G7/8 Cycle A - 1: Geology: Silicon

Silicon metal is a grey and lustrous semi-conductive metal that is used to manufacture steel, solar cells, and microchips. Silicon is the second most abundant element in the earth's crust (behind only oxygen) and the eighth most common element in the universe.

Wherever we go, we’re surrounded by sand. It’s in the floors beneath us, walls around us and ceilings above us, plus the sidewalks and roads we use to get from place to place. Sand is a key ingredient in concrete, asphalt, and glass, not to mention the silicon chips inside our phones and computers. It is an essential component of modern life as we know it, yet, strangely enough, we are starting to run out.