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
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.
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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.
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Minerals Prime
For this minerals worksheet, students answer fifteen multiple choice questions about mineral formation, volcano and mountain formation, mineral tests and properties of minerals.
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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...
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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.
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Bellwork for Week 5-Minerals and Experimental Design
In this minerals and experimental design worksheet, students answer questions about variables in experiments, identification of minerals, mining and properties of minerals.
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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.
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Mystery Minerals
In this science worksheet, students complete a chart of mineral properties. Minerals are listed by number, and students perform various tests to determine luster, hardness, color, streak color, fracture type and cleavage type. They use a...
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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
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...
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How hard is it?
Inquiry is probably one of the most fun ways kids learn. They will test the hardness of 10 different minerals in order to classify them. They rate each of the minerals from most to least hard. Note: Having real minerals for this...
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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.
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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...
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Rocks and Minerals
Students 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...
It's About Time
The Changing Geography of Your Community
Lead your class in exploring their local communities as well as the general environment. As they determine continental distributions by investigating minerals, rocks, and fossils located in their local region, pupils construct a...
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.
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...
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Properties of Minerals
Students research properties of minerals. In this science lesson, students search the web, create a folder, and store information on properties of minerals. There are many excellent worksheets and study guides embedded in this lesson,...
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What are Rocks and Minerals?
Students identify the properties of rocks. In this rocks and minerals lesson, students use the Internet to learn about the properties of rocks and minerals. Students conduct a test to determine whether various samples of rock are limestone.
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Volcanoes!
Give young geologists an up close and personal look at volcanoes with a series of hands-on earth science lessons. Whether they are investigating the properties of igneous rocks, building their own volcanoes, or making fudge to model the...
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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.