Curated OER
Minerals
Students apply rules to compare and rank the hardness and softness of minerals. They perform a scratch test on four unknown mineral samples, read a bar graph that illustrates the comparative hardness and softness of four named minerals,...
Curated OER
Project Geode
Young geologists attempt to predict the appearnace of a geode's internal structure based on how it looks from the outside, its mass, and its physical characteristics. In this geologly instructional activity, learners use scientific...
Curated OER
Earth Rocks!
Students study the basic elements of the Earth's crust: rocks, soils and minerals. They categorize rocks, soils and minerals and how they are literally the foundation for our civilization. They also explore how engineers use rock soils...
Curated OER
Mining Minerals
Students define the properties of minerals and their uses in their world. For this multi-lesson unit, students contribute actively to discussions of mineral mining, mining methods and mine safety. A role play lesson asks students to...
Curated OER
Rock On! Featuring the Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic Trio!
Get your classroom rocking with this four-lesson earth science unit. Through a series of shared reading activities and hands-on investigations, young geologists learn about the three types of rocks and the unique properties of each.
Curated OER
Student Exploration: Mineral Identification
In this mineral identification worksheet, students read nine vocabulary words and answer 5 short answer and fill-in-the-blank questions regarding minerals. There are four additional pages of related activities.
Curated OER
Minerals of the Earth
Students learn and practice identifying Earth's minerals and their properties. Working in small groups, they evaluate minerals. This is a well-described lesson, which students enjoy.
Curated OER
Different Minerals
In this minerals worksheet, learners read about the relationship between elements, rocks and minerals. They experiment using 6 different colored gumdrops to represent 6 common elements. Students construct gumdrop and toothpick models of...
Curated OER
Introduction to Minerals
Students discover how crystal structures go together to create minerals. In this earth science lesson, students work in groups to create 3-dimensional shapes of crystals that they then put together in a compact structure.
Curated OER
Mystery Rocks and Minerals
Students review the properties of rocks and minerals. In this geology lesson, students distinguish between rocks and minerals. Students also classify the rocks as igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary.
K-State Research and Extensions
Crystal Shapes
Of quartz I love geology! The chapter offers five activities at three different levels. It features hands-on activities that cover crystal shapes, cleavage and fracture, hardness scale, specific gravity, and mineral identification....
Curated OER
Pet Rocks
Students complete a variety of activities related to the physical characteristics of minerals. They classify and group candy, classify rocks and complete a Pet River Rock worksheet. Students try to guess which rock goes with each...
Curated OER
The Building Blocks
This PowerPoint is a comprehensive review of all the facts related to an atom's basic structure and function. What makes this unique is that it is geared toward an audience of junior geologists. After introducing the periodic table of...
Curated OER
Soil Characteristics
Components of soil, such as inorganic or organic materials are detailed along with the main contributions of each. Deposits, weathering, and distinct types of characteristics and properties of soil classes are given.
Curated OER
What Is Viscosity?
Students experiment with the visocosity of corn syrup, mineral oil, vegetable oil, water, and honey. They research viscosity before beginning. Pupils draw the conclusion that the marble sinks more slowly in the liquids with greater...
Curated OER
Rocks and Minerals
Learners investigate the properties and uses of rocks and minerals. They build towers using only one material from a pile of stones, tiles, wood, etc. provided by the teacher. Students test the hardness of rocks by scratching them with...
Santa Monica College
The Properties of Oxygen Gas
Scholars generate and collect pure oxygen through a decomposition reaction of hydrogen peroxide in the fourth lesson of an 11-part series. Then, they complete six investigations into the properties of oxygen.
Curated OER
Rocks and Minerals Unit
Students test and identify minerals according to their physical properties. In this mineral analysis lesson, students brainstorm ways to identify rocks and list their ideas on chart paper. Students study samples in pairs and identify the...
Project SMART
Rocks and Minerals: Touch the Earth
Students complete a unit of lessons on rocks and minerals. They conduct research, write e-mail questions to geologists, write daily journal entries, label maps demonstrating types of rocks/minerals found, and create a web page that...
Curated OER
Mineral Identification
High schoolers identify minerals from its physical properties accomplished through observation and testing of the minerals involved. They divide into groups and perform the physical property tests listed on the Mineral Background sheet.
Curated OER
Introduction to Minerals
Young scholars discuss rocks and other earth materials made up of minerals. They identify minerals by means of their more obvious physical properties such as hardness, luster, color, streak, cleavage and fracture. They arrange a given...
Curated OER
Exploring Minerals
Students examine the differences between rocks and minerals. They discover the properties of different minerals and perform hardness tests on minerals. They collect their data and make observations.
Curated OER
Mineral Identification
Eighth graders examine the properties that are used to identify minerals and how they work. In this investigative lesson plan students use the six properties to identify minerals that they are given.
Curated OER
Rockin' Minerals
Third graders view a clip of the video Backyard Safari, "Rocks and Minerals," and discuss properties of rocks and minerals. They view and discuss a clip on where rocks and minerals are found.