Mineral Identification

Learning Goals:

1. Students will be able to identify minerals using mineral characteristics and a mineral identification key.
2. Students will need to analyze their data and the data of their group members to come up with the identity of the mineral.
3. Students will need to observe the characteristics of their mineral.

Vocabulary:
Hardness
Streak
Luster
Mineral

Concepts:
- Students will learn how to use a mineral identification chart.
- Students will learn how determine the hardness of their mineral.
- Students will learn how to identify the streak of their mineral.

This activity is designed to be done towards the beginning of a mineral unit. It would be appropriate for middle school 7-9 grade classes. The students should be placed in groups of 3-5 students depending on class size. The activity will take between one and two 50-minute class periods to collect, analyze, and present the data (depending on how many mineral samples you give the groups). This activity would be followed up by instruction about how scientists identify minerals and more practice with students using all of the tests to identify more minerals.

Students will be put into groups of 3-5 students depending on class size. Students will be assigned procedural roles (Facilitator, time keeper, recorder, reporter, materials manager). Students will then be introduced to the challenge and given a task card. Students will have 5 minutes to complete the task on their task card (mineral density, color/streak/luster, general characteristics, and hardness) with the two minerals they have. When five minutes is up students will pass the two minerals to the next group. Each group will examine six minerals total. When the groups have collected data for all six minerals the groups will be split up into new groups. One member from each of the original groups will be put into a new group, so that you have an expert from each of the task groups (mineral density, color/streak/luster, general characteristics, and hardness). The new groups will then be given a mineral identification card and asked to share their data with the new group and try to figure out what one of the minerals at their table is. Students will then share their data with the class and defend why they thought their mineral was what they thought it was. We will close by talking about how scientists identify minerals. Students in a later lesson will then practice the techniques scientists use and see if they did identify the minerals correctly.

Materials:
Density Group—graduated cylinders, balance/scale, water
Hardness Group—penny, nail, glass plate
Color/Streak/Luster—streak plate
2 minerals for each group
Mineral identification books or cards

Task Card: General Characteristics (Microsoft Word 36kB Sep25 07) Task Card: Density (Microsoft Word 38kB Sep25 07) Task Card: Color (Microsoft Word 38kB Sep25 07) Task Card: Hardness (Microsoft Word 38kB Sep25 07) Task Card: Analysis (Microsoft Word 36kB Sep25 07)

It is important that students know how to calculate density before doing this lab (they should at least have an idea of what density is). Since the densities of many minerals are very similar, students may have difficulties identifying the mineral if their density is off because of the inaccuracy of the tools they measured with. In the past I have always introduced how to identify minerals and then students went and practiced the steps that I told them to do. In this activity students are figuring out how to use the mineral identification tools on their own and how to use an identification chart to identify minerals.

Students will record their findings in their lab notebooks. I will view these as students are working on the lab and note any students that may be struggling. I will also be able to pick out struggling students during the group presentations.

8.III.A.6 -- Classify and identify rocks and minerals
8.I.B.1 -- Scientific Inquiry and observations and reasoning