Can't bring your class to the museum?

Book a Mineral and Rock Inquiry Box for your class, and have fun as you engage and learn the subject of earth materials!

The kit helps students explore the following questions, and supports the Grade 5 science big idea: Earth materials change as they move through the rock cycle and can be used as natural resources.

What are Earth Materials?

Focusing on rock and sediment, including exploring the concept of consolidation and grainsize.

What are Minerals?

Exploring some common proprieties of minerals.

What are Rocks?

Discovering the clues rocks give us to the environments in which they formed, and how this tells us about Earth’s geological past.

Are Minecraft Minerals Real?

A simple exploration of the real-world comparable rocks and minerals referred to as Minecraft ores.

Rental period is for 10 days. They will be shipped, or able to be collected from the Museum on a Monday, and must be back at the Museum by 4pm on the following Thursday. Shipping to some areas is sponsored by Sea to Sky Courier. Outside of their delivery areas, shipping must be paid for. The Box can also be collected/returned during Museum hours on any week day during the rental period. Payment will be online and a deposit made at time of booking.

A range of specimens including real gold, emerald and ruby are included as well as:

Gravel, sand, and glacial silt for exploring sediment and grain size

A range of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks (e.g. conglomerate, sandstone, granite, pumice, obsidian, volcanic bomb, marble, mica)

Minerals demonstrating a range of properties and aesthetics including pyrite, quartz, black tourmaline, talc, bornite, pyrite, galena, lapis lazuli, polished banded malachite, emerald, ruby and gold

Fossils including trilobite and ammonite

* Please note that the emerald and ruby are real but not gem-quality

The rental cost is $150 for a 10-period and $50 for each additional and consecutive 10 calendar day period. They will be shipped, or are able to be collected from the Museum on a Monday, and must be back at the Museum by 4pm on the following Thursday.

Deposit and Payment – A $200 refundable deposit per box is required upon booking. This can be paid by cheque (payable to Britannia Mine Museum) or credit card. The deposit will be held and refunded on return of the box to the museum.

The kit will be quarantined for at least 48 hours prior to being shipped out. You may choose to quarantine for a further period of time on receiving it. The specimens and activities do allow for students to study the specimens without having to touch them if that is the decision of the teacher. A pair of disposable gloves will be included with the kit, should you want to use them for removing or handling materials.

If you decide to cancel or make changes to your reservation, please call or email us immediately. Cancellations or changes should be made at least one week (7 days) before the scheduled rental period or pick-up date; changes are subject to availability. Cancellations or date changes made less than one week before your rental dates will forfeit $150 of the deposit.