What's the difference between a rock and a mineral? And what properties are used to identify minerals? The first installment of a five-part series on earth materials and processes prompts young scientists to identify a set of minerals based on their knowledge of mineral properties.

Concepts

mineral identification, mineral properties

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Find a mineral identification chart on the Internet (not provided in the resource) to help participants identify given minerals

Classroom Considerations

• Decide whether to use the acid test based on age and maturity level of learners
• Keep in mind that local and state standards may differ, as well as requirements for mineral identification
• Resource is aligned specifically to Virginia Standards of Learning and mentions the State of Virginia several times; teachers from other states may need to modify the resource

Pros

• Teacher's section includes optional extensions and connections activities
• Resource includes cloze notes and a mineral identification guide that can be copied for students

Cons

• None