Teaching Teachers About Mining

Texas science teachers participate in a bus tour of Capitol Aggregates’ Solms Quarry in New Braunfels, as part of the TMRA/TACA Industrial Minerals Teacher Workshop

Teachers were shown the wide variety of mined materials – from sand to aggregates to minerals

During week-long sessions, teachers participate in hands-on labs, tour local mining facilities and hear from industry speakers. And that means more than 1.5 million students have now heard the true story of Texas mining and reclamation.

Award-winning Program Tells the True Story of Texas Mining

Through the Texas Mining and Reclamation Association’s (TMRA) summer Teacher Workshop program, Texas teachers learn science-based information about the availability, importance and development of natural resources, including lignite, uranium and industrial minerals (aggregates). In 2020, the Texas Aggregates & Concrete Association (TACA) began partnering with TMRA on its Industrial Minerals workshop.

During week-long sessions, teachers participate in hands-on labs, tour local mining facilities and hear from industry speakers. They also learn about future employment opportunities for their students in the mining industry. Teachers return to their classrooms with earth science facts and real-world, problem-solving activities that encourage students to use critical thinking skills. Both TACA Producer companies and Allied members participate in the workshop, giving them an excellent opportunity to tell their story to Texas educators.

I have learned so much that I can take back to my classroom. Because of these camps, my students will reap the benefits of this scientific knowledge, even in its simplest forms. It was a fantastic educational experience! Pflugerville, TX, middle school teacher

Above: The award-winning Teacher Workshop program has been inspiring and educating teachers since 1991, sharing the true story of Texas mining.

Right: Texas teachers working on a hands-on activity called “compaction and cementation” to learn the properties of cement, which when mixed with other materials forms concrete, one of the world’s most frequently used building materials.

I love these workshops because I can take what I have learned and give it back to my students. Without these camps, some of my kids may never know what concrete is made of, how we mine uranium or how we get coal. And my juniors and seniors can learn about great career opportunities.Bogata, TX, high school teacher

I like bringing back all of the ideas, hands-on activities and real-world applications to my students.Dallas, TX, high school teacher

Left: TACA President Josh Leftwich sharing more facts at the TMRA/TACA Industrial Minerals Teacher Workshop. Next time you’re running down the highway, know that to pave just one mile of road takes 38,000 tons of stone, sand or gravel.

Right: Texas science teachers learn how Karst topography forms from the dissolution of soluble rocks, such as limestone, dolomite and gypsum and why it’s important to the mining industry.