Rocks to Riches: How Earth Materials Shape Sustainable Technology

Catalog description

Rocks to Riches: How Earth Materials Shape Sustainable Technology explores how ordinary rocks become the materials behind everyday technologies - from smartphones and buildings to clean energy systems. Through hands-on activities and real-world case studies (e.g., critical minerals and cement), students learn how resources form, how material properties enable their use, and how extraction and production impact the environment. The course also examines global supply chains and sustainability challenges, helping students discover how geoscience, engineering, and economics connect - and how their future major can contribute to a more sustainable world.