1. Part One: Grade 5 Essential Lab # 12 Physical Properties of Minerals Part Two: Identification of the Three Types of Rocks: Sedimentary, Igneous, Metamorphic
Mary Tweedy, Curriculum Support Specialist
Division of Mathematics and Science

2. Essential Lab # 12 Benchmarks
SC.4.E.6.2 Identify the physical properties of common earth-forming minerals, including hardness, color, luster, cleavage, and streak color, and recognize the role of minerals in the formation of rocks
SC.4.N.1.1 Raise questions about the natural world, use appropriate reference materials that support understanding to obtain information (identifying the source), conduct both individual and team investigations through free exploration and systematic investigations, and generate appropriate explanations based on those explorations.
SC.4.N.1.2 Compare the observations made by different groups using multiple tools and seek reasons to explain the differences across groups.
SC.4.N.1.6 Keep records that describe observations made, carefully distinguishing actual observations from ideas and inferences about the observations.
LACC.5.SL.1.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

3. Engage
Minerals and You
Every solid material made from nature that’s neither plant or animal--not a living thing is a mineral or made from minerals. Minerals touch our lives in hundreds of ways each day. Life as we know it would not exist without them. What are some minerals that touch your lives? What are minerals?
Engage - Display some minerals and say: You wake up in the morning and turn on a light. You wash your face, brush your teeth, and get dressed. You turn on the TV and eat breakfast – a bowl of cereal, a glass of juice, or maybe toast and an egg. You gather your book bag and head out the door—ready to start the day. And almost everything you’ve done so far– and everything you’ll do for the rest of the day—would be impossible without minerals. Click on hyperlink: Minerals and You and or see optional handout: The Importance of Minerals in our Lives for more information. Ask: What are some minerals that touch your lives? Students record responses in their notebook/journal. Ask so what are minerals? That’s right: solid material made from nature that’s neither plant or animal--not a living thing is a mineral or made from minerals. Students write in their or notebook.
Let’s look at some mineral resources to see what else we can learn. Go to the next slide.

4. What is a Mineral? http://library.thinkquest.org/J002289/index.html
A solid material that is formed by nature in or on Earth’s crust
A material that has a crystal form
A material that is not formed by a living thing
A material that has its own set of properties: (Discovery)
How are minerals identified? (free BrainPop)
color streak color hardness
luster cleavage
Minerals by Name
Explore and Explain: Show samples of minerals. Ask students, what are minerals?(previous slide) Listen to ideas. Have students watch the video that is hyperlinked (What is a Mineral? ) and also look at SF textbook p. 282 and find the definition. Have a volunteer read it. A mineral is defined as a naturally occurring solid that has regular arrangement of particles in it. What does this mean? Let’s find out what information is given on the online site at: Go to the Table of Contents, select What is a Mineral? Click Go. Review the site with students and have them define mineral in their journals. If available, read ScienceSaurus handbook pp to learn how scientists define minerals. Student take notes and define a mineral. Then ask students to give you properties that all minerals have. You can also have students read in their SF gr. 5 book pp , lesson 5: How are minerals identified? (If you have Discovery click on A material that has its own set of properties and/or play How are minerals identified? (free BrainPop). Then ask what are the properties that scientists use to identify one mineral from another?
Have students list them in their notebook. (color, streak color, hardness, luster, cleavage)
optional: view Minerals by Name

5. Lab # 12 Physical Properties of Minerals
Mineral Detective
Essential Question:
How are minerals identified?
Materials:
Mineral specimens hand lens
penny (1982 or older) streak plate paperclip (steel blade) magnet
Explore: A head of time go over the Procedures for the Teacher from Essential Lab # 12:
Display the collection of minerals again. Ask how can we find out the identity of these mystery minerals? Say let’s take a look at another site called Mineral Detective (click above detective clip art) at . Discuss what they learned.
Pass out the following materials listed above and the lab sheet. Do steps 5 & 6 from Procedures for the Teacher. Go to the next slide and go over student procedures on the lab sheet.

6. Procedures
Read the Mystery Mineral Worksheet. Look carefully at each property and its descriptions at the top of worksheet.
Choose a mineral to observe and record its identification # on the worksheet.
Observe and perform the physical property tests and record the results.
Repeat for each different mystery mineral.
Share and discuss mineral property observations within your group.
Use the Mineral Identification to compare observation results with the Mineral Identification Key to determine the real identity of the minerals.
Record each mineral’s identity in column one.
Share mineral identification results with your group and the whole class.
Explore Lab continued: Read over the procedures with the students. If you have not gone over how to use the identification tools, do it now and also go over the Mineral Identification Keys.

7. Explain/Evaluate:
DATA: After group discussions come back to this page and have volunteers share out the identification results.

8. Mineral Identification Keys:
Additional Mineral Identification Keys:
Grade 5 Scott Foresman p. 284
Explain: Students use keys to help with the identification of their mystery minerals.

9. Group Discussion
Beginning with the shortest person in your group, take turns going around the table in a clockwise direction sharing the identity of one of the minerals identified.
Do you all agree on its identity? How do your observations (evidence) compare with the others in the group?
Continue until all minerals have been shared. Then answer the following:
Which was your easiest mineral to identify? Why? Your hardest? Why? Share within your group.
After group discussions come back to previous slide and have volunteers share out the identification results.

10. Evaluate Name and explain three of the mineral properties
you observed?
2. Why do you think color may not be the best way
to identify minerals?
How did the hand lens help with observing
properties of the minerals?
4. What was the most difficult mineral to identify?
Why?
Evaluation

11. Minerals Review
Rocks are made of _____, which are natural, nonliving solid crystals.
The way a mineral’s surface reflects light is called its __________.
The way a mineral can tend to break along lines or smooth surfaces when hit sharply is its ___________.
_________ is the color of a
mineral when it is powdered. It
is often different from the color of
the whole mineral.
The measure of the mineral’s
resistance to scratching is its _______.
Cleavage
Hardness
C. Luster
D. Minerals
E. Streak Color
Evaluate: Students match up the use of a vocabulary word with the sentence that uses it correctly.

12. Sample FCAT 2.0 Question Eddy is trying to identify a mineral by
observing its luster. This means that he is
doing which of the following?
A. observing the way the mineral reflects light
B. scratching the mineral with other objects or
minerals
C. examining the color the mineral makes when
rubbed across porcelain
D. feeling the mineral to determine if it is rough,
smooth, greasy, or glassy SC.4.E.6.2
Evaluation

13. Sample FCAT 2.0 Question
2.Tanya is trying to identify an unknown mineral. To identify the mineral, Tanya breaks it and observes the planes and patterns formed along the break. Which property of minerals is Tanya testing? A. cleavage B. hardness C. luster D. texture SC.4.E.6.2
Evaluation

14. Sample FCAT 2.0 Question
3. Samantha is identifying different minerals she found on vacation. Which property of the minerals will Samantha be LEAST able to determine by using only her eyes? A. color B. hardness C. luster D. texture SC.4.E.6.2
Evaluation

15. Extension
Gizmo Activity:
Mineral Identification
Extension

16. Benchmark SC.4.E.6.2 also assesses SC.4.E.6.1
SC.4.E.6.1 Identify the three categories of rocks: igneous, (formed from molten rock); sedimentary (pieces of other rocks and fossilized organisms); and metamorphic (formed from heat and pressure.
Content Limits and Clarifications
Students will identify and/or describe the physical properties of common minerals.
Students will describe and/or explain the role of minerals in the formation of rocks.
Students will identify the three categories of rocks and how they were formed.
Items will not assess the identification of a specific mineral based on its properties.
Items addressing common minerals are limited to quartz, feldspar, mica, calcite, talc, pyrite, and graphite.
Items will not require the identification of specific mineral composition of any type of rock.
Items will not require knowledge of Moh’s hardness scale.
Items will not assess the rock cycle.
For the teacher

17. Part Two: Identification of the Three Types of Rocks Essential Question: What are Rocks?
Solid earth material
Make up the crust of the Earth
Mixture of one or more minerals
Range in size from giant mountains to grains of sand
Can be smooth or rough, shiny or dull, one color or many colors
More about Rocks from Discovery
Engage and explore: distribute a collections of rocks to each group First click on the hyperlink What are Rocks ( print selection) for a discussion. Click on Rocks are for more info. If you have Discovery click on link.
Have students define a rock and name the three main types. Use the Grade 4 AIMS Earth Book, booklet Rock Types for reading, note-taking and discussion.
Explore: Pass out samples of rocks that are from the 3 types for students to observe. AIMS gr. 4 Earth Science has several lessons on identifying rocks. Students could choose a rock one per student in a group to observe, measure and identify its type and record in their journals. Students can place the rocks in a group and have members read their descriptions and see who can identify the designated rock. Two rocks can be compared using a VENN diagram. Rocks can be classified by size, luster, hardness, volume, etc.
Explain: Each of the three types are hyperlinked and you can click on them to learn more. The next slides also provide more information on each type.

18. Essential Question: What are the Three main types of rocks?
Sedimentary Rock
Igneous Rock
3. Metamorphic Rock
Engage/Explore/Explain: Ask the essential question and listen to responses. Then click on Three main types to watch a free BrainPop link . Have students name them and list them in their notebook. If you have Discovery click on the rock types:
1. Sedimentary Rock
2. Igneous Rock
3. Metamorphic Rock
Rock Type Photographs and more:

19. Sedimentary Rocks
Form when layers of rock particles get pressed together at or near Earth's surface
Nickname = “Layered” rocks
May contain fossils
Common near bodies of water or where water existed in the past
Characteristics: Layers Loosely compacted
Distinct particles Dull Light Colored
Light weight
Explore and explain: Open hyperlink: Sedimentary Rocks and read, explore and discuss. Have sample of sedimentary (limestone – schoolyard /home backyard) rocks. I
Students take notes on main characteristics.
Extend: Gr. 4 AIMS activity: Settling on Sediments
Log in to
Gr. 5 Take in to the Net. Go to Games and click on Earth Science Unit, chapter 9 Active Art for Sedimentary Rock Formation animation. If not registered, click on the register button.
Enter the access code SFSCAL07FLEN05T and your school’s zip code.
ASK: What type of rocks do we find in Miami and South Florida? (sedimentary - limestone) How do you know? ( some answers: limestone rocks contain fossils of ocean life from when south Florida was covered by water. Limestone is mined here for making of cement.)
Evaluate: What do we call the breaking down of rock that creates sediment? That’s right- weathering.
Let’s look at some types of physical weathering. Go to the next slide.
See for photographs and more.

20. Igneous Rocks Can you identify some others?
Form when magma (hot liquid rock) cools and hardens
Cools very fast = glassy with holes
Cools fast = glassy
Cools slow = small crystals
Cools very slow = large crystals
Nickname= “Fire formed” rocks:
Pumice is a gas-charged igneous rock.
Can you identify some others?
Explore and Explain: Open the two hyperlinks to learn more about igneous rocks. Students identify their main properties or characteristics and take notes.
You can look at specific types through the site and/or actual rocks if available.
Evaluate: Ask them to identify granite (#1) obsidian (#2) and scoria ( #3) from the picture.
See for photographs and more. 2 3 1 5 4
granite scoria obsidian pumice

21. Metamorphic Rocks
Form when underground rocks are changed due to high pressure
Nickname = “Changed” rocks
Common in mountains
Characteristics:
Thick layers Blended colors
Tightly compacted Blurred particles Shiny
Rock Type Photographs and more:
Explore and Explain: Open hyperlink: Metamorphic Rocks and read, explore and discuss. Have sample of metamorphic rocks if available.
Students take notes on main characteristics.
Extend: Gr. 4 AIMS activity: Metamorphic Munchies.
See for photographs and more.

22. How Rocks Formed Song (Sing to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”)
Adapted from
Utah Elem. CORE
Academy 2006
Sedimentary rock Has been formed in layers Often found near water sources With fossils from decayers Then there’s igneous rock Here since Earth was born Molten lava, cooled and hardened That’s how it formed These two types of rocks, Can also be transformed With pressure, heat, and chemicals Metamorphic they’ll become
Engage/Explore Explain:  Sing song. What formation clues for each of the three rock types are identified in the song? Take notes.
Materials: Two Igneous Rocks (obsidian and pumice or scoria*)
Two Sedimentary Rocks (conglomerate and compact limestone or chalk*)
Two Metamorphic Rocks (slate and marble*)
*Suggested rock types
or use photographs from the site
Procedures for Exploration:
Divide class into small groups of six students.
Pass out samples of rocks that include rocks from the 3 types.
Students choose a rock to observe, and identify its properties in their journals.
Students can place the rocks in a group and have members read their descriptions and see who can identify the designated rock.
Students use the dichotomous key placemat sheets to classify their groups rocks into the three types of rocks: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic.
Students explain their classifying reasoning.
Evaluation: Give each group three different rocks from the three different types and have the students identify the group the rocks belong to and give evidence observed as to why.

23. What’s this Rock: Reference Sheet
1. Igneous:
Cools very fast = glassy with holes
Cools fast = glassy
Cools slow = small crystals
Cools very slow = large crystals
2. Sedimentary:
Loosely compacted Layers
Distinct particles Dull
Light Colored Light weight
3. Metamorphic:
Thick layers Tightly compacted
Blended colors Blurred particles
Shiny
Rock Identification Reference Sheet
(Adapted from Utah Elem. CORE Academy 2006)

24. Sample FCAT 2.0 Question
1. Eddy is examining two igneous rocks. He observes that one rock is light-colored and one is dark-colored. Both rocks have very large crystals and are very coarse.
How can two rocks made by the same process be so different in color?
A. They contain different minerals.
They were made at different times.
They were worn down at different rates.
They cooled at different rates.
Evaluate

25. Sample FCAT 2.0 Question
Dr. Gonzalez is searching for recently-formed igneous rocks for her collection. Where would this type of rock most likely be found?
A. in a deep cavern
B. on a sandy beach
near a volcano
at the mouth of a river
Evaluate

26. Sample FCAT 2.0 Question
Metamorphic rocks are formed under great pressure or temperature. Which geologic process would make a metamorphic rock?
the sliding of a valley glacier
the deposition of sand by wind
the movement of Earth's crust
the removal of surface rock by water
Evaluate

27. Sample FCAT 2.0 Question
While hiking in the Everglades, Melissa finds the fossil of clam in a rock. In which type of rock would you most likely find a fossil?
Igneous
Metamorphic
Oceanic
Sedimentary
Evaluate