Introduction
Have you ever wondered just what a rock is made of? Minerals...silly!!!
In this short quest, you will find out exactly what minerals are and how
to identify one mineral from another. You will take your findings and write
a small report about your mineral and how you identified it to present
to the class.
Task
Working in groups of 3, you will use the internet resources to discover information about rocks and minerals in general. You will also be given a mineral sample to identify.
Process
Please print this form and fill in the blanks. Do your questions in complete sentences and use your answers to help write your report. Please hand the form in with your report.
1. What is a mineral?
2. Where do minerals come from?
3. How are minerals identified? Clue-- L*****, C****,H*******,S*****
At this point, see me about receiving your mineral sample and your testing equipment. You will need to run some tests on your sample to determine what mineral it is. Use the mineral identification chart (poster) once you have determined your mineral's properties.
4. What makes your mineral different from others?
5. Where is your mineral found?
6. What is your mineral useful for? (At least 3 things please)
These questions will help you form your report.
Resources
Use these web pages to guide you through the questions.
Mineral Information
Mineral Identification
Moh's Scale of Hardness
The Mineral Gallery (a good place to go after you know what your mineral is)
The Uses of Rocks and Minerals
Evaluation
Click here to see how you will be graded.
Conclusion
Wow! Who would have thought that there was that much to know about minerals? Now that you are an expert on minerals, you are ready to tackle rocks and the rock cycle!