History & Geography · Grade 7

Active learning ideas

Mining: Environmental and Social Impacts

Active learning works well for this topic because students need to grapple with complex, real-world problems where perspectives and consequences are not always clear-cut. Hands-on activities like modeling and role-playing help students move beyond abstract facts to see the human and environmental stakes of mining decisions.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: Natural Resources around the World: Use and Sustainability - Grade 7

• 35–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Jigsaw
• 50 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Mining Techniques

Assign small groups one mining method (open-pit, underground, placer, or strip). They research specific environmental risks and social issues using provided articles, create visual summaries, then teach the class in a jigsaw rotation. End with a shared impact matrix.

Analyze the environmental consequences of different mining techniques.

Facilitation Tip

During the Jigsaw Research activity, assign each expert group a specific mining technique so students take ownership of one aspect before teaching others.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a community member living near a proposed new mine. What are your top three concerns regarding environmental and social impacts, and what specific questions would you ask the mining company?' Students share their concerns and questions in small groups.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Four Corners
• 45 min · Small Groups

Stakeholder Role-Play: Mine Approval Debate

Divide class into roles: mining company, Indigenous leaders, environmentalists, government officials. Each prepares arguments on a hypothetical mine proposal, then debates in a structured town hall. Vote and reflect on compromises.

Critique the historical record of mining companies' engagement with Indigenous communities.

Facilitation Tip

In the Stakeholder Role-Play, provide each participant with a role card that includes both stated goals and hidden concerns to deepen the debate.

What to look for

Provide students with a short case study of a historical mining project in Canada. Ask them to identify one environmental impact and one social impact described, and then write one sentence explaining how it could have been mitigated.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Four Corners
• 40 min · Pairs

Design Challenge: Sustainable Mining Model

In pairs, students prototype a sustainable mining operation using recyclables, incorporating features like tailings management and community input. Present designs, peer-review for feasibility, and revise based on feedback.

Design solutions for more sustainable and socially responsible mining practices.

Facilitation Tip

For the Design Challenge, supply a limited set of affordable materials to push creative solutions within realistic constraints.

What to look for

On an index card, students write down one mining technique discussed and list two potential negative consequences. They then suggest one specific action a mining company could take to address one of those consequences.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Gallery Walk
• 35 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Case Studies

Post stations with real Canadian mining cases (e.g., Sudbury, Ring of Fire). Groups rotate, noting env/social impacts on charts, then discuss patterns as a class.

Analyze the environmental consequences of different mining techniques.

Facilitation Tip

During the Gallery Walk, ask students to rotate silently first to absorb all case studies before discussing in pairs.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a community member living near a proposed new mine. What are your top three concerns regarding environmental and social impacts, and what specific questions would you ask the mining company?' Students share their concerns and questions in small groups.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should approach this topic by grounding abstract concepts in concrete, local examples students can relate to. Avoid presenting mining as purely negative or positive, instead framing it as a series of trade-offs where solutions require collaboration. Research shows that when students role-play stakeholders, they develop empathy and critical thinking, rather than just memorizing impacts.

Successful learning looks like students analyzing mining impacts from multiple viewpoints and proposing thoughtful, evidence-based solutions. They should connect environmental science to social justice issues, showing how sustainability requires balancing economic needs with ecological and cultural integrity.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Design Challenge, watch for students assuming that mining damage is irreversible, leading them to create overly simplified models.

  Use the Design Challenge to challenge this idea by requiring students to include a reclamation plan in their model, with labeled stages of restoration and monitoring.

• During the Stakeholder Role-Play, listen for students generalizing that all Indigenous communities oppose mining without exploring reasons for support.

  Have students reference the role-play cards to identify specific concerns or benefits mentioned by Indigenous stakeholders, then discuss how consultation processes could address them.

• During the Gallery Walk, notice students assuming pollution stays near the mine site without considering watershed connections.

  Ask students to trace pollution paths on the case study maps with colored pencils, labeling how contaminants move through air and water to distant areas.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Jigsaw
• Four Corners
• Gallery Walk