Name: Johnson, Karen
E-mail: foodwithkaren@hotmail.com
Topic: Bauxite:  More than a Small Town
Grade: 3, 4
Time: 1-2 class periods
Ark. Hist. Framework: 4.1.1., 4.1.6.


Objective: The student will identify the mineral bauxite, its impact on Saline 
County, and describe the relationship of bauxite to the community and the world.

Set: Pose questions:  Does anyone have an older relative that lives or lived in 
Bauxite?  Do you know his/her age?

The town of Bauxite was established 99 years ago.  We are going to discover why 
Bauxite Schools have a miner as their mascot.

Materials: Internet, Piece of bauxite

Key Terms: Minerals, bauxite, ore, aluminum oxide, strip mines, Pittsburgh Reduction 
Company of Pennsylvania, Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA)

Key Facts: Bauxite is the state mineral.  Saline County is one of the oldest counties 
in Arkansas.  It was made a county BEFORE Arkansas became a state.  The town, 
Bauxite, was established in 1903 by Pittsburgh Reduction Company of Pennsylvania 
and later became ALCOA. The company was the main source of emloyment for 64 years.  
The community is no longer in the business of mining;  however, the double A school 
still exists.  Some students may have been swimming in the "blue holes" which are 
swimming holes in the craters left from mining.

Activities: Define and discuss key terms.  Pass piece of bauxite and discuss it.  
Explain the importance of mining bauxite for the town--provided jobs beginning 
in 1899;  to the world--70% of nation's supply in 1923.  Although Bauxite and 
Arkansas were involved in WWII, it was still less than 2% of the nation's war 
effort.  The mineral was used to coat the outside of most war planes.  
Brainstorm and discuss uses of aluminum.  Fild Trip:  Bauxite Museum

Closure: Although several minerals are found in the state, bauxite is the most 
important. Its mining helped establish a town, people all around the world benefit 
from it, and best of all, it is the state mineral.

Assessment: Students will draw a picture depicting the uses of bauxite.

Resources: 
Baker, T. Harri and Jane Browning, 1997, An Arkansas History for 
Young People, 2nd edition.
http://www.aristotle.net/~shicks/bauxite/index.html
http://www.bauxitemuseum.com
http://www.salinecounty.org/history.html
http://rootsweb.com/~arschhs/index.html
http://ten-ten.org/bauxite.html

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