Where does a fork come from?

Teacher’s card

Where does a fork come from? is an educational game for both young people and adults, which introduces raw materials that are important for our daily lives and provides background information on their uses. The students will be provided with a presentation on raw materials and their importance. During the game students will have the opportunity to touch and see these most important raw materials. In addition, they will have to draw conclusions on how these rocks are used in our everyday lives, while being able to see these results as products. This toolkit is connected to circular economy and sustainability related EU challenges.

Critical raw materials

Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) play a significant role and are a driving force behind the circular economy and sustainability. Critical raw materials are essential components in our modern economy. They play a vital role in various industries, from technology to clean energy.
 
CRMs are vital for:
  • Industry Link: Non-energy raw materials are interconnected with all industries across different supply chain stages.
  • Technological Progress: Our quality of life and technological advancements rely on access to an increasing number of raw materials. For instance, a smartphone contains up to 50 different metals, contributing to its compact size, lightweight, and functionality.
  • Environmental Impact: CRMs are closely tied to clean technologies. They are irreplaceable in solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and energy-efficient lighting.

Minerals as CRMs:

Examples of CRMs include rare earth elements, cobalt, and niobium. These minerals are crucial for digitalization, renewable energy technologies, and the deployment of electric vehicles. Figure 1 summarizes the different uses of the CRMs together with other raw materials.

The European Critical Raw Materials Act is a strategic initiative by the European Union aimed at ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials. The Act focuses on four key pillars:

  • Setting Clear Priorities for Action: The Act identifies a list of critical raw materials and strategic raw materials crucial for the EU’s climate and digital goals. It also establishes benchmarks for domestic capacities along the value chain: 10% of annual extraction needs, 40% for processing, and 15% for recycling by 2030. Additionally, it limits reliance on single-country suppliers to no more than 65% of annual needs.
  • Building European Capacities: Strengthening the entire raw materials value chain—from mining to refining, processing, and recycling—is a priority. This involves developing national exploration, streamlining permitting procedures, and improving access to finance.
  • Improving Resilience: The Act aims to enhance the EU’s ability to withstand disruptions in the supply chain. Measures include stress tests, coordinated efforts for strategic stockpiles, and sustainable investment and trade.
  • Investing in Research, Innovation, and Skills: The EU will promote breakthrough technologies related to critical raw materials. Initiatives such as a Raw Materials Academy and skills partnerships will support the workforce in critical raw material supply chains. This includes raising awareness of what is inside a product and recognising its value, especially with critical resources. Raising the topic of consumption and overconsumption. Lastly, discussing what we can do as a society to minimise waste.

    Key words: Recycling, Raw Materials, Production, Science, Sustainability

United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice. In alignment with the SDGs, this toolkit promotes and incorporates Access to Education (SDG 4), Resilient Infrastructure and Sustainable Industrialisation (SDG 9) Sustainable Urbanisation (SDG 11), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12) and Life on Land (15) as seen in Table 1.
  • Enable access to basic services
  • Safe medical devices
  • Access to education
  • Less hardship, more opportunities
  • Safe and affordable water
  • Energy - The golden thread
  • Safety of workers and economic growth
  • Resilient infrastructure and sustainable industrialization
  • Equal access to global expertise
  • Sustainable urbanization
  • Responsible consumption and production
  • Strengthen resilience, reduce disaster impact
  • Reduce marine pollution
  • Sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems
  • Promote peaceful and inclusive societies
  • Better access to technology and innovation

Look around the room - we have gotten most of the things from mining. It is necessary to extract limestone as a raw material to produce concrete in the wall. Iron reinforcements or reinforcement mesh are also added to it to obtain reinforced concrete, table legs are also made of either iron or aluminium. Electrical wires consist of copper and iron, many electronic devices even more, and even critical minerals such as tantalum, indium, niobium, rare earths, and so on. Our cars, trains and planes contain iron, aluminium, magnesium, nickel, chromium, etc., for classroom windows it is necessary to extract quartz sand. As you can see, essentially all the raw materials around us come from the earth's crust and through mining - basically "everything that doesn't grow comes from within the earth"

Raw materials can be distributed as follows:
a) Extracted raw materials :

  • Minerals used in industrial products or processes
  • Burning resources
  • Construction mineral resources
  • Precious stones

b) Ores:

  • Solid minerals containing metals (or non - metals)
  • Metals (non-metals) occur in bound minerals
  • Waste rock

But how do we get raw materials?
Short answer - they need to be mined. For example, the production of copper requires the extraction of copper ore, the production of concrete, the production of limestone or the production of plastic bottles of oil, etc.
Some of the raw materials that we use imperceptibly in our daily lives are quite critical, i.e. their reserves are scarce in the earth's crust, or they are difficult to access for extraction, but at the same time the demand for them is high. These are called critical minerals. The European Union maintains a list of critical raw materials and mineral resources that are not normally mined in Europe, i.e.  are economically important and/or difficult to access or are mined in a few countries that may be politically unstable and unreliable. From the mineral resources in Estonia, we find phosphorite, rare earth metals and vanadium, which are on the European Union's list of critical raw materials.

The game consists of two sets of cards, each with 10 cards. They have 2 different images on them: a light bulb referring to a description of the uses and picks referring to a description of the raw materials. The game also includes examples of the use of minerals and products. Players must associate use and mineral descriptions with the correct finished product and mineral/rock. At the end of the game, 10 sets should be formed, which give an overview of the path of 10 mineral resources from mining to the finished product. It is recommended to give players good tips during the game.

Step 1- 10 minutes: 
Teachers do a brief introduction with a prepared PowerPoint presentation.

Step 2 – 30 minutes: 
Students are divided into groups (preferably the number of students in one group is 3-4). Each group completes the game by connecting the cards with rocks and products.

Step 3 – 10 minutes: 
Discussion and talk points. Answering questions.

Students present the pairs they have created. The teacher checks orally and makes corrections if necessary.

CORRECT ANSWERS

Table 2 Correct answers for the activity

FORK TOOLKIT CORRECT ANSWERS
Card No. Rock / Mineral Description Application Product
1. Chalcopyrite
  • A mineral aggregate with a yellow metallic lustre, on the surface of which can be seen crystals.
  • The density of the mineral is 4.1 mg/m³, which means that it is a rather heavy mineral.
  • The mineral's hardness is 3.5-4.
  • Used in electronics (Heat and electrical conductor)
 Electrical Wires
2. Oil Shale
  • A fine-grained brown coloured sedimentary rock, which in cross section appears striped and can break apart in layers.
  • The rock also consists of lime, which originates from the remains of the sea organisms.
  • This rock is very light.
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Chemical Industry (household chemicals, cosmetic industry, construction chemistry products)
  • Electricity
 PowerStation
3. Shale
  • Dark black- or grey-brown fine grained sedimentary rock.
  • Appears striped in cross section and can break into slabs.
  • The rock is relatively light.
  • Rich in V, Mo, U
  • Vanadium: Modern energy storing technologies
  • Uranium: Nuclear Energy
  
4. Phosphorite
  • A brittle sedimentary rock consisting of the shells of brachiopods.
  • The shells are mostly bedded in sandstone.
  • When freshly mined, this rock has a blackish or dark grey to beige colour. When reacting to the air the rock can oxidize and attain a yellow-brown colour.
  • Also consists of rare earth metals
  • Used to extract phosphorus, which is mainly used to produce fertilizers
  • Feed Phosphate
  • REEs: Super magnets, direct current motors, LED lighting, other technological applications
  
5. Sandstone
  • A sediment consisting of fine crystals of which the   colour can vary from beige to white.
  • Construction material (additive in cement,
  • Ceramics
  • Glass industries
  • Silicate products
 Road
6. Sulfur
  • A yellow mineral with This mineral can be scratched with a nail, since the hardness of the mineral is 1,5-2,5.
  • It also has a distinct smell.
  • Sulphuric acid
  • Batteries
  • Mineral Fertilizers
  • Explosives
  • Matches
 Matches
7. Magnetite
  • A mineral with a grey-black metallic lustre.
  • The density of it is 5,1 g/cm³, that makes it rather heavy.
  • The hardness of this rock is 5,5-6.
  • The mineral also has magnetic characteristics, that can be tested on a compass.
  • Source of Iron
  • Construction   material
  • Sewing needles
  • Nails
  • Railway systems
  • Tools
 Fork
8. Limestone
  • A mostly white, yellowish, or grey rock.
  • The rock reacts with hydrochloric acid because it The rock typically has a high density and is thus quite heavy.
  • It can also contain different fossilized sea organisms
  • Lime Production
  • Gravel
  • Paper Industries
  • Sugar
  • Cement
  
9. Bauxite
  • A red-brown sedimentary rock.
  • It is made of very brittle material.
  • It consists of grains cemented with iron hydroxide.
  • Rich in Aluminium
  • Hardness ranges from 1-3
 Aluminium:
  • Transport
  • Packaging
  • Construction
  • Consumer goods
  • Electric Lines
 Aluminium Can
10. Oil
  • A brown or black greasy liquid with a specific smell.
  • It is lighter than water and thus will float on water.
 Used in the chemical industry for:
  • Plastics
  • Wall paint
  • Lubricants
  • Medicine
 Cosmetics (Hair dye)