San Diego Natural History Museum
San Diego Natural History Museum: Mineral Matters: Grow Your Own Crystals
Here are step-by-step instructions on how to create crystals. This is a great experiment for students to use in learning about the structure and formation of crystals.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Bone Mineral Density and Logarithms
Students examine an image produced by a cabinet x-ray system to determine if it is a quality bone mineral density image. Students write in their journals about what they need to know to be able to make this judgment. Students learn about...
Utah Education Network
Uen: Trb 4:3 Investigation 1 Minerals vs. Rocks
Activity helps with understanding the basic properties of rocks and minerals.
Amethyst Galleries
Amethyst Galleries: The Mineral Quartz
This resource provides a description of the mineral quartz, including physical characteristics and color images.
University of Oxford (UK)
Oxford University Museum of Modern History: Minerals
Minerals are everywhere. Different properties of minerals make them useful for different reasons. Have a go matching properties to minerals and objects, match minerals to objects, or just take it easy and refresh your memory of the...
Indiana University
Indiana University Bloomington: Mohs Hardness Scale [Pdf]
A chart of Mohs hardness scale with pictures of minerals at each level of hardness.
Amethyst Galleries
Amethyst Galleries: Mineral Gallery: Minerals by Class
This is a detailed reference list of minerals and mineral classes.
San Diego Natural History Museum
San Diego Natural History Museum: Mineral Matters: Color
Don't be fooled! While color is one way to identify a mineral, it can often be misleading. Quartz is one example of a mineral that can change colors depending on its chemical make-up.
Ducksters
Ducksters: Earth Science for Kids: Minerals
Investigate the subject of minerals including characteristics, properties such as luster and streak, types of minerals, and fun facts on this site.
Other
Rockhounding Arkansas: Basic Mineral Identification
Want to learn about rock collecting? This page introduces you to the basics and language of rocks and -inerals. Learn what the difference is between a rock and a mineral.
University of Oregon
Geo Man's Mineral and Rock Charts
This site contains several charts that can be used for identifying rocks and minerals based on traits such as hardness, luster and color.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Minerals
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart contains definition of minerals and properties of minerals and a short video. It is appropriate as an introduction to minerals.
Amethyst Galleries
Amethyst Galleries: Mineral Gallery: The Mineral Calcite
The world's most common mineral, Calcite, has many uses and varieties. This website lists the physical characteristics of Calcite and includes color images.
Amethyst Galleries
Amethyst Galleries: Mineral Gallery:
This site gives is an entry portal to information on gems and gemstones, including pictures of specimens and details on their physical properties and where they can be found.
Amethyst Galleries
Amethyst Galleries: The Mineral Diamond
This resource provides information on diamonds, such as physical characteristics, and physical properties.
Other
Fluorescent Mineral Society: The Ultraviolet Spectrum
This resource presents a discussion of the nature and properties of ultraviolet light. The manner in which minerals emit UV light is described and explained.
![The Geological Society: Rock Properties [Pdf] Activity](http://content.lessonplanet.com/resources/thumbnails/410011/large/bwluav9tywdpy2symdiwmduymc0xodk5mi0xawi4ewk4lmpwzw.jpg?1589984684 "The Geological Society: Rock Properties [Pdf] Activity")
Other
The Geological Society: Rock Properties [Pdf]
In this activity, students investigate the properties of six different types of rocks, and answer related questions, e.g., ranking them in terms of durability, inferring possible uses of three rock types, etc.
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Scientific American: Super People: Getting the Minerals Out
Explore the composition and physiology of bones, describe how humans lose bone mass and explain how this becomes a challenge for extended space flight. Compare and contrast the decalcifying properties of several liquids.
Amethyst Galleries
Amethyst Galleries: Mineral Gallery: Ruby
This site gives general information about the gem, ruby. Also included is information about hardness, color, uses, and other physical characteristics
Amethyst Galleries
Amethyst Galleries: Mineral Gallery: Amethyst Purple Variety of Quartz
A detailed description of amethyst, including its physical properties and the more noteworthy locations it is mined.
Utah Education Network
Uen: How We Use Rocks: Part 1
Second graders are introduced to rocks and their physical properties.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Engineering for the 3 Little Pigs
The purpose of this activity is to demonstrate the importance of rocks, soils and minerals in engineering and how using the right material for the right job is important. The students build three different sand castles and test them for...
American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History: Grow Rock Candy
Students can carry out an investigation using sugar and water to determine whether heating or cooling a substance may cause changes that can be observed. This activity reinforces the ideas that the properties of materials can change when...