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Round And Round We Go – bESTology Week 7
 
Rather than 3-2-1 let’s go, it’s 3-1-4 let’s ROLL!  Circling around the Rock Cycle and celebrating Pi Day!  
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a cycle is a set of events or actions that happen again and again in the same order.  Although the rocks under our feet seem permanent, they are constantly changing as part of the rock cycle.  The rock cycle is a basic concept in geology that …

Who wants what, when and why?  bESTology Week 6 
Knowing where the commodity is and how to get it out of the ground is only part of the equation.  As we continue to excavate Pay Dirt, let’s unearth the concept of supply and demand. 
Before a company mines a specific commodity, they need to determine who will buy it and how much the buyer will want or need. The mining industry relies heavily on calculating the correct amount of supply …

Dirt Pays!  bESTology Week 5
“Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.” — Sam Ewing
Miners have character and turn up their sleeves.  Dedication, responsibility and drive exhibited by these men and women deliver essential products to us each day.  What is your career goal?  Will you turn up your sleeves?  BEST students understand hard work, teamwork and product delivery while digging a …

Mine Games!  bESTology Week 4

As we dig deeper into Pay Dirt, our knowledge of the mining industry must heat up!

Fact:  The deeper the mine, the hotter it gets.
Fact:  Miners often have to travel two miles or more underground each day to get to their job.
Fact:  No mine can be 100% robotic.  Humans are required for repairs and logistics.

 From pillars, to long walls to lift cages, jump aboard as we travel inside the …

Dirt to Dust!  And beyond..
As James Marshall was designing and building a sawmill for John Sutter, a discovery was made, a discovery that would change America.  GOLD!
 While the sawmill was the primary focus for James and John, they decided to keep the discovery of the gold a secret.  But word got out and an entrepreneur named Sam Brannan embraced the concept of supply and demand.  As Sam began spreading the word, he also purchased all of the shovels, …

Rock and Roll or ROCKS and COAL?  bESTology Week 2
Just as Rock and Roll is music to our ears, so is the sound of hearing someone shout, “Look at what I discovered”! Whether it is gold on a riverbed or rare minerals deep inside our earth, our daily lives depend on mined materials. 
 During prehistoric times, surface mining was key but as time and technology progressed, mining dug deeper into the depths of the earth.  Geological studies unveiled the …

Mining and Me – Week 1
STOP! Look around. In 60 seconds name all of the items you see that are a result of mining. GO!
If it is not grown then it is mined is a powerful statement. If it isn’t made of wood, cloth, or other living matter, it was dug out of the ground. Dig deeper into the items that surround you; window glass, eating utensils, dishes, automobiles, jewelry, and cell phones all are constructed from mined …

Attention BEST teachers, students and mentors!  
The 3rd Annual bESTology begins Sunday, Jan. 25th for the 2015 BEST game PAY DIRT.
Explore the Pay Dirt Teaser Video at bestinc.org. 
bESTology offers:

BEST students: FUN off-season challenges and career awareness connected with Pay Dirt
BEST teams: weekly clues for the 2015 game Pay Dirt
BEST teams: the skill sets to be competitive in the workplace
BEST teachers: an avenue for BEST to be incorporated into cross-curricular activities based on …

Driving Towards Your Future – bESTology Week 12
A future career could place you at the helm, in the driver’s seat, behind the wheel or navigating with a joystick.  Engineers design, develop and deliver cars, trucks, trains, planes or ships but it takes a talented and knowledgeable operator to lawfully and safely control, steer and arrive at the final destination.
Often we see the “big” picture but never take the time to explore the minute details of the laws …

Decoding the Road
BEST teams use code to communicate with their robot while transportation engineers use code to communicate with drivers and pedestrians.  In last year’s bESTology, we learned that code is a rule for converting one piece of information into another form or representation.  In the world of transportation, just like the world of computing, we are surrounded by code.  Traffic lights use colors as codes, road signs are designed to overcome the language barrier displaying universal code, tanker …

BEST Business 101.2
In just a few months, it will be time to get down to Bladerunner business.  With a mission, vision and business plan, your winning team will be on the road to success.
In today’s business world, entrepreneurs begin with an idea that grows into a product.  The product is then marketed to a potential buyer.  Along this entrepreneur highway, there are stops, speed bumps and intersections.  Having a map or a business plan makes the journey smoother.