Earth
/ Space Science Kit Resources
Rocks
and Minerals: Tips for Teachers
The following Tips for Teachers were generated to better serve
the Elementary teacher s of the Vancouver School District.
If you have any of your own Tips, please send them to me (Kris
Skrutvold at the following email address: kskrutvo@vansd.org)
and I will post them on the Kit Resources web-site. (Currently
being developed)
Kit Needs and Concerns
Classification lesson
Get rock samples that have obvious differences
Get big rocks
Numbers on rocks can fall off easily
May need to further explain 3 rock types
Minerals and Rocks ID lessons
More white tiles for streak test. They get dirty quickly
Minerals properties need to be more evident to the students
Add magnetism to the cards of Identifying properties
Break down light to translucent, transparency and opaque
Include actual photos of minerals from field guides
Computer program for mineral identity
Lesson 1-3
Have a hand held microscope.
Lesson 4
Have a geologist share personal experiences with rock testing
and
differences between rocks and minerals.
Video of a volcano erupting to show movement and pressure
changes.
Lesson 6-12
Compasses for magnetism.
Use internet to access the Discovery website.
Kit Modifications
Lesson 1: Sharing what we know about rocks
Record each groups classification of several rocks on the
board.
Point out what characteristics caused them to
be in different groups. Ask..Is there a standard way?
Have students bring in some rocks from home.
Lesson 2: Observing rocks: How are they the same and different?
Lesson 3: Learning more about rocks
Rock Cycle--Use graphic organizer: circle diagram
Lesson 4: Discovering minerals
Use a dichotomous key to sort rocks by properties and identify.
Lesson 5: Sharing what we know about minerals
Use cookies/ingredients as an analogy for rocks/minerals as
as
engagement tool.
Talk about how minerals get into our food through absorption
of
water from the soil, and by plants which we eat or the animals
that
we use as food
Lesson 6: Observing minerals: How are they the same and different?
Concrete examples, such as melting rock candy
Do 6 minerals one day and 6 minerals the next
Lesson 7: Describing the color of minerals
Have students find out their birthstone and determine if it
is a
mineral.
Have a jeweler come in and talk to the class.
Visit a quarry.
Lesson 8: Shining a light on the minerals
Lesson 9: Exploring the luster of minerals
Lesson 10: Exploring the hardness of minerals
Do hardness and magnetic test together
Smells: Sulfur, gypsum (smells like firecracker)
Lesson 11: Testing the minerals with a magnet
Lesson 12: Describing the shape of minerals
Lesson 13: Comparing samples of the same mineral
Lesson 14: Identifying the minerals
Lesson 15: Exploring new minerals
Lesson 16: How are rocks and minerals used?
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