Teaching Activities

Introduction to Mineral Identification part of Geoscience in Two-year Colleges:Activities
Suki Smaglik, Laramie County Community College
The exercise uses an inquiry-based approached to overcome the fear of tackling mineral identification. Few instructions are given and students discover for themselves how to approach identification.

Grade Level: College Lower (13-14), College Introductory
Resource Type: Activities: Activities, Lab Activity, Classroom Activity
Subject: Geoscience:Geology:Mineralogy
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary

Observational Skills in a Simple Crystal Growing Experiment part of Geoscience in Two-year Colleges:Activities
Richard Gottfried, Frederick Community College
Students grow crystals and identify the crystal system by observing their basic geometric form. Students all research crytallization processes.

Grade Level: College Lower (13-14)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Classroom Activity, Lab Activity, Activities
Subject: Geoscience:Geology:Mineralogy:Crystallography
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary

Mineral Properties -- Learning through Experience part of Geoscience in Two-year Colleges:Activities
Katryn Wiese, City College of San Francisco
Students are each given a mineral and asked to locate all other students in the room with the same mineral (knowing there are a total of 5 different minerals). Once groups form, they need to decide what characteristics are similar for all their samples and ultimately report out to the whole class on their observations.

Grade Level: College Lower (13-14)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Classroom Activity, Activities
Subject: Geoscience:Geology:Mineralogy
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary