Class Response #1- Digging For Oil!

In class, a student from Rutgers University came and taught us about oil. Oil is found underneath the ground; powerful tools are needed to drill that deep into the solid earth. After we were taught about traps, reservoirs, and sources, we were given a packet of maps to trace on a single sheet of paper. We were instructed to mark the places on the paper where all three overlapped, and then we were told to go to a lab table. Once there, we received another sheet of paper with a blank chart on it. In the middle of the lab table was a container covered in tin foil. There was also the outlines of a grid that matched the grids from the packet. Together with our groups, we had to dig for oil by poking holes in the foil in the places we marked on our maps. When oil was found (which turned out to be syrup in kitty litter rather than kitty litter alone), we had to record our findings. We used special equations to figure out how much money was spent drilling holes, and how much was received from the oil found. Overall, the activity we did to help us learn about oil was a fun and easy way to develop an understanding about oil.(: