Curated OER
Uses of Minerals
In this minerals instructional activity, learners read an excerpt about gold and then respond to the questions that follow. They explain how the weight of gold affected the history of some western states and why gold is expensive.
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
Identify a Mineral Worksheet
In this minerals worksheet, students choose a mineral to research, write its name and draw a picture. Students research about the mineral's color, luster, hardness, gravity, fracture, crystal form and transparency. Students make notes of...
Curated OER
Let's Rock
Students investigate the property of rocks and how to distinguish among the different types. They explore the hardness of rocks and perform streak tests to determine mineral color. They classify rocks according to their properties.
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.
University of Georgia
What's So Special about Bottled Drinking Water?
Is artesian water designed to be better, or is it just from wells similar to those in the city of Artesium? This experiment looks at many different types of bottled waters, including artesian. Using a soap mixture, scholars test to see...
Curated OER
Mohs Hardness Test
Fifth graders examine what the Mohs Hardness Scale is before testing a number of minerals to determine their place on the scale. They test a fingernail, a penny, a knife blade, a metal file, and several unknown minerals and rocks using...
Curated OER
Geology Quiz- Common Minerals
In this earth science worksheet, learners determine the name of 10 minerals based on the descriptions given on the page. They see pictures of a number of minerals, and check their answers with the word bank at the bottom of the page.
Curated OER
Mighty Minerals
In this mineral learning exercise, students use encyclopedias, the Internet, science catalogs, or magazines to complete research questions about a mineral. Using their research information, they also create a cartoon for their mineral.
Curated OER
Testing Water for Hardness
Students discuss the nature, cause and effect of hard water. Each student conducts a soap test on a sample of hard water where the hardness is known measuring the height of the bubbles produced.
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...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Baseball Rocks!
Students investigate rocks, minerals and the rock cycle before they participate in a videoconferencing activity with another class that tests their knowledge. They create PowerPoint presentation with questions about rocks and mineral...
Curated OER
The Rock Cycle
In this rock cycle activity, students match 5 terms with their definitions about rocks and minerals, they fill in 5 blanks to complete sentences about types of rocks and they identify kinds of rocks and processes in the rock cycle.
Curated OER
3rd Grade Earth Science
In this Earth Science worksheet, 3rd graders answer multiple choice questions about minerals, properties, fossils, and more. Students complete 20 questions.
Chymist
Testing the Waters
Should you trust the water you drink every day? The hands-on activity has scholars test water from different sources for contaminants. Pupils perform chemical testing and make conclusions about pH, hardness, iron, chlorine, lead, and...
Curated OER
Mohs Hardness Test
Fifth graders listen as they are told about another way to classify rocks; by their hardness. They observe the Mohs Hardness Test overhead, discover how the test works, and then use materials such as pennies, butter knives, nails, and...
Curated OER
Rocks, Minerals, and Erosion
Fourth graders describe the difference between minerals (composed of the same substance throughout) and rocks (composed of two or more minerals). They recognize that there are three classes of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic
Curated OER
Rocks and Minerals
Fifth graders examine different types of rocks and classify rocks by their different characteristics. In small groups they sort their rocks into two categories, then create three categories to sort by on a sorting worksheet. Next, they...
Curated OER
Rocks and Minerals
Students research a rock or mineral on the Internet. They perform the research with a partner to find out properties such as, color, hardness, and opacity. They look for pictures on the Internet in order to prepare for their slideshow...
Curated OER
Mineral Lab
Eighth graders examine the physical properties of different minerals. For this earth science lesson, 8th graders explain the uses of minerals in their daily lives. They complete the mineral identification table during the lesson.
Curated OER
Minerals
Students explore the concept of minerals. In this minerals lesson, students discuss how cooling affects the size of crystals. Students discuss how the structure of minerals is a tetrahedron. Students discuss the structure of silicates...
Curated OER
Properties of Minerals
In this minerals worksheet, students complete a graphic organizer by brainstorming and then writing down the 6 different properties of minerals.
Curated OER
For Creative Minds
Students study pictures of plants, animals, and minerals. Students classify the pictures into the three groups. For this rock identification lesson, students complete a rock finding lab experiment by finding, cleaning, identifying, and...
Curated OER
Strong Chemistry
Students research and create a poster about a gemstone. In this mineral properties lesson, students view a video about diamonds. They discuss the properties of minerals and choose a gemstone to research and create a poster.