Investigation 7: Tracing a Material to its Source

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To learn more about more about household objects that are made of minded materials, visit the following web sites:

Minerals In Your House, Mineralogical Society of America
Begin your interactive investigation of the minerals that make up common household items.

Minerals In Our Environment, PBS
Discover the variety of uses for minerals, including entertainment, travel, communications, and more by exploring this interactive site.


To learn more about household objects that are made of grown materials, visit the following web sites:

Plant/Crop-Based Renewable Resources 2020, US Dept. of Energy
For an in-depth look at the past and future uses as well as new initiatives for plant/crop-based renewable resources, visit this site.

Biobased Chemicals and Materials, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN)
Visit this web site to explore the basics of products, applications, and technology generated by biomass resources.

Renewable Bio-products, Office of Industrial Technology, EREN
You will find a basic list of products made from renewable energy sources at this site. It offers information on current use of plant resources for industrial products, and cost comparisons for hydrocarbons vs. plants.

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AGI's professional development programs for teachers are supported by generous contributions from corporate contributors of the American Geosciences Institute Foundation and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Foundation.