1. Identifying Minerals
Chapter 3 Lesson 1

2. Big Ideas
The properties of rocks and minerals reflect the processes that formed them.
How to identify common rock-forming minerals (including quartz, calcite, feldspar, mica, and hornblende) and ore minerals using a table of diagnostic properties.
Be sure that you have taught what a mineral is and how they are identified especially through the use of the mohs' hardness scale.

3. Here’s the story... What do we need to investigate?
Glen and Lindy are both learning about minerals at school. Lindy tells Glen
that only scientists can identify the type of mineral a sample is. Glen tells Lindy that
she is wrong. He tells her that he can identify minerals by their hardness.
What do we need to investigate?

4. Key Vocabulary
Minerals - natural, nonliving substances that make up rocks.
Mohs' hardness scale - shows the hardness of a few common minerals.
Have students record in notebooks.
Hardness - a property that refers to a mineral’s ability to scratch or be scratched by another mineral.

5. Focus Question: How can hardness be used to identify minerals?
Guide the class into creating their own focus question before you show our sample. Have students record in notebook.

6. Prediction:
I think that we (will or will not) be able to identify the different minerals because......
Have students work with partner to complete prediction stem. Have students record in science notebook.

7. Kit Inventory: Finger nail Mineral samples Penny Iron nail
Have students record in science notebook.
Iron nail

8. Plan:
Step 1:Take sample one and scratch it with your fingernail, a penny, and an iron nail. Record your observations.
Step 2: Use Mohs' hardness table on page 144 and the identification table on page 145 in science book to name the mineral.
Step 3: Repeat steps one and two with the other samples.
Have students discuss and create plan with groups. Record plan in student noteBook.

9. Gathering Information and Data:
Sample
scratched with fingernail
Scratched with penny
Scratched with an iron nail
Mohs' Hardness Scale
Mineral Name 1 2 3
Have students discuss and create information chart with groups. Record plan in student noteBook.
you may want to have individual groups test one factor such as scratched with a fingernail and gather the data into a smaller chart. After all the groups are done, compile the data into the large chart on slide 9.

10. Claims and Evidence Claims Evidence I claim that.... because...
1. Sample one is ________________ 1
2. Sample two is ________________ 2.
3. Sample three is _______________ 3.
Have students discuss and create claims with groups. Record claims in student noteBook.

11. Claims and Evidence Statements:
I claim that sample one is ____________ because ________________________.
(You must have three claim statements.)
Record claims as complete sentences in student noteBook.

12. Conclusion: OR OR In conclusion.... Today I learned....
Have students work with partners to develope a conclusion.Record conclusions in complete sentences in notebook. OR
The evidence showed that

13. Reflection
What really surprised me about the investigation was.... OR
I wonder if....
Have students work as pairs to discuss their reflections.Record reflections in student notebooks in complete sentences.
Extension activity: Do this experiment using other ways minerals are identified (luster, cleavage, and streak). OR
I used to think....but now I think... OR
Questions I have now are....