Weeks 21-22

Discussion Guide
Science Projects from
Classical Conversations
Foundations Curriculum Guide
Classical Conversations 5th Edition - Cycle 1 Hands-on Science

What are the 5 Core Habits of

Grammar in Science?

Mineral Identification
Foundations Guide Science Project p126
Today we are going to explore how scientists identify different mi-
nearls. We’ll be scientists ourselves and label characteristics we see.
MATERIALS Mineral identification kit provided by director
ACTIVITY Set up stations or booths for each mineral identification
test- varies depending on vendor. Each booth gets specific
minerals to help demonstrate variances for that test. See
your kit’s instructions.
Half the tests can be performed on week 21, and the other
half on week 22. Consider labeling a mineral identification
fill-in sheet (attached).
NAMING Observe minerals and the testing procedures to
Learning how to identify them.
Identify & Look at the minerals in station/booth 1. Read a description
Categorize about that station’s mineral test. Test it yourselves and
see what results you get for those minerals. Compare your
results to the results on the kit’s answer sheet. Discuss or
write down your own results on your fill-in sheet. Repeat the
procedure at each station/booth.
ATTENDING What have you already learned?
Observing with What are minerals?
your senses Where do miners find minerals? And why?
N.A.M.E.S- Foundations Guide p18-19:
When science is more activity than experi-
ment, we focus on our skills of observation
rather than the scientific method.
Naming- Name things you observe and their
parts. Reflect on categories they belong to.
Attending- Look and listen closely.
Use what you can of your 5 senses to obser-
ve and compare things.
Memorizing- Soak up new facts and how
things relate. Recall things you’ve already
memorized on the topic, connecting facts
and expanding on them.
Expressing- Express new ideas creatively and
in different forms. Recite, sing, or dance to
them. Draw and explain them in a science
journal.
Storytelling- Make time to enjoy reading
and hearing more good stories on the topic.
Retell and narrate back what you remember,
or add this to your science journal too.
Memorizing: Relating this to Cy-
cle 1 Biology and Earth Science
Minerals are found in all the rocks
on Earth, whether sedimentary,
metamorphic, or igneous (wk 14).
Minerals are an important part of the
ground beneath our feet (wk 13), and
a big part of what geologists study in
Earth science.

EXPRESSING Talk about what you see or fill in your own observations on the mineral identification fill-in
Science sheet.
Journaling We learned before that there are more than 3,500 known minerals- like gold, silver, copper, graphite,
chalk, diamonds, rubies, quartz, calcium, iron, zinc, salt and tons more. What are minerals? They are
Discussing just chemicals from our Earth and soil that join together and form a solid, crystallized shape. Scien-
tists like geologists and gemololgists need to identify which mineral is which, and they can do that
in many different ways. Do you remember doing a streak test? We learned how useful a test this is,
because even if a stone comes in since a mineral will always have the same color streak even if it co-
mes in different mineral comes in different colors, it will always have the same color streak. Sapphires
can be found in blue, pink, purple, yellow, green, orange, black and clear. But all sapphires have the
same white color streak! We’ll test other physical characteristics scientists use to identify different
minerals today. We can test by noting the outside color we see, the shape of the mineral, the luster
or shine it has, the transparency or how much you can see through it, and even the hardness. Dis-
cuss what you observe about each mineral as you go through its mineral identification test.
Donate: ShowMeTheNotes.com~NicoleLiemYang@gmail.com~CC Connected: NicoleLiem
 Classical Conversations 5th Ed. - Cycle 1 Hands-on Science

Mineral Identification
Classical Conversations 5th Edition - Cycle 1 Hands-on Science
Weeks 21-22 Definition Sheet
These are the most common Mineral Identification Tests to demonstrate.
Consider filling in your observations on the attached chart.

MINERAL COLOR = What is the color of this mineral when you look at it? Note: a single mineral can come in different colors,
It is... orange red-brown white or have more than one color on it. Describe your
black grey yellow sample’s color as best you can.

STREAK COLOR = What is the color of this mineral in powderized/crushed form? Scratch it against an unglazed white or
Its streak is... White Reddish No streak black porcelain tile to find its streak color.
Yellow to brown Purplish-brown

TRANSPARENCY = How does this mineral allow light to pass through? (It can be in-between)
It is... Opaque- no light gets through
Transluscent- some light passes through, but can’t see through it clearly
Transparent- you can see clearly through it

LUSTER = How does this mineral reflect light?

It is... Glassy- reflects like a piece of glass or window
Metallic- reflects like a piece of metal
Dull- does not reflect light well
Pearly
Waxy

SHAPE/FORM/HABIT = How does this mineral look when it’s in a solid/crystalline form?
It is... Granular- you can see grains
Massive- looks like one solid homogenous material, not grainy
Crystalline- looks like a crystal
Rosette- looks like a rose or flower bud
Bladed- looks like flat crystal blades
Tabular- looks like flat crystal blades, but wider than bladed. More like a tablet.

HARDNESS = Can this mineral be scratched by certain materials? Hardness is rated from:
I think it is... 1 MOHS (Talc) 7 MOHS (Quartz) 1 MOHS (soft and easy to scratch) to 9 MOHS.
2 MOHS (Gypsum) 9 MOHS (Corundum/Sapphire) The higher the number, the harder the mineral.
You can perform scratch tests with pennies and nails.
4 MOHS (Fluorite) 10 MOHS (Diamond)
BREAKAGE = Does this mineral break along a flat surface (cleavage) or in a crumbling way (fracture)?
It breaks via... Cleavage- breaks along a flat surface or parallel lines
Fracture- breaks in a crumbling or chaotic way
And More:
REACTIONS = What type of reaction does this mineral have to another chemical, like an acid or vinegar?
ODOR = Does this mineral have a specific smell?
MAGNETISM = Does this mineral attract metals like a magnet?
HEAT = How does this mineral react to heat?

Keep an eye out for Cycle 2’s Chemistry, as the “Properties” list goes on! Elasticity, Conductivity, Solubility, Freezing point, Melting point....

At Home Ideas: Look at gem books, rocks and jewelry at home, or visit a mineral exhibit at a natural history museum.
Do your own color, shape, luster and transparency tests on rocks and minerals at home.
Donate: ShowMeTheNotes.com~NicoleLiemYang@gmail.com~CC Connected: NicoleLiem
I love keeping these notes free for those who need it. If you’ve enjoyed them, please consider a donation on ShowMeTheNotes.com.
I hope they’ve made your 24 weeks a little easier!
 Classical Conversations 5th Ed. - Cycle 1 Hands-on Science

Mineral Identification
Classical Conversations 5th Edition - Cycle 1 Hands-on Science
Week 21-22 Mineral Identification Fill-in Sheet

Optional Tests: mineral color, streak color, transparency, luster, shape, hardness, breakage, reactions, odor, magnetism...
Mineral Test: Test: Test: Test: Test:
Identification
Mineral:

Mineral:

Mineral:

Mineral:

Mineral:

Mineral:

Mineral:

Mineral:

Mineral:

Mineral:

Mineral:

Mineral:

Mineral:

At Home Ideas: Look at gem books, rocks and jewelry at home, or visit a mineral exhibit at a natural history museum.
Do your own color, shape, luster and transparency tests on rocks and minerals at home.
Donate: ShowMeTheNotes.com~NicoleLiemYang@gmail.com~CC Connected: NicoleLiem
I love keeping these notes free for those who need it. If you’ve enjoyed them, please consider a donation on ShowMeTheNotes.com.
I hope they’ve made your 24 weeks a little easier!