Tag Archives: Minerals

Mineral Identification

by on June 15, 2010 in Fifth Grade, Fourth Grade, Lesson Plans, Science

Goal(s): This lesson will teach students how to test and identify minerals according to their physical properties.

Grade level(s): 4-5

Objective(s):

Students will be able to identify a mineral according to its physical characteristics.

Students will be able to test a mineral for specific characteristics (color, luster, streak, texture, breakage).

Students will be able to explain how the physical characteristics of a mineral can be tested.

Focusing Question(s):

Is your sample a mineral?

Did it pass every test?

Time Allotment: 1 class period

Material(s):

4 minerals per pair of students

magnifying glass (1 per student)

1 Minerals Test Worksheet (per student)

several copies of A Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals by Frederick H. Pough

Vocabulary: characteristics, texture, luster, streak, cleavage, sample

Anticipatory Set: Students will be told the objective. Students will be seated with their science buddy. Each pair of students will be given a rock and a mineral and asked if they have anything in common. Some students may be able to identify that one is a mineral. Students will then be asked to recall that most rocks contain two or more minerals, but to identify a mineral, one needs to look for many things. Students will be asked all the ways that they know of to identify, sort, or organize rocks. Answers will be listed on a piece of large chart paper.

Direct Instruction/Guided Practice: Students will be told that there are five characteristics to look for in order to identify a mineral– color, streak, fracture/cleavage, texture, and luster. Vocabulary paired with visuals will be introduced. Students will be told to choose 1 sample from their pile to test. Magnifying glasses will be handed out and handling instructions will be given. As a class and with the “Mineral Test” worksheet as a guide, students will be lead through an examination of their samples to identify which one is a mineral.

Independent Practice: Using the other sample, instruct students to follow the same procedure to test for mineral identification. Students should record their findings on the “Mineral Test” worksheet. Once completed, provide the opportunity for students to find the name of their mineral in A Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals by Frederick H. Pough.

Closure: Gather students for whole group discussion. The focusing questions will lead the class discussion. The students will be asked to share their findings and if they think their rocks are really minerals. Students will then be told that there is a sixth way to test a mineral through a test of its hardness. Students will be asked how they think we can determine which of their rocks is the hardest. Answers will be written on the chart paper. Students will be told that in tomorrow’s lesson, they will learn about the Moh’s Scale of Mineral Hardness and they will be able to determine which of their minerals are the hardest.

Assessment:

Students will be assessed according to their ability to:

1. Identify a mineral according to its physical characteristics.

2. To test a mineral for specific characteristics (color, luster, streak, texture, breakage).

3. To explain how the physical characteristics of a mineral can be tested.

Accommodations: The “Minerals Test” worksheet provides written instruction on how to test for each physical characteristic. Alternative assessments to the completion of the worksheet may be given to students who would be better served with an adapted version or by explaining through a drawing or short verbal retelling.

Extension: The learning of mineral characteristics can be extended through the following literature connections:

A Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals by Frederick H. Pough.

Experiments With Rocks and Minerals by Salvatore Tocci

Peterson First Guide to Rocks and Minerals by Frederick H. Pough

Sedimentary Rocks Lesson Plan

by on April 25, 2010 in Fifth Grade, Fourth Grade, Lesson Plans, Science, Special Education

Goal(s): Students will develop an understanding of how sedimentary rocks are formed.

Grade level(s): 4-5

Objective(s):

Students will be able to identify a sedimentary rock by its visual markings (lines/layers).

Students will be able to explain how sedimentary rocks are formed (through erosion and the compressing/cementing of smaller rocks and plant/animal material).

Time Allotment: 1 class period

Focusing Question(s):

What root word in “sedimentary” tells you how sedimentary rocks are formed?

What visual characteristic helps us identify sedimentary rocks?

Why do sedimentary rocks have layers?

Material(s): (all materials are needed for each pair of students)

plaster

cement

pint-sized milk cartons (three per pair)

sand

decomposed leaves

water

mixing spoon

teaspoon

tablespoon

Vocabulary: sediment, sedimentary rock, cement, compressed/compression, sandstone, coal, and limestone

Anticipatory Set: Students will be told the objective. The students will be given a sedimentary rock and asked to observe the rock and record their findings in their science journal. The students will be asked to recall the previous lesson on weathering. Students will be asked why they think their rock appears to have different layers. Answers will be written on the board.

Direct Instruction/Guided Practice: The focusing questions will guide the class in a discussion about sedimentary rocks. Vocabulary paired with pictures will be introduced. Answers to the questions will be solidified through the viewing of an interactive video on how sedimentary rocks are formed (http://videos.howstuffworks.com/hsw/23899-the-geology-of-earth-igneous-rocks-video.htm). Students will then be told that they are going to make three different models that represent a sedimentary rock-sandstone, coal and limestone (visuals will be shown). Uses for each will be given. Students will be asked how they think each of the rocks are formed based on their names. They should recognize that each is formed by different layers of sediment. Next, demonstrate how each will be made using the materials provided at each station.

Independent Practice: Students will be told to find their science buddies and to go to a station set up with materials. Each pair of students will follow the written recipe to make models of sandstone, coal and limestone. If wait time is needed for each of the models to dry, students will be given a packet to read to gather more information on various kinds of sedimentary rocks. Document provided by www.nps.gov titled Geology Student Field Guide and Scavenger Hunt.

Once the models are dry, students will investigate their sedimentary rock models and record their observations/comparisons in their science journals. Recordings should include a drawing with labels to identify the visual markings of a sedimentary rock and a brief summary to show their understanding of how sedimentary rocks are formed.

Closure: Students will gather as a whole group with their science journals to discuss their findings. Students will be told that they have just produced models that represent how sedimentary rocks are formed. The focusing questions will lead the class in group discussion of the experiment. The students will be asked:

  • What attributes did your rocks have in common? Why?
  • How did the three piles of rocks differ? Why?
  • What natural materials make up sandstone? Coal? Limestone?
  • How did our experiment show what happens to rocks/stones, plants, and animal materials through the erosion process?

Assessment: Students will be assessed according to their participation in the experiment and the group discussions. Students will be assessed according to their ability to:

Identify a sedimentary rock by its visual markings (lines/layers).

Explain how sedimentary rocks are formed (through erosion and the compressing/cementing of smaller rocks and plant/animal material).

Accommodations: To accommodate ELL’s, auditory, and visual learners, each pair of students will be given written instruction paired with pictures as well as verbal instruction by an adult in order to complete the activity. An alternative assessment may be given in the form of an adapted worksheet in which students are given a partial drawing and a fill-in the blank text. Students may also verbally explain the process using a model with rocks, clay, and water.

Extension(s):

1) Students could produce written riddles (based on their knowledge of sedimentary rocks) for each rock they made and invite another class to come in and figure out which is which.

2) Creative writing assignment-students could write a narrative for one of the models that explains how the rock was formed.

Directions for rock models: Have materials set up at individual stations with written directions and a completed example for students to follow.

Sandstone:

a) In a milk carton (with top cut off), mix 3 teaspoons of cement with wet sand.

b) Allow to dry.

c) Remove from carton to reveal the sandstone.

Coal:

a) In a milk carton (with top cut off), mix 3 teaspoons of cement with wet mud and decomposed leaves.

b) Allow to dry.

c) Remove from carton to reveal the coal.

Limestone:

a) In a milk carton (with top cut off), mix 3 tablespoons of plaster with equal parts water.

b) Allow to dry.

c) Remove from carton to reveal the limestone.

Sedimentary recipes adopted from http://www.coaleducation.org/lessons/sme/elem/7.htm

Weathering on Rocks

by on April 24, 2010 in Fifth Grade, Fourth Grade, Lesson Plans, Science

Goal(s): Students will complete a variety of activities that demonstrate how weathering and erosion change the Earth’s surface.

Grade level(s): 4-5

Objective(s):

Students will be able to identify and explain (in at least one way) how weathering and erosion changes the Earth’s surface.

Standard(s): Earth, Space, and Science (3-5) 4. Explain and give examples of the ways in which soil is formed (the weathering of rock by water and wind and from the decomposition of plant and animal remains).

Material(s):

15 rough, sandstone, limestone, or shale rocks (1 set for four groups)

Three 32 ounce plastic containers (1 set for four groups)

Three jars (1 set for four groups)

A pen, paper, and masking tape, to label both the containers and the clear jars with A, B, C

small plastic trays (1 for each group)

magnifying glasses (2 for each group)

water (16 ounces per group)

Time Allotment: 1 class period, 15 minutes of prep time the day before

Vocabulary: weathering, erosion, sediment, environmental elements

Focusing Question(s):

What happened when the rocks were exposed to water?

What happened when the rocks were exposed to the water and the rigorous shaking?

Procedure:

Day before the lesson:

1) The rocks will be separated into three piles of five. Each will be placed onto a sheet of paper labeled “A”, “B”, and “C”.

2) Each container and jar will be labeled “A”, “B”, and “C”.

3) Stones from pile “A” will be placed into container “A ” and filled half way with water. The same will be done to piles “B” and “C”.

4) Students will record their observations in their science journals.

5) The stones will be left to sit in the water overnight.

Day 2:

1) The lesson will begin with students being told the objective. They will be asked to recall the preparation we performed for today’s lesson. Students will be asked to think about what covers the Earth’s surface and the different ways that the surface can change. Answers will be given and written on the board. Students will be shown an interactive demonstration of how weathering and erosion occur (http://www.learner.org/interactives/rockcycle/change3.html). Vocabulary paired with pictures will be introduced.

2) Students will be asked why it would be difficult for us to observe weathering and erosion if we went outdoors. They will be told that we can get an idea of how weathering occurs on the Earth’s surface by conducting an experiment using rocks and water.

3) Students will be told to observe the containers after they have sat in water overnight and record their observations in their science journals. Students will be asked if they notice any difference in the containers. Observations will be discussed.

4) Students will be told that they are going to act like the environmental elements we discussed to show the effects of weathering on our rocks. The class will be divided to accommodate the four stations (five per station). Each station will be equipped with written, step-by-step instructions with pictures. The written will also be paired with verbal instruction to accommodate ELL’s, visual, and auditory learners. Students will be told to take turns shaking the containers. They will start with container “A” and shake it hard 1, 000 times (math connection-students will be asked how many times each student will have to shake to equal 1, 000). After the shaking has taken place, the students will work together to remove the water into jar “A” and to pour the rocks onto the tray. Students should observe the rocks and the water and document their findings.

5) Students will be told to use the same process for container “B ” but to only give 300 shakes. Students will be told that they can rest between shakes. Then, remove the rocks and pour the water into jar “B”. They should then observe the rocks and the water and document their findings.

6) Students will be instructed not to shake container “C”, but to remove the rocks and pour the water into jar “C”. They should observe the rocks and the water and document their findings. Students should then compare all of the rocks and the water from which they came.

7) Students will gather as a whole group with their science journals to discuss their findings. Students will be told that they have just witnessed the process of weathering. Students will be asked to recall the scientific method (and referred to the diagram in the classroom). The focusing questions will lead the class in group discussion of the experiment. The students will be asked:

  • Which pile of rocks acted as our control group and why?
  • How did the three piles of rocks differ and why?
  • How did our experiment show what happens to rocks and stones through the water erosion process?

8) Students will then be taken outside to look for signs of weathering on native rocks and erosion of the school grounds. This hands-on activity will act as an assessment.

Assessment:

Students will be assessed according their participation in the experiment and the group discussions. Students will be assessed according to their ability to identify and explain at least one way weathering and erosion changes the Earth’s surface.

Alternative assessments may be given to students who would be better served explaining through a drawing, by modeling using rocks or through a short written retelling.

Extension(s):

1) An acid such as vinegar or lemon juice could be used to show chemical erosion.

2) Students could fill a plastic Easter egg with water, close it, then freeze it. Students can see the ice crack the egg. This shows the freeze and thaw cycle.

Moh’s Scale of Hardness Lesson Plan

by on April 23, 2010 in Fifth Grade, Fourth Grade, Lesson Plans, Science

Goal(s): This lesson will teach students how to use the Moh’s Scale of Mineral Hardness to determine the hardness of various minerals.

Grade level(s): 4-5

Objective(s):

Students will be able to use the Moh’s Scale of Mineral Hardness to determine the hardness of various minerals.

Prerequisite(s): Knowledge of what a mineral is.

Standard(s): Earth, Space, and Science (3-5) 2. Identify the physical properties of minerals (hardness, color, luster, cleavage, and streak), and explain how minerals can be tested for these different physical properties.

Time Allotment: 1 class period

Focusing Question(s):

What do the numbers mean on the scale?

Material(s): (1 per pair of students)

minerals from previous lesson

wet rag

penny

dull butter knife

steel file

small piece of porcelain (with edges taped for protection)

Vocabulary: Mineralogist, Mohs Scale of Hardness

Procedure:

1) Students will be seated with their science buddy and told the objective. Students will be asked to recall the previous lesson on how to identify a mineral. Students will be asked to state some of the characteristics we look for when we are trying to identify a mineral. Students will be asked to recall that there is a sixth way to identify a mineral. Students will be given a brief history with visuals on the German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs and the Moh’s Scale of Mineral Hardness.

2) Students will be provided with the same group of minerals from the previous lesson. Students will be asked to recall that in the previous lesson, we talked about how we would be able to tell which of our rocks were the hardest. Students will be told that they will use some of those ways to actually test the hardness of their rocks. Students will be asked to develop a hypothesis that states which rock in their collection is going to be the hardest and why. Students will be given instruction on how to begin testing their hypothesis.

3) Students will be given 10-15 minutes to place their rocks in order from softest to hardest. Students will be asked to provide reasoning for their ordering as they work. Students will have the opportunity to walk around the room to investigate how each group of minerals were ordered by other students.

4) Each pair of students will then receive a set of supplies for testing, written directions paired with visuals, and a Moh’s Scale identification chart. Students that may have fine motor impairments will receive individualized assistance. ELL students and those that have difficulty comprehending written directions will receive an adapted version of the written instructions as well as verbal instruction. The chart and its numbers will be explained. Safety precautions will be reviewed. Students will be told that as they test each rock, they are to place the rock on the number that matches the tool marked by the rock. Each rock should then be cleaned with the wet rag to remove any small particles that may be hiding in the mark. A brief demonstration will be given on an overhead projector.

5) Students will be given 30 minutes to test their rocks. The class will then gather for whole group discussion to talk about their findings. The focusing questions will lead the discussion. The students will be asked:

 

a) Were you able to test your hypothesis? What were your conclusions?

b) Do you think your rock is really a mineral? How do you know it is?

c) Did you find out the name of your mineral? How do you know this?

e) What did the numbers on the scale help you do in this experiment?

f) Why did we not have na minerals in the class to test number 10 on the scale?

g) Where would chalk fall on the scale?

Assessment:

Students will be assessed according tho their participation in the experiment and the group discussions.

Students will be assessed according to their ability to use the Moh’s Scale of Mineral Hardness to determine the hardness of various minerals.

Extension(s):

1) Students could gather rocks from home or from the school grounds to test.

2) As a science center, students could participate in an on-going investigation of classifying rocks and minerals.

Minerals Lesson Plan

by on April 20, 2010 in Fifth Grade, Fourth Grade, Lesson Plans, Science, Special Education

Goal(s): Students will make the connection between rocks and minerals and commonly used items.

Grade level(s): 4-5

Objective(s):

Students will be able to state what a mineral is.

Students will be able to explain at least two reasons why minerals are important to daily life.

Prerequisites: Knowledge of what a rock is and what makes up a rock.

Focusing Question(s):

Are all rocks made up of minerals?

What are some examples of minerals?

What are some ways we use minerals?

Why are minerals important to daily life?

Time Allotment: 2 class periods

Materials:

chicken bones, a drill bit, a filled saltshaker, a light bulb, a can of white paint, a container of bath powder, a glass, a piece of chalk, and a roll of film (all items in 1 box for a total of four boxes)

chart paper with marker

research materials and computers (1 computer per student, set of encyclopedias)

graphic organizers (available for each student)

list of guiding questions (written on board)

index cards with one of the following minerals written on each: diamond, halite, quartz, silver, chalk, titanium, and tungsten (3 of each)

Vocabulary: Mineral, diamond, halite, quartz, silver, chalk, titanium, and tungsten

Anticipatory Set:

A group of items will be passed around the classroom for the children to explore (a few small chicken bones, a drill bit, a filled saltshaker, a light bulb, a can of white paint, a container of bath powder, a glass, a piece of chalk, and a roll of film). Students will be asked to recall what they have learned about rocks. Next, they will be asked to open their science journals and record their observations of the items and what they think they all have in common.  Students will be asked to recall what element makes up rocks (by forming in the gaps, cavities, and fractures within rocks where crystals have been unobstructed during their growth). The students will be further introduced to the term “mineral”.

Direct Instruction/Guided Practice:

Students will be told that nearly all rocks are composed of minerals. Rocks can be formed from a combination of several different minerals or a single mineral can make up the bulk of a rock. For example, limestone (or marble) is mainly composed of the mineral calcite. Minerals are important because they provide the elements essential to life, the metals of industry and the materials for building. Another example is the calcium and phosphorus in bones and the iron in blood. They are made available to the body through plants which extract these elements from minerals in the soil. Labeled visuals will be provided.

As a group, categorize the items that were passed around the room according to their ability to provide: A) Elements essential to life B) Convenience items C) Metals of industry D) Materials for building. The categories will be defined to ensure understanding of them. Answers will be written on a pre-made table/chart on the board. Students will also be given a paper form of the table to complete at their desks. ELL’s and students that need accommodations with written language will be given an adapted worksheet that includes visuals. Throughout the discussion, students will be told what minerals make up the items being sorted. For example, ore minerals provide metal for the drill bit and household appliances, gypsum is used to make plasterboard and paint, chalk is a form of limestone made up of the mineral calcite, etc.

Independent Practice:

Students will be given an index card with one of the following minerals written on it: diamond, halite, quartz, silver, chalk, titanium, and tungsten. Students will use informational resources and the internet to research their mineral to find its common uses (at least two). Students will use a copy of the graphic organizer used in the whole group activity to gather their information. Once their research is complete, they will use a computer and their graphic organizer to type a summary of their mineral and its common uses. Students that have difficulty typing will write their summary or be paired with a buddy that they can dictate to. A list of “Guiding Questions” will also be made available (as needed) to assist students in organizing their information and in finding relevant information when conducting their research.

Closure:

Before students begin their independent research, reiterate the “Big Ideas” from the lesson. Revisit the “Focusing Questions” to help students solidify and generalize the information given. Allow students the remaining class time (30 minutes) to complete their research/summaries. Devote the next science block to completing the summaries and have each student present what their findings were. At that time, revisit the “Focusing Questions” again, while putting emphasis on how minerals are used to create many of our modern conveniences.

Assessment:

Students will be assessed according to their  ability to:

1. Participate in the group discussions.
2. Define what a mineral is.
3. Explain at least two reasons why minerals are important to daily life.

Alternative assessments may be given to students who would be better served explaining through a short verbal retelling or labeled drawing.

Extensions(s):

1) Students can take a copy of the Minerals Table home to find common household items and the minerals they contain.

2) Students could research to see what items (if any) contain more than one of the minerals from the list given in class (e.g. Is there an item that contains both chalk and titanium?).