LESSON PLAN FOR MINERAL IDENTIFICATION

Unit- Minerals
Stage 1 Desired Results
Established Goals:
ES.1 The student will plan and conduct investigations in which:
a) volume, area, mass, elapsed time, direction, temperature, pressure,
distance, density, and changes in elevation/depth are calculated
utilizing the most appropriate tools;
c) scales, diagrams, charts, graphs, tables, imagery, models, and
profiles are constructed and interpreted;
ES.2 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the nature of
science and scientific
reasoning and logic. Key concepts include:
b) evidence is required to evaluate hypotheses and explanations;
c) observation and logic are essential for reaching a conclusion;
ES.4 The student will investigate and understand how to identify major
rock-forming and ore
minerals based on physical and chemical properties. Key concepts include
a) hardness, color and streak, luster, cleavage, fracture, and unique
properties;
Understandings: Students will
understand that

Rocks and Minerals are

Essential Questions:

Why is it important to know

the difference in various

classified based on a variety

minerals?

of properties

Based on their properties,

rocks and minerals?

rocks and minerals may have

different uses and monetary

How would you be able to

narrow down what a particular

values

What ways are there to classify

mineral is by testing?

Minerals are classified using

Prerequisite Skills

hardness, color and streak,

Lab safety procedures

luster, cleavage, fracture, and

unique properties
Possible misunderstandings:

Rocks and minerals are the

same
Students will know there should be specific testable objectives
here, in the form of:
Students will know that .

or

Students will be able to ..(based on a lab or activity

component)

Students will know the different ways to identify minerals.

Students will be able to properly perform tests to identify hardness,

chemical reaction, and streak.

Students will be able to compare to a chart to identify rocks in a lab
environment.
Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Formative Assessment:

Summative Assessment:

Assessments typically carried out

Assessments typically used to assign

during the learning unit in which

students a grade.

teacher (or peer) or the learner,

provides feedback on a student's
work, and would not necessarily be
used for grading purposes.

Students will be graded on

accuracy for their
identifications and
justifications in the lab report

First taken during the

discussion of terms

Done during guided practice

to be sure they can do streak
and hardness correctly with a
sample

During the lab while

observing

Stage 3 Learning Plan

Learning Activities: Earth Science Grade 9
Day 1 (90 minutes)
Materials needed:
Rock and mineral samples
Streak plate, penny, nail and HCl for each group
Goggles and gloves for each student
Lab activity print out or digital copy

Bell Work/Hook- Have students open up the virtual tour of the

Smithsonian Natural History Museum on their own devices, or on a
projected screen and have one student exploring the rock, mineral,
and precious stones areas. Discuss ways that the students see how
to tell the rocks and minerals apart. http://www.mnh.si.edu/vtp/1-

desktop/ (15 min)

Open up the powerpoint that describes the different ways that

minerals are classified and how they are tested (30 min)
Guided Practice- Have the students demonstrate they can use the
streak plate and hardness tests together with a known mineral that is

not part of the lab to check for accuracy. (10 min)

Students will start on the activity. They will work in groups but every
student should get the opportunity to test each mineral. Day one
they will start with Color, Luster, Streak and Cleavage. They will put
in guesses as to which mineral is which based on preliminary results

(30min)
Closure/Exit ticket- One student picked at random would need to list
off 6 ways we can classify minerals. A second student would then
have to define the first 3, and a third defines the last three. Other
students can jump in to correct if needed. All three must be done
before they are excused for the day (5 min)

Day 2 (90 min)

Hook- Watch youtube video of mineral song as a refresher of the

properties and how to identify https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-

F0IA21bgmM (5 min)
Review safety precautions when dealing with acids and the nails for
hardness. Students will be expected to wear goggles and gloves for

these tests (5 min)

Have students get out all worksheets (or pull it up online if digital)
that they were using from the previous meeting and have them
complete the lab by doing hardness, heft, and other properties
(magnetic, acid test, crystal shape). They may also be completing
any properties they did not finish in the first class. (50 min). Teacher

will circulate to check on progress and give assistance as needed.

Review results- Ask students which was the hardest to identify and
why. Have other students who believe they got it, help explain their
reasoning for identification. Also see how their guesses from the first

day held up with their final results as a discussion. (10 min)

Begin work on graded lab report to be finished at home and turned in

the next class period (10 min)

Closure Exit survey questions that would be matching as a final
review of the methods. See attached

Activity
Mineral Identification Lab
Introduction: In this lab activity you will become familiar with minerals and
identifying their different properties. This lab will also introduce you to the
deductive process where you will utilize the results of each property test to
identify the name of the mineral from an established key.

Materials:

9 unidentified Minerals

Streak plate

Nail
Hydrochloric acid bottle
Magnet
Penny

Paper Clip
Goggles
Gloves

Procedure:
1

Place your name, date, class period, and bag number on your
answer sheet.

Take all materials out of the bag and place them on your desk.

Go through and test each mineral for their properties. Every

student should test for:

Hardness

Use your fingernail, penny, nail and streak plate to

give your best estimate of the minerals hardness
using Mohs Scale

Color

Write down the color of your mineral

Streak

Rub the mineral on the streak plate and record the

color of the powder left behind. Make a note if it
may be metallic or non- metallic

Cleavage/fracture

Look at how the mineral appears to have broken

from its larger source. Look for one or more flat
surfaces and write down the number. If it is a rough
edge, then mark it as a fracture

Heft

Take the mineral you are trying and compare how

heavy it feels in your hand to the other minerals
you are investigating

Luster

Look at how light interacts with your mineral. Make

a note if it has a shiny or dull appearance

Other Properties

Is it magnetic? Test with the paper clip

Will it react with acid? Put a drop of the HCl solution

on your rock very carefully and see if a reaction
occurs

Describe the crystal shape, what patterns do you

see in how the mineral was formed?

Be sure to record all information in the data table

5 Make notes about your procedure. What things did you find difficult?
What did you have to be careful of? What else would you want to test?
6

After you have tested all 9 minerals for all 6 properties, compare your
test results for each mineral to the established mineral chart. Use this
chart to identify the mineral name. (This would be given at the end of
each class period. It is not included because it would be based on what
minerals are in the set.)

Vocabulary Exit survey

Matching
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)

Cleavage
Luster
Fracture
Streak
Hardness

_____ 1) describes how a mineral breaks into flat surfaces (usually one,
two, three or four surfaces)
_____ 2) describes how a mineral breaks into forms or shapes other than
flat surfaces
_____ 3) describes if one mineral can scratch another one
_____ 4) describes of the way a mineral surface looks when light reflects
off of it
_____ 5) describes the color of the mineral in powder form

References
Mineral Identification. (2013, February 8). Retrieved from Clayton Valley Charter
High School :
http://www.claytonvalley.org/ourpages/auto/2013/2/8/50500168/Lab%20%20Mineral%20identification.doc
Parr. (2013, March 18). Minerals Song. Retrieved from Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F0IA21bgmM
Virginia Department of Education. (2012). STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOL) &
TESTING. Retrieved August 2014, from Virginia Department of Education:
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/index.shtml
Ybarrondo, L. (n.d.). Virtual Tour. Retrieved from Museum of Natural History:
http://www.mnh.si.edu/vtp/1-desktop/