Summary:

This is an introductory hands-on discovery lesson, where students have the opportunity to use their senses to study rocks and minerals. It is a high-interest lesson, where the student’s inquiry level per Bloom’s increased exponentially. Students develop a new awareness of the differences in rocks and minerals, and are given academic vocabulary to identify their properties. Although there are more properties used for identification by scientists, this lesson focuses on only three: luster, cleavage, and mass. This lesson is designed to get them excited about rocks and minerals, and inspire them to become lifetime “rock-hounds” or “geologists”.

Learning Goals / Objectives:

4ES 4.b. Students know how to identify common rock forming minerals and ore minerals by using a table of diagnostic properties.

Background

A rock is a naturally occurring solid, made up of minerals or mineral-like matter. Some rocks are composed of just one mineral. (Pyrite and quartz are two common rocks that fit this category). However, most rocks are a solid mixture of several minerals, like granite. Minerals are inorganic compounds that occur naturally in the earth. Mineral identification is done by checking for certain mineral properties or characteristics, and are identified by analyzing these physical properties. The properties that are commonly used for identification are: Streak, Luster, Hardness, Cleavage, Crystal system/habit, Color (although by itself, this is not a reliable characteristic), Specific Gravity, and Clarity or Transparency. Minerals can be tested according to each characteristic and reasonable identification can be made. With practice, many minerals can be identified solely by visual characteristics.

Setup:

Each cooperative table group is provided with a box of rock collection samples
Each table is provided with 3-4 copies of the key providing the names corresponding with the rock samples
Each student is given a graphic organizer to fill out during the lesson.

Anticipatory Set:

Students are given a copy of the graphic organizer.
Write in the objective and the standard in the appropriate space, boxing the action words
Teacher shows examples of rocks, and opens for discussion: What do you notice about each rock?

Instructions / Activities:

1. Students fill out the key qualities in the organizer that are to be focused on as they look at rocks.Teacher models on document camera.
2. Each table group will be given a box of rocks. Teacher goes over the rules and expectations. (Students are able to respectfully and carefully touch, explore and decide which rock
fits the “quality” focused on. They may also talk about them with their table group members.)
3. Each student will fill out the graphic organizer as they do their observations:
a. Find a rock that fits the descriptive quality
b. Write the name and number in the appropriate space on their organizer. (using the key provided)
c. Students are to repeat steps a & b until organizer is completed.

Assessment:

Students will be assessed on the completion of their Graphic Organizer- Properties of Minerals; and their entry in their Science notebook or Journal.(Reflection and Completion of Sentence Frames)

Wrap-up / Closure:

1. Partner Share-Contrast and Compare/ Do we have any choice that is the same? Different?
2. After the students complete the activity, teacher will reveal the names of the properties focused on. Students will fill this “vocabulary word” out in the proper place on their chart.
(luster, cleavage, mass)
3. Partner Share- Students will fill out the sentence frames in their Science notebooks individually, with the input from their partners.

Attachments: https://ccsplibrary.com/wp-content/uploads/gravity_forms/1-98399c595b52310e23a081ee652e5a53/2013/06/Document1.pdf