As part of their studies of the Southeast United States, fourth grade students spent some time discussing strip mining. Students learned that strip mining, a process of removing a thin strip of earth or soil to mine a seam of mineral, is often done primarily in states such as Tennessee, West Virginia, and Kentucky.

To reinforce their studies, students were tasked with “strip mining” chocolate chips out of a cookie. Their findings? It was nearly impossible to remove every chocolate chip without the cookie crumbling. To take it a step further, Mrs. Gallagher, fourth grade social studies teacher, challenged them to put the cookie crumbles back together.

This fun, hands-on activity helped students understand the environmental impact of strip mining.