Curated OER
Cave Mentality
Students identify and define vocabulary associated with caves and rock formations. They construct a cave out of paper and fill it with a geode they crerate. Students write and present orally reports about caves and their importance to...
Curated OER
Geology: Rock Hounds
Second graders read Byrd Baylor's book, Everybody Needs a Rock. In small groups, they examine rocks and list their characteristics. After writing down the descriptions on cards, the rocks are pooled together. Students then use the...
Curated OER
Polymers and Crystals
Students experiment with crystals and polymers and examine their roles in food science.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Project Ideas: Crazy Crystal Creations: Grow Crystals
Compare the size and shape of crystals grown in different temperature conditions in this science fair project. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and introduction, followed by...
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Education: Minerals, Crystals, and Gems
Through this series of three lessons, students will gain an understanding of the basics of mineral science. In their investigation they will also work through the scientific process as they practice their observation skills, form...
University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh: X Ray Crystallography Lab
This is the University of Pittsburgh crystallography departments home page. The site has links to programs, facilities, research, etc.
Chem4kids
Chem4 Kids: Solids
Chem4Kids provides an overview of the solid state of matter that explores the characteristics of solids as well as how matter in other states becomes a solid.
Other
International Union of Crystallography
This site has links to journals, databases, research, commissions, etc. on the subject of Crystallography.
Amethyst Galleries
Amythest Galleries: Bismuth
This resource provides information about bismuth, bismuth ores and their crystals.
Nobel Media AB
The Nobel Prize: Liquid Crystals History and Properties of Liquid Crystals
This site provides in-depth information on the history and invention of liquid crystals including biographical information on Pierre-Gilles de Gennes. Diagrams and pictures are also provided.
American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History: Grow Rock Candy
Students can carry out an investigation using sugar and water to determine whether heating or cooling a substance may cause changes that can be observed. This activity reinforces the ideas that the properties of materials can change when...
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
The Math Forum: Crystals: Crystallography & Systems
This is an exploration of polyhedron and may be used as a lesson plan. The site contains links to various crystals that are formed as polyhedron, and links to creating your own paper polyhedron. Other exciting related links on polyhedral...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Aging Diamonds?
In this video from Nature, geological detectives use ancient diamonds to learn more about Earth's inner layers. [1:42]
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Making Your Own Snowflake in a Jar
In this activity, students will learn about supersaturated solutions. They will observe the beginning formation of crystals as the solution cools and by the next day, the students will see the formation of a snowflake made by the crystals.
Upper Canada District School Board
Tom Stretton's Advanced Placement Chemistry: Liquids and Solids
Take on this self-guided advanced level e-text, and learn about the chemical and physical structure of liquids and solids.
PBS
Magnet Lab: Wafer Maker
Included on a PBS site about transistors, Wafer Maker is an interactive Java applet designed as an educational game. Using the arrow keys as controls, players can attempt to grow layers of crystals at the proper speed and temperature and...
Other
Beautiful Chemistry: The Inner Beauty of Gems
See the internal beauty of crystalline structure of gems in this virtual exhibit.
US Geological Survey
U.s. Geologic Survey: Rocks
What are rocks made of? Where do rocks come from? What is an igneous rock? These are just some of the questions answered by the scientists of the U.S. Geologic Survey.
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Geology: Crystals: Lesson 2
This lesson will present how to identify and classify crystals. It is 2 of 3 in the series titled "Geology: Crystals."
Scientific American
Scientific American Slideshow: No Two Alike: Snowflake Photography
See a variety of beautiful snowflake images demonstrating how each one is different in this slideshow from Scientific American.
Amethyst Galleries
Amethyst Galleries: Minerals by Name
Use this resource to look up any mineral by name to see its picture along with history, class, uses, related minerals, and physical properties. Just choose from this alphabetically sorted list of minerals.
Cells Alive
Cells Alive!
Animation studio that specializes in medical illustration lets you explore the structure and function of plant cells and animal cells, using videos and interactive graphics with clickable parts that lead to more detail.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
The Math Forum: Polyhedra in the Classroom
Lesson plans for many student activities which introduce the concept of polyhedra into the classroom. Some activities can be accomplished by hand with paper, pencils, and scissors, but the unit works best if the learners can regularly...
PBS
Pbs Kids: Dragonfly Tv Do It: Grow a Crystal
This PBS Kids site teaches students about crystals and includes an activity that shows how to make sparkling gems at home.