Mineral Rock

Students have a "Mystery Mineral" challenge to correctly identify the minerals in their bag using a magnifying glass and a mineral guide which can be downloaded off the site.  The book Rocks in His Head is a part of the lesson, however not required to perform the lesson. Students will determine types of mystery rocks by discovering their properties.

Weblink address (URL): 
Mineral Rock

Standards & Objectives

Learning objectives: 
  • demonstrate curiosity, initiative and creativity by planning and conducting simple investigations.
  • identify properties of minerals and recognize that rocks are composed of different minerals.
     
Essential and guiding questions: 

How do the physical properties of minerals help us identify them? 
 

Lesson Variations

Blooms taxonomy level: 
Applying
Differentiation suggestions: 
  • By the time this lesson is introduced, I will have assessed learning styles and student behavior and will group accordingly.  Students will work in small groups of 4 people.  I may also group my lower students with higher students for support but I will make sure as I monitor that ALL students are taking ownership and taking part in the investigation.  I will float from group to group as I monitor their discussions and may need to visit certain groups longer for one-on-one support and probing. The positive aspect of this lesson is that it accommodates a variety of learning styles (auditory, visual, tactile/kinesthetic). 
  • Lower level students will not all be grouped together.  Teacher will purposefully place them with higher level students for peer tutoring and support.  High level students may be challenged more by using extensions listed below.
     

Helpful Hints

Materials:
5 sets of materials: (Ziplock bag, Streak plate, glass slate, copper penny, nail, various minerals, magnifying glass) markers, chart paper, children’s book, 20 student journals, pencils, 5 brown paper bags with “mystery minerals” A, B, and C,  Mystery Minerals Guide, Record Sheet, Teacher Observation Checklist, Group Report Rubric
 

References

Contributors: 
Lisa Courson
Originator: 
Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation