Sara Whitney and Debra Winkelman, both teachers at Bethlehem Lutheran School, look at a map of mines in Nevada.
Photo by Faith Evans.
Testing magnets against stones, Kayla Ostler said that her sixth-grade students were less enthusiastic during the 2021-22 school year. She had a hard time getting them excited during class.
Ostler is a teacher at Battle Mountain Junior High. She traveled to Carson City this week to participate in the Nevada Mining Association’s Mineral Workshop.
She and other teachers rotated through a mineral class on Tuesday, scratch-testing rocks and learning about the precious minerals in everyday household products.
“This is what it feels like as a student. ... Give me something to look at or hold or taste or feel,” she said. “That’s why I love this – it’s like, how can I apply it right now? That’s what they’re into.”
It’s the 37th year running that the NVMA has held the free summer course for educators, helping them earn an education credit.
Drew McGregor, outreach manager for NVMA, says that the program goal is to paint a better picture of what modern mining looks like.
“It’s not just old guys with beards and pickaxes anymore. It’s a very STEM-oriented and lucrative career,” he said.
Ostler hopes that the material she gathers from the NVMA’s summer program engages her students next school year.
“I want to learn more so that I can help (my students) be excited about it,” she said.
