Treasure Hunt in Michigan
Author: Marty Mater
Lesson Overview: Michigan’s rich natural
resources have greatly influenced where people
live and what work they do. In this lesson
students locate Michigan’s resources, learn how
they have been used, and consider the
consequences of those uses.
Essential Questions:
 What are the valuable natural resources
in Michigan?
 Where are they located?
 What industries have developed because
of the natural resources of Michigan?
Objectives: Students will be able to:
 Locate natural resources of Michigan
today
 Describe the uses of natural resources in
Michigan and the Great Lakes Region
and the consequences of these uses.
 Explain how Michigan’s natural
resources influenced the development of
mining, lumbering, and manufacturing.
Subject/Grade Level: Social Studies, 3-4
Student Materials (Included)
 Student worksheets: Uses of Michigan’s
Natural Resources; Michigan’s
Natural Resource Map; Human
Activities; Treasure Hunt in Michigan
 Student resources: Resource Information
Cards; General Land Uses in the Great
Lakes (map); Location of Resources in
Michigan
Provided by teacher: Michigan maps;
colored pencils
Teacher Materials:
 Resource labels
 Answer keys
 Resource Background notes
 Treasure Hunt PPT
Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations
3-G1.0.1 Use thematic maps to identify and
describe the physical and human characteristics
of Michigan
3-G4.0.1 Describe major kinds of economic
activity in Michigan today and explain factors
influencing the location of these economic
activities.
3-G5.0.1 Locate natural resources in Michigan
and explain the consequences of their use.
3-E1.0.3 Analyze how Michigan’s location and
natural resources influenced its economic
development (i.e. How waterways and other
natural resources have influenced economic
activities)
National Geography Standards
Standard 4: The physical and human
characteristics of places
Standard 16: The changes that occur in the
meaning, use, distribution, and importance of
resources
Teacher Background Notes
Important natural resources in the state of
Michigan include water, fertile soil (for
farming and forests), minerals (iron, copper,
limestone, gypsum), and salt. Oil and natural
gas are also found in Michigan. While other
states had mineral and other natural resources,
Michigan had an additional advantage as a
Great Lakes state. Water transportation is the
least expensive means to move heavy bulky
natural resources, such as iron ore and copper.
Many of Michigan’s minerals were near the
Great Lakes and it was possible to ship them
by lake freighter long before towns in other
states had railways or highways. The
combination of natural resources and the water
transportation to ship resources and goods has
benefited Michigan.
See also Resource Background notes
Procedure:
1. Divide the class into groups of 3-4 students. Pass one set of 12 resource information cards
(Resource #1) and Worksheet #1, “Uses of Michigan’s Natural Resources” to each group.
Students take turns reading the resource cards, listening for the uses of the resources, and
completing the first two columns on worksheet #1 as a group. (Alternatively: set up samples of
resources with resource card and let groups visit each display to fill in worksheet)
2. Bring the class together and, using the answer key, discuss the uses of each resource. Students
may predict where in Michigan these resources may be found to prepare for activity #6 below.
3. Show the class Resource #2, “General Land Uses in the Great Lakes” and discuss the legend/
key. Distribute Map/worksheet #2, “Michigan’s Natural Resources” to each student and ask
them to color and label forest and agriculture land, and to make a key for the map. Discuss where
urban areas are located and why they are located there
4. Ask groups to suggest answers to the following questions about the human activities (and related
economic development) that results from the use of the natural resources in these land areas:
forest, agriculture, and urban areas:
a. What are the human activities that occur for this land use?
b. How do the water ways and natural resources influence how humans use the land and
what they produce on this land? (Economic activities.)
c. What might be the consequences of using the land in this way?
Develop a class chart of this information or use Worksheet #3: Human Activities, Economic
Development, and Consequences of Land Use. See answer key with possible answers. (Not all of
these answers need to be written to gain the major ideas.) Boldface words are key economic concepts.
5. Distribute a set of printed address labels and Resource # 3 to each student. Alternatively, use
blank labels and ask students to write the resources they remember before passing out Resource
#3. (Possible assessment activity)
Direct them to find the locations of the natural resources using Student Resources #1 and # 3 “Location
of Resources in Michigan” and a Michigan map (teacher-supplied road map or Michigan map with
major cities in MI.) Students can complete worksheet 1 and place their printed or handwritten labels on
their own Map/Worksheet #2. Note: Gypsum is found in several places; hence 2 labels.
6. Discuss the following with the class or use student worksheet #4, “Treasure Hunt in
Michigan”
a. What are our most valuable natural resources today? (List all but copper, coal and gold)
b. Which of these resources are non-renewable, that is, we can use them up? (copper, gold,
coal, gypsum, oil, natural gas, gravel, limestone, iron, salt, sand) Some, like copper, are
recyclable.
c. Which of these resources are least valuable in Michigan today? (copper, coal, gold and
silver are not plentiful enough in Michigan or useable enough today to be very valuable)
d. Which of our valuable resources are used in manufacturing? (gypsum, oil, limestone,
iron, gravel, sand, timber)
e. Where are most manufacturing plants located in Michigan? (urban areas, lower
peninsula)
f. How do manufacturing plants get the resources they need? (shipping on the Great Lakes,
trucking on our highways)
7. Group assignment: Using the maps, student resources, and what students have learned, each
group should produce a poster, picture book, or skit about one of the valuable resources in
Michigan. Include location of resource; at least one use; a flow chart of economic activities
associated with the resource (e.g., forests >paper mills >newspapers; water >fishing industry
>restaurants), and the location of an economic activity. Students should be encouraged to pursue
additional materials that tell the story of Michigan’s resources and how they are used. Possible
additional information could include consequences of misuse of resource.
Assessment
1. Alternative Activity #5 may be used an assessment.
2. The completed map (Activity #6) is a formative assessment of the student’s capacity to locate
natural resources of Michigan. (Should include resources in correct locations; correct land uses
with legend)
3. The poster, skit or picture book may be used to assess student conceptual knowledge. (Should
include information about resource and resulting economic activities)
4. Individual writing activity: Each student should choose a resource and produce either a poster or
picture book which describes location (both where it is found, and where it is used), at least one
use, and a human or economic activity resulting from this resource (e.g., iron is found in western
upper peninsula, and is shipped to the manufacturing plants in southeast Michigan for producing
cars). Encourage students to pursue additional materials that tell the story of Michigan’s
resources and how they are used.
References
General Land Uses of The Great Lakes map: Adapted from The Great Lakes: An Environmental
Atlas and Resource Book. Jointly produced by the Government of Canada and the U. S,
Environmental Protection Agency, 1995. More information can be found at
www.on.ec.gc.ca/great-lakes-atlas/intro.htm
Resource Background Notes:
1. Fertile Soil and Forests. Good soil was brought from Canada and northern Michigan by the glaciers
to southern Michigan. Agriculture is Michigan’s 2nd most valuable industry because of this soil and a
varied climate due to the Great Lakes. Michigan is number one in production of tart cherries,
blueberries, cucumbers for pickles, and many other crops. Even in the northern lower and Upper
Peninsula, the soil and climate encourages the growth of forests, another valuable resource in
Michigan. Wood is used in the manufacturing of paper and wood products, and can be used for
generating energy and as fuel.
2. Copper was deposited in this area nearly 1 billion years ago. It is one of the first metals known to
humans and one of the most useful. It is the best low-cost conductor of electricity (wiring) and heat
(pots and pans). It is easy to shape, and will not rust (pipes and plumbing fixtures). It is a
nonrenewable resource. The Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan has produced over 14 billion pounds
since 1845, but mining ceased in 1969. Arizona leads the nation in copper production. Copper
deposits are located in the Keweenaw Peninsula.
3. Gold was deposited about 2.5 billion years ago. It is used for money, jewelry and dental work.
There is little gold left in the Ropes Mine in the southwestern UP, and it’s not being mined at present
because it is too expensive to recover.
Silver has also been found in Michigan, usually along with the copper mines in northern Michigan.
4. Soft Coal was formed in the central Lower Peninsula about 300 million years ago, from the remains
of plants and animals. It is used for fuel (mostly for electric power plants), heat, and as coke in the
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
manufacturing process (mainly of steel). Any coal remaining in Michigan is too poor in quality to be
economically useful now.
Gypsum is a non-metallic mineral, found in rock form. Evaporation of the saltwater seas that
covered Michigan 300 million years ago was responsible for Michigan’s gypsum deposits, which are
among the richest in the world. Gypsum has many uses. As a building material, it was used in the
Pyramids, and is used today as plaster, wallboard and lath. It is used in cement, and in the production
of toothpaste and chalk. Another important use is in making molds used in the manufacturing of tile,
plate glass, and car parts. Gypsum is produced commercially from open pit quarries near Tawas City
and Alabaster in Iosco County and from underground mines near Grand Rapids.
Oil and Natural Gas were the result of the decay of plants and animals millions of years ago in
central lower Michigan, and oil is now considered one of the most valuable natural resources in the
world. The most common use of oil is energy production (fuel and heat), but it is also used in many
common household items. The mid-Michigan area is a source for both oil and natural gas. Since they
are nonrenewable resources, many think the world’s supply is rapidly running out. The Middle East
countries have about 56% of the known oil sources, but Alaska, Louisiana, California, and Texas
have significant oil.
Gravel deposits occur throughout the state, and have remained commercially productive throughout
the 20th century. In the late 19th century, quarries at Grindstone City, near the tip of the Thumb,
supplied grindstones for sharpening tools. Sandstone, from Hillsdale and Jackson counties and the
south shore of Lake Superior, is used as a building material. Sand and gravel have been used in large
quantities for building roads and making cement. Gravel is mined in many local places, especially
near urban regions on the east coast of the Lower Peninsula and the tip of the Thumb area.
Limestone was formed about 360 million years ago from a calcium carbonate solution when water
evaporated. It is used in cement and for building, and is also an ingredient in many manufacturing
processes (tanning hides, neutralizing acids, making steel and glass). Rogers City has the largest
limestone quarry in the world.
. Water is abundant in Michigan. No one in Michigan is farther than about 80 miles from a Great
Lake, and there are 11,000 inland lakes and 36,500 miles of rivers in Michigan. Water is used by
industry, for irrigation, for recreation, and for private use. In addition, of the 37 million people that
live in the Great Lakes watershed, 20 million of them get their drinking water directly from the Great
Lakes.
Iron is found in certain kinds of rock, or ore, especially near Negaunee in the Upper Peninsula. It can
be welded when hot, hammered into thin sheets, or drawn out into fine wires. It is easily magnetized.
Iron makes up about 5% of the earth’s crust. The formation of iron ores began about 2 billion years
ago, during the period of volcanoes. Its most common use is in making steel. It is a nonrenewable
resource, but there are enough known iron deposits to supply the world’s needs for at least 320 years.
Salt was formed in Michigan about 410 million years ago, when salt seas covered the Great Lakes
area. It is mined under Detroit and Port Huron. It is used for cooking, for icy roads in winter, for
preserving, and mostly for manufacturing processing. There is enough salt under Michigan (mostly in
the southeast) to supply the world for thousands of years. Salt is mined under Detroit and Port
Huron.
Sand was deposited by glaciers from 10,000 to 50,000 years ago. Wind and wave action built up the
largest stretch of fresh water dunes in the world along the Lake Michigan coast of the Lower
Peninsula, about 4500 years ago. Sand is used for glass and in foundries to make molds for the auto
industry. Sand mining is currently a big issue in Michigan, because sand dunes are considered a
nonrenewable resource unless we have another ice age. Sand is mined along the Lake Michigan
coast of the Lower Peninsula.
Student Worksheet #1
Uses of Michigan’s Natural Resources
Resource name
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Uses for the resource
Location of resource
Answer Key Worksheet #1
Uses of Michigan’s Natural Resources
Resource name
1. Fertile Soil
and Forests
Uses for this resource
Agriculture, forestry
Location
Agriculture: Southern
Michigan
Forestry: Northeast Lower, UP
2. Copper
Pipes, wires, pennies,
cookware
Northwest UP
3. Gold/Silver
Money, dental work, jewelry
Southwest UP
4. Coal
Heating, electrical generation
Mid-Michigan
Plaster, wallboard, cement,
chalk
6. Oil and Natural Heating
Gas
Fuels
Road building
7. Gravel
sharpening tools
Building,
8. Limestone
Cement, manufacturing
Drinking, irrigation
9. Water
Recreation, manufacturing,
shipping
5. Gypsum
10. Iron
11. Salt
12. Sand
Steel
Roads
Preserving, manufacturing
Glass, cement, foundries,
road building
Grand Rapids Area, Iosco Cty
Mid-Michigan
East Coast, Thumb
Rogers City
Great Lakes, inland lakes
Negaunee, UP
Under Detroit and Port Huron
Student Resource #1
1. Fertile Soil and Forests. Good soil
was brought to Michigan by the
glaciers. Farming is an important
industry in Michigan. Our state grows
more tart cherries, blueberries, and
cucumbers than any other state. Soil and
climate encourages the growth of
forests. Wood is used in the
manufacturing of paper and other wood
products. It also is used for making
energy and as fuel.
2. Copper has been in Michigan for
nearly 1 billion years. It is one of the
most useful metals known to humans.
Copper is used for wiring, pipes, and
to make pots and pans. It is a
nonrenewable resource. The
Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan has
produced over 14 billion pounds since
1845. Arizona leads the nation in
copper production now
3. Gold has been in Michigan for about
2.5 billion years. It is used for money,
jewelry and dental work. There is only
a little gold left in the Ropes Mine in
the southwestern UP.
Silver has also been found in
Michigan, usually along with the copper
mines in northern Michigan.
4. Soft Coal was formed in the
central Lower Peninsula about 300
million years ago. It is used for fuel,
and heat. It is also used for making
steel and electricity. Any coal
remaining in Michigan is too poor in
quality to be useful now.
5. Gypsum is a mineral found in rocks.
Michigan’s deposits are among the
richest in the world. It has many uses.
As a building material, it was used in
the Pyramids, and is used today as
plaster and wallboard. It is also used in
cement, toothpaste and chalk. Gypsum
is produced near Tawas City in Iosco
County and from underground mines
near Grand Rapids.
6. Oil and Natural Gas are found in
central Lower Michigan. Oil is one of
the most valuable natural resources in
the world. The most common uses of
oil are fuel and heat. It is also used in
many household items. Oil and
natural gas are nonrenewable
resources. The Middle East has about
56% of the world's oil. Alaska,
Louisiana, California, and Texas have
oil also.
7. Gravel is found all over the state.
Stones for sharpening tools come from
the Thumb. Sandstone, from the shores
of Lake Superior, is used for building.
Sand and gravel is used for making
roads and cement.
8. Limestone was formed about 360
million years in Michigan. It is used
in cement and for building. It is also
used in tanning hides and making
steel and glass. Rogers City has the
largest limestone quarry in the world.
9. Water is plentiful in Michigan. No
one is farther than 80 miles from a
Great Lake. There are 11,000 inland
lakes and 36,500 miles of rivers in
Michigan. Water is used by industry,
for irrigation, for recreation, and for
private use. 37 million people live near
the Great Lakes. 20 million get their
drinking water directly from the Great
Lakes.
10. Iron is found in rock, called ore,
especially near Negaunee in the
Upper Peninsula. It is easily
magnetized. Iron makes up about 5%
of the earth’s crust. The formation of
iron ores began about 2 billion years
ago. Its most common use is in
making steel. It is a nonrenewable
resource, but there are enough known
iron deposits to supply the world’s
needs for at least 320 years.
11. Salt was formed in Michigan about
410 million years ago. It is mined under
Detroit and Port Huron. It is used for
cooking, for icy roads, and for
manufacturing. There is enough salt
under southeast Michigan to last many
years.
12. Sand was brought by glaciers
10,000 to 50,000 years ago. Wind
and waves made the largest fresh
water dunes in the world along the
Lake Michigan coast. Sand is used
for glass and to make molds for cars.
Sand mining is a big issue in
Michigan, because sand dunes are a
nonrenewable resource.
Student Resource #2
Adapted from The Great Lakes: An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book jointly produced by the Government of Canada and the
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1995
Map / Worksheet #2
Student Resource #3
Location of Resources in Michigan
1. Soil is generally more fertile in southern Michigan than in
northern Michigan.
2. Forests, once covering most of Michigan, are the dominant
land cover of the Upper Peninsula and the northeast of the
Lower Peninsula.
3. Copper deposits are located in the Keweenaw Peninsula
4. Gold has been mined in the southwestern part of the Upper
Peninsula.
5. Gypsum deposits are located in the Tawas City area and in
Grand Rapids.
6. Oil and natural gas deposits and coal are located in the
central Lower Peninsula.
7. Gravel is mined in many local places, especially near
urban regions on the east coast of the Lower Peninsula and
the tip of the Thumb area that have access by lake
transportation to urban regions where large amounts of
gravel and cement are used.
8. Limestone is mined near Rogers City.
9. Water is an important throughout Michigan, with the Great
Lakes, inland lakes, underground reservoirs, and rivers
providing a great natural resource. A major problem is to
protect the water resources from over use and pollution.
10. Iron is mined near Negaunee in the Upper Peninsula.
11. Salt is mined under Detroit and Port Huron.
12. Sand is mined along the Lake Michigan coast of the
Lower Peninsula for use in the foundry and glass industries.
Answer Key for Map / Worksheet 2
Copper
Gold
Iron
Limestone
Water
S
a
n
d
Gypsum
Coal
Oil
Natural Gas
Gravel
S
a
n
d
Gypsum
Fertile Soil
Salt
Student Worksheet #3
Human Activities, Economic Development, and Consequences of Land Use
Forest
Human
Activities
Influence of
Great Lakes
and rivers on
Economic
Activities
Consequences
of Land Use
Agriculture
Urban
Answer Key Worksheet #3
Human Activities, Economic Development, and Consequences of Land Use
Forest
Human
Activities
Influence of
Great Lakes
and rivers on
Economic
Activities
Tourism, camping, parks, recreation,
hiking and sports
Lumbering, wood products
(furniture)
Mining of resources (gold, oil, iron,
etc.)
Rivers and lakes used for shipping,
paper mills, and recreation
Decrease in forest cover (until
reforested areas grow)
Dirt roads for logging equipment may
erode land
Consequences
Changes in natural habitats for plants
of Land Use
and animals
Valuable Timber Industry
Agriculture
Growing crops (food)
Grazing animals
Fertilizing, clearing land
Urban
Manufacturing: industries making
products based on materials mined
Construction: sewer systems,
industry, landscaping, homes, roads
Rivers help in draining land; water
for crops (irrigation) and animals;
shipping grain
Water used for industry, drinking;
Great Lakes used for shipping both
raw materials and products
Water pollution from fertilizers and
weed killers; Rural landscapes may
replace forested areas.
Valuable Farming Industry
Change of drainage, pollution of
water system (from sewage, detergent,
oil products), air pollution.
Homes for laborers needed for
industry
GOLD
COPPER
GOLD
COPPER
COAL
OIL
COAL
OIL
GYPSUM
GRAVEL
GYPSUM
GRAVEL
GYPSUM
IRON
GYPSUM
IRON
LIMESTONE
SAND
LIMESTONE
SAND
WATER
SALT
WATER
SALT
NATURAL GAS
FERTILE SOIL
NATURAL GAS
FERTILE SOIL
GOLD
COPPER
GOLD
COPPER
COAL
OIL
COAL
OIL
GYPSUM
GRAVEL
GYPSUM
GRAVEL
GYPSUM
IRON
GYPSUM
IRON
LIMESTONE
SAND
LIMESTONE
SAND
WATER
SALT
WATER
SALT
NATURAL GAS
FERTILE SOIL
NATURAL GAS
FERTILE SOIL
Teacher Resource:
These labels are formatted to print on return address labels (e.g., Avery 8167)
Cut apart for each student or group
Student Worksheet #4
Treasure Hunt
in Michigan
Discuss these questions in your group and write your answers here:
1. Which of these resources are non-renewable, that is, we can use them up?
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
2. Which of these resources are least valuable in Michigan today?
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
3. Which
of our valuable resources are used in manufacturing?
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
________________________
4. Where are most manufacturing plants located in Michigan?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
5. How do manufacturing plants get the resources they need?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Answer Key Worksheet #4
Treasure Hunt
in Michigan
Discuss these questions in your group and write your answers here:
1. Which of these resources are non-renewable, that is, we can use them up?
Copper
Gold
Gypsum
Oil
Natural gas
Gravel
Limestone
Iron
Salt
Sand
________________________
2. Which of these resources are least valuable in Michigan today?
Copper
Gold
________________________
Coal
Silver
3. Which of our valuable resources are used in manufacturing?
Gypsum
Iron
Oil
Gravel
Limestone
Sand
4. Where are most manufacturing plants located in Michigan?
Near urban areas
Mostly in the Lower Peninsula
5. How do manufacturing plants get the resources they need?
Shipping on our Great Lakes
Trucking on our highways