Hannah Eckley

EDU 300
Lesson Plan - Extended Inquiry
How to Identify Minerals
Objective - Students will be able to define and identify minerals using observations
and by testing. Students will learn about the minerals along with their composition
and their physical properties. Students will test the minerals to find out the
characteristics such as color, hardness, streak, etc.
Content Standards
-Grade Level - 4th Grade
-Strand - Earth and Space Science
-Topic - Earths Surface
Instructional Materials
-Mineral Specimens
-Magnifying lens
-Streak plate
-Nail
Procedure
Engagement Phase:
Concepts:
Minerals are solid substances composed of chemical elements.
They are inorganic, not living or made up of living things, and are aggregates
of different minerals.
Minerals are identified by testing and observing.
Teacher asks: How can I test these mineral specimens to find their color?
Hardness? Streak?
Exploration Phase:
-Students will work in groups of three with 15 different mineral specimens to a group.
-Students will observe the minerals using a magnifying lens and will then try to
match the specimen to the mineral name. The specimen are numbered to find out if
theyre right.
-Students will test for the minerals color by self-observation, they will test for
hardness by the use of the nail, streak plate and penny, and they will also test for the
streak using the streak plate.
Teacher will ask:
-What colors are the minerals?
-What is the streak color?
-What is the hardness on a scale from 1-10?
Explanation Phase:
Concepts:
Each type of mineral has a specific chemical composition and physical
property.

One can identify a metallic mineral based on the color.

Streaks determine the color of a mineral in powder form.
Hardness is measured on a scale of 1-10, talc being a 1 because it is soft and
diamond being a ten because it is hardest.
Teacher can ask how many students matched the minerals to their names correctly.
Elaboration Phase:
Teacher can ask:
What other kind of further studies can be done to test minerals?
What if we tested the minerals with acid?
Gravity is another way to observe minerals, how could we work with that?
E-Learning:
-Online websites to go over in class to better relate to the students
http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/thezone/minerals/define/
http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/thezone/minerals/usage/build.htm
Evaluation Phase:
-After the activity, students will receive a worksheet packet that they will fill in the
answers as a review of what they learned.
-After the teacher goes over the packet and feels the students are prepared enough,
the students will have a short quiz.
Academic Vocabulary:
Minerals
Luster
Streak
Hardness
Fluorescent
Metallic
Inorganic
Aggregates
Opaque
Mineral names: Fluorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Pyrite, Quartz, Calcite, Mica,
Magnetite, Gypsum, Talc, Pyrolusite, Biotite, Graphite, Satin Spar, Selenite