.

Additional Activities In this portion, another activity will be given

to you to enrich your knowledge or skill of
the lesson learned. This also tends retention
of learned concepts.

Answer Key This contains answers to all activities in the

module.

At the end of this module you will also find:

References This is a list of all sources used in

developing this module.

The following are some reminders in using this module:

1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of the
module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other activities
included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not
hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are not
alone.

We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning and
gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!

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 What I Need to Know

As we all know, the Philippines is rich in minerals. Our ground is super loaded
with large reserves of various kinds of minerals. Minerals that have potential economic
value are part of our resources. We have tons of mineral deposits found everywhere in
our islands.

Places where digging of mineral ores are conducted are called mines. Most
minerals are useful as they are raw materials for the goods that we manufacture.
Precious metals are used in commerce and others are valued as gems. Among our
important metallic minerals found in abundance in various part of country include
copper, gold, copper, iron, chromite, nickel, cobalt, and platinum, while our non-
metallic resources include sand and gravel, limestone, marble, clayand other quarry
materials.

In this module, we will learn more about mineral resources in the Philippines.

The module covers :

 Lesson 1 – Mineral Resources

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Identify minerals important to the society.
2. Describe how ore minerals are found, mined, and processed for human use.

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 What I Know

Direction: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate
sheet of paper.
1. Which of the following factors is the most important in the formation of
minerals?
A. heat C. time
B. presence of groundwater D. wind
2. Which of the following is considered a special property that applies to only a few
mineral?
A. color C. magnetism
B. luster D. hardness
3. Which of the following physical property can be expressed in numbers?
A. color C. luster
B. hardness D. reaction to acid
4. Which of the following minerals would scratch fluorite?
A. calcium C. quartz
B. gypsum D. talc
5. A mineral streak
A. is the same as luster test.
B. reveals the mineral’s specific gravity.
C. reveals the mineral’s crystal structure.
D. is more reliable than color in identifying a mineral.
6. What are solid, naturally occurring mineral deposits that can be extracted from
earth for an economic profit?
A. ores C. rocks
B. metal D. soil
7. In placer deposits, you are likely to find which of the following minerals?
A. coal C. gold
B. bauxite D. mica
8. Minerals need to be conserved because:
i. They are renewable.
ii. They are depleting rapidly.
iii. They are needed for country’s development.
iv. Their formation is very fast
A. i and ii C. iii and iv
B. ii and iii D. All of the above
9. Marble is a metamorphic rock that forms from a parent.
A. granite C. sandstone
B. limestone D. shale

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10. A student accurately measured the mass of a sample of one of the four
minerals to be 294.4 grams and its volume to be 73.6 cm3. Which mineral
sample did the student measure?

Mineral Density (g/cm3)

corumdrum 4.0
galena 7.6
hematite 5.3
quartz 2.7

A. corundrum C. hematite
B. galena D. quartz

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Lesson
Mineral Resources
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What’s In

Romblon province is famous for its marble, and holds large deposits of kaolin
clay, nickel, magnetism, quartz, silica, and zinc, copper, silver, limestone, and sulfide
ores. The marble sourced is at par with the world’s best, with export quality material
giving it high value to sculptures and builders in the world. Marble is worked and
made into variety of items. Small souvenir eggs and animals, chess sets, nameplates,
mortars and pestle and religious icons are a thriving industry.

Retrieved from [Link] [Link]#:~:text=The%20marble%20sourced

%20in%20Romblon,and%20builders%20around%20the%20w orld.&text=But%20the%20most%20expensive
%20are,black%20(Black%20Onyx)%20marbles.

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 What’s New

Activity 1. Word Search: The World of Minerals

Look for the words below and encircle them on the word search.

E X D U E G S N E F T C E L S
M E T A L R T A C U C H I E J
L E X A I L O C N P X R C K Z
M A N G A N E S E D O O P C G
E X L B N R D C L N P M L I G
R L O U C P W Z H P E I C N J
T C B M M D M V E N A U I S Y
P F U R T I Z R O V W M F E V
G C P P A E N T X O R G Y C C
O I N Y P M S U N I T V R V L
C X X A Z E E K M Y J R C K A
N Y N S M L E V A R G B J N Y
F K X I G C P Y R L A L Z J W
H O L Q K Z Y K S N E F R N O
I G Q C C S E B X O Z W C J P

ALUMINUM GRAVEL METAL

CHROMIUM IRON NICKEL

CLAY LIMESTONE ORE

COBALT MANGANESE SAND

COPPER MARBLE TIN

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 What is It

MINERAL RESOURCES
History tells us that rocks have been used by humans for more than two million
years. Our ancestors lived in caves; they carved rocks and stones to make tools for
hunting animals, cultivating crops, or weapons for protection. Rocks, stones, gravel,
and sand were and are still used to make roads, buildings, monuments, and art
objects.
The mining of rocks for their metal content has been considered one of themost
important factors of human progress. The mining industry has raised levels ofeconomy
in some regions, in part because of the kind of metals available from therocks in those
areas.
Metals are important. The properties of metals make them useful for specific
purposes. Iron is the main material for steel bars used in buildings and road
construction. Copper is used in making electrical wires. Tin is the material for milk
cans and other preserved food products. Nickel is mixed with copper or other metals to
form stainless cooking wares. Gold is important in making jewelry.
What other metals are you familiar with? What are the uses of aluminum?
What metal is used to make GI sheets for roofing? What metals are used to make
artificial arms or legs? Are metals used in chairs and other furniture? Do you know
that some dentists use gold for filling teeth cavities? Look around and find how
versatile metals are.
The Philippines has also varied nonmetallic resources including sand and
gravel, limestone, marble, clay, and other quarry materials.

Science 7 Learners Material

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 Do you know that the Philippines is listed as the 5th mineral country in the
world, 3rd in gold reserves, 4th in copper, and 5th in nickel! The ores (mineral bearing
rocks) are processed out of the country to recover the pure metal. We buy the pure
metal. Is this practice advantageous to the Philippines? Why or why not?
The richness of the Philippines in terms of mineral resources is being attributed
to its location in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire. This area is associated with over
450 volcanoes (small triangles in the map) and is home to approximately 75% of the
world's active volcanoes. Why are there minerals where there are volcanoes?
Geologists (scientists who study the Earth and the processes that occur in and
on it) explain that there is a continuous source of heat deep under the Earth; this
melts rocks and other materials. The mixture of molten or semi-molten materials is
called magma. Because magma is hotter and lighter than the surrounding rocks, it
rises, melting some of the rocks it passes on the way. If the magma finds a way to the
surface, it will erupt as lava. Lava flow is observed in erupting volcanoes.
But the rising magma does not always reach the surface to erupt. Instead, it
may slowly cool and harden beneath the volcano and form different kinds of igneous
rocks. Under favourable temperature and pressure conditions, the metal-containing
rocks continuously melt and redeposit, eventually forming rich-mineral veins.
Though originally scattered in very small amounts in magma, the metals are
concentrated when magma convectively moves and circulates ore-bearing liquids and
gases. This is the reason why metallic minerals deposits such as copper, gold, silver,
lead, and zinc are associated with magmas found deep within the roots of extinct
volcanoes.
For now you must have realized that the presence of mineral deposits in the
Philippines is not by accident. It is nature’s gift. If before, your association with
volcanoes and trenches is danger and risk to life and property, now you know that the
presence of volcanoes, trenches and other geological structures is the reason for the
rich mineral deposits in the country.

USES OF MINERALS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

A mineral resource is a concentration of naturally occurring material from

Earth’s crust that we can extract and process into raw materials and useful
[Link] major types of minerals are metallic minerals (such as aluminum and
gold), and nonmetallic minerals (such as sand and limestone). Because minerals and
rocks take so long to form, they are classified as nonrenewable resources.
An ore is rock that contains large enough concentration of particular mineral-
often a metal- to make it profitable for mining and processing.
Aluminum is used for packaging and beverage cans, and a structural material in
motor vehicles, aircraft, and buildings. Iron is used to make steel, an essential

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materials used in buildings and motor vehicles. Steel is a mixture (alloy) of iron and
other elements that are added to give its certain physical [Link], cobalt,
and chromium are widely used in important steel alloys. Copper, a good conductor of
electricity, is used for electrical and communication wiring. Gold is used in electrical
equipment, tooth fillings, jewelry, coins, and some medical implants.
The most widely used nonmetallic minerals are sand and gravel. Sand, which is
mostly silicon dioxide, is used to make glass, bricks, and concrete for the construction
of roads and buildings. Gravel, is used for roadbeds and to make concrete. Another
common nonmetallic mineral is limestone, which is crushed to make concrete and
cement. Phosphate salts are mined and used in inorganic fertilizers and in some
detergents.
Most published estimates of the supply of a given mineral resource refer to its
reserves: identified resources from which we can extract the mineral profitably at
current prices. Reserved increases when e find new, profitable deposits and when
higher prices or improved mining technologies make it profitable to extract deposits
that were previously were considered too expensive to remove.

Some Environmental Impacts of Mineral Use

Mining is one of humankind’s oldest activities but the techniques used to

extract minerals have not changed substantially for centuries. Ores are dug from the
earth, crushed, then minerals such as copper and gold are extracted by extreme heat
or toxic chemicals. Extraction can be done physically, chemically or both. The purified
minerals are sent to manufacturing plants to be made into final products such as
galvanized iron. Each step has an effect on the environment and our health.
We can use metals to produce many useful products. But mining, processing,
using, and disposing of, or recycling metals, takes enormous amounts of energy and
water and can disturb the land, erode soil, produce solid waste and greenhouse gases,
and pollute the air, water, and soil. At some point, the costs of these harmful
environmental effects can exceed the value of minerals.
Mining can do long term harm to the environment in a number of ways. One
type of damage is scarring and disruption of the land surface. For example, area strip
mining often leaves a series of spoils banks. Spoils are very susceptible to chemical
weathering and erosion by water and wind. Regrowth of vegetation on these banks is
quite slow, because they have no topsoil. And thus returning a site to its previous
condition before it was strip-mined requires the long process of primary ecological
succession.
In mountaintop removal, enormous machines plow great volumes of waste rock
and dirt into valleys below the mountain drops. This destroys forests, buries mountain
streams, and increases flood hazards. Wastewater and toxic sludge, produced when

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the coal is processed, are often stored behind dam in these valleys, which can overflow
or collapse and release toxic substances such as arsenic and mercury.
Miners often get diseases such as black lung, caused by prolonged inhalation of
coal dust in subsurface mines. Another problem is subsidence- the collapse of land
above some underground mines. It can damage houses, crack sewer lines, break gas
mains, and disrupt groundwater system.
Mining operations produce large amount of waste. In addition, huge quantities
of water used to process ore often contain pollutants such as sulfuric acid, mercury,
and arsenic. Runoff of this water contaminates freshwater supplies and fish used for
food, and it can destroy some forms of aquatic life. Mining operations also emit toxic
chemicals into the atmosphere.

Mineral as Non Renewable Resources

The future supply of nonrenewable minerals depends on two factors: the actual
or potential supply of the mineral and the rate at which we use it. We have never
completely run out of any mineral, but a mineral becomes economically depleted when
it costs more than it is worth to find, extract, transport, and process the remaining
deposits. At that point, there are five choices: recycle or reuse existing supplies, waste
less, use less, find a substitute, or do without.
A plentiful mineral resource is cheap when its supply exceeds demand. When a
resource becomes scarce, its price rises. This can encourage exploration of new
deposits, stimulate development of better mining technology, and make it profitable to
mine lower grade ores. It can also encourage a search for substitutes and promote
resource conservation.
A more sustainable way of to use nonrenewable mineral resources is to recycle
or reuse them. Instead of asking how we can increase supplies of nonrenewable
materials, we should be asking, how can we decrease our use and waste of such
resources?

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 What’s More

Activity 2. Minerallific! Let’s Identify the Minerals.

Identify what mineral is being described in each of the following. Select from the
choices below.

talc gold zinc copper potash calcite quartz phosphates bauxite

1. This mineral maintains a healthy immune system.
2. This metallic mineral is used as plating materials for
peacemakers, as treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, other
autoimmune disorders and cancer patients.
3. This is used as a fertilizer to encourage water retention in
plants, increase crop yields, improve taste and help plants
resist disease
4. It is use to produce fertilizers and also used in animal feed
supplements, food preservatives, anti-corrosion agents,
cosmetics, fungicides, ceramics, water treatment and
metallurgy.
5. It is the world’s main source of aluminum and gallium.
6. It is the softest mineral on Earth that is used in pulp, paper
and board industry. It is also used in talcum products and
ingredients in a range of personal care products.
7. It is found in pennies, MRI scanners and the Statue of Liberty's
skin, this metal is also needed for firm skin, cartilage and
ligaments. It has been used to disinfect wounds and treat
infections.
8. It is the second most abundant mineral in the Earth's
continental crust, after feldspar.
9. It was used in World War II for gun sights, specifically in bomb
sights and anti-aircraft weaponry. Also, experiments have been
conducted to use this for a cloak of invisibility. Moreover, it has
a wide range of applications, such as soil remediation, soil
stabilization and concrete repair.
10. Without this mineral, soil would be poor and incapable of
holding nutrient elements like potassium, nitrogen, and
phosphorous, which are necessary for plant growth.

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 What I Have Learned

Activity 3. Matching Type: Importance of Minerals

Match the mineral in column A to its importance to society in column B. Connect
column A to column B using a line.
A. B.
1. Copper a. Firefighters used this in face shields of fire
2. Zinc fighters,medical and dental equipment, and jewelry.
3. Nickel b. This is used for electrical conductors,
4. Silver motors,appliances, piping and in metal alloys.
[Link] c. Utilized in steel making procedure
6. Borax d. Used as electrical conductors and photography
7. Titanium e. To prevent sunburn and coating for steel
8. Talc f. Used in fiberglass, high temperature glass,
9. Clay ceramics,and fertilizers
10. Phosphates g. Used in paint manufacture as pigments, and in plastic
11. Potash manufacture, as well as many high strength, low weight
12. Rare Earth metal alloys.
Elements h. Used in insulation, food processing, domestic utensils
13. Iron form.
14. Gold i. Used to manufacture stainless steel
j. Carbonate of potassium that is used in
fertilizers,medicines and the chemical industry.
k. Utilized to create cement and concrete, which is used to
build roads, buildings, housing foundations and even
driveways
l. Used in paper manufacture, in paint manufacture and
in plastics and the cosmetic industry.
m. Used in petroleum refining, computers,
televisions,industry,metallurgical applications,
ceramics and lighting.
n. Used to produce phosphoric acid for fertilizers, feed
additives for livestock
o. Produced slag

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 What I Can Do

Activity 4. House Tour!

Search at your home for 10 items such as foundation/sidewalk, bricks, nails, wall
board, paint, windows, door knobs, floor tiles, plumbing, wiring, toilets/sinks, desks,
chairs, playground equipment, television, computers, pencils, appliances, etc. Using
resource books, information sheets or the internet, identify the minerals that make up
each item. Record your report using the table below.

Item Minerals Present Properties Uses

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Guide Questions:

1. For each item, why do you think those specific minerals were used to make the item?

2. What are the properties of those minerals that make them useful to the household
item?

3. Does the item can be disposed in a regular landfill after its useful life. Can some of
the minerals be separated from the item and recycled?

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 Assessment

Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a
separate sheet of paper.
1. Which of the following is true?
A. Rocks and minerals do not go together.
B. There is no relationship between rocks and minerals.
C. All minerals are rocks, but not all rocks are minerals.
D. All rocks contain minerals but minerals do not contain rocks.
2. Which of the following minerals is considered the hardest on the Earth?
A. diamond C. iron
B. gold D. talc
3. Which of the following minerals is considered as the softest?
A. fluorite C. halite
B. gypsum D. talc
4. What mineral is used to make cement, concrete, pottery, and bricks?
A. clay C. isotopes
B. fossils D. sediments
5. A process of ore genesis that happen on the surface of Earth, like erosion.
A. internal process C. hydrothermal process
B. superficial process D. fragments of solar system
6. What mineral maintains a healthy immune system?
A. zinc C. copper
B. iron D. calcium
7. What mineral does the window glass made of?
A. chromite C. quartz
B. halite D. talc
8. What mineral is used in water purification process?
A. borax C. chalcopyrite
B. bentonite D. zeolite
9. It is a process used to extract metals in their pure form.
A. biomining C. extractive metallurgy
B. biotechnology D. mining
10. What do you call the process when ore minerals are created/ deposited?
A. ore demolition C. ore genesis
B. ore deposition D. ore segregation

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 Additional
Activities
The Philippine Mining Act (PMA) is premised on the doctrine that all mineral
lands are owned by the state but are open to contractors on the basis of revenue
sharing. With this in place, a company interested in mining operations can enter into
an agreement with the government to exploit and develop the land. The revenues from
the mining operations can then be shared not only with the national government but
also with the local government units (LGUs) and the barangays in the host and
neighboring communities.
Aside from the provisions on mining agreements, the law also lays down various
measures to protect the environment and the stakeholders of the mining sector and
defines areas where mining can be allowed. Particularly protected are indigenous
peoples (IP), who hold certificates of ancestral domain titles (CADT) on lands inside
the planned mining concession.(Clemente, 2019)
Despite such provisions of PMA, however, audits conducted by the Department
of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in 2016 found that several mine areas
were lacking proper environmental plans, with denuded forests and silted rivers as
evidence of such uncontrolled degradation (De Vera-Ruiz 2017). The partner-agencies
of DENR in the implementation of PMA, such as the National Commission on
Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), are also reported to be suffering from institutional issues
that affect the performance of their role in the mining sector.
Make a research report about the status of mining in Pangasinan. Make a
highlight about the mining industry profile, mineral deposits and production, mining
procedures, policies implemented, mining safety and health, environmental
management and social responsibilities.

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 Answer Key

What I Know
1. C
2. C 3. B 5. D 7. C 9. B
4. C 6. A 8. B 10. A

Activity 1. Word Search: The World of Minerals

Activity 2. Minerallific! Let’s Identify the Minerals.

A.
1. zinc 3. potash 5. bauxite 7. copper 9. calcite
2. gold 4. phosphates 6. talc 8. quartz 10. clay

Activity 3. Matching Type: Importance of Minerals

1. b 3. i 5. h 7. g 9. k 11. j 13. c
2. e 4. d 6. f 8. l 10. n 12. m 14. a

Activity 4. House Tour!

Answer may vary.

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Assessment
1. D
2. A 3. D 5. B 7. C 9. C
4. A 6. A 8. D 10. C

Additional Activities
Answer may vary.

References
Bayo-ang, Roly.B., Maria Lourdes G. Coronacion, Annamae T. Jorda, and Anna
Jamille Restubog. Earth and Life Science for Senior High School. Quezon City,
Metro Manila: Educational Resources Corporation., 2016.

Bureau of Secondary Education. (n.d.) Project EASE (Effective and Alternative

Secondary Education), Intergrated Science I. [PDF]

Clemente, Eligi D. (2019). Challenges in the Philippine Mining Industry [PDF].

Philippine Institute for Development Studies

De Silva, et al (2016). Earth Science [PDF]. Commission on Higher Education, Diliman,

Quezon City

Miller, [Link], et al. (2014). Earth Science. Philippine Edition. Ortigas Avenue, Pasig
City. Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd (Philippine Branch)