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Handout
Other

Scienceviews.com: Minerals and Their Uses

For Students 9th - 10th
Every segment of society uses minerals and mineral resources everyday. The roads we ride or drive on and the buildings we live learn and work in all contain minerals. Below is a selected list of commonly used metallic and nonmetallic...
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Primary
Other

The Buckyball: An Excruciatingly Researched Report

For Students 9th - 10th
A very detailed summary of fullerenes, their discovery, and current uses. Details some current research and potential applications. Details on R. Buckminster Fuller.
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Primary
US National Archives

Nara: A New Chemistry for Carbon

For Students 9th - 10th
This National Archives and Records Administration site describes the discovery of fullerenes, a new allotrope of carbon. The chemical properties of fullerenes, their uses, and possible potential as catalysts or superconductors is mentioned.
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Interactive
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: The Splendor of Diamonds

For Students 9th - 10th
A collection of seven rare diamond types, among the most valuable in the world. All but one is a unique color, and each has a special title. Read a short descriptive history of each diamond.
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Handout
Jewelry Central

Jewelry Central: Gemstones

For Students 9th - 10th
This commercial site contains general information on various synthetic and natural gemstones and provides links to specific gems.
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Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Hard Minerals

For Students 6th
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas and the diamonds visitors can find there. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
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Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Physical Science: Crystalline Carbon

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Discusses different crystalline forms of carbon and their molecular structure.
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Interactive
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: The Splendor of Diamonds

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes past exhibition of some of the finest gems in the world, this collection of precious diamonds includes several rare and valuable stones.
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PPT
Sophia Learning

Sophia: Earth Sciences: Carbon Allotropes: Coal to Buckyballs

For Students 9th - 10th
Created to teach students of the 21st century, SOPHIA is bringing carbon allotropes straight to your fingertips. Become the commander of your own learning experiences with this slideshow.
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Website
Amethyst Galleries

Amethyst Galleries: The Mineral Diamond

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource provides information on diamonds, such as physical characteristics, and physical properties.
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Website
Amethyst Galleries

Amethyst Galleries: Physical Characteristics of Minerals

For Students 9th - 10th
The properties of minerals are defined in this resource, such as color, luster, cleavage, hardness, streak, and more. Included are pictures of minerals along with detailed descriptions. You can also search for minerals by name, class, or...
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Handout
Jewelry Central

Jewelry Central: Diamond

For Students 9th - 10th
Discusses in detail the grading of diamonds, as well as briefly discussing their structure, physical properties, and historical background. Accompanied by clear illustrations.
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Handout
Amethyst Galleries

Native Elements Class: Graphite

For Students 9th - 10th
Description of graphite and its basic properties. Also a comparison to diamond and how they differ.
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Activity
University of Illinois

University of Illinois Extension: Schools Online: Knowing Your World: Natural Resources

For Students 6th - 8th
This brief article emphasizing the importance of renewable and non-renewable resources urges readers to appreciate and not waste the earth's natural resources. Following the article, there is an activity, a "Mineral Search," through...
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Handout
Smithsonian Institution

Encyclopedia Smithsonian: The Hope Diamond

For Students 9th - 10th
Detailed description and history of the Hope Diamond, a large deep-blue diamond housed in the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.
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Handout
Science Struck

Science Struck: How Does Coal Become a Diamond?

For Students 9th - 10th
This article looks at the properties of coal, graphite, and diamonds, all of which are made from carbon, and explains why they are different. The formation of diamonds inside the Earth is described, and the theories around whether or not...
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Unit Plan
BBC

Bbc: Gcse Bitesize: Properties of Materials

For Students 9th - 10th
This lesson focuses on the properties of carbon atoms in diamonds and graphite including their structures and bonding and their properties and uses. It also provides links to a video and an assessment.
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Handout
Science Struck

Science Struck: Well Known Uses of Carbon

For Students 9th - 10th
Discover the wide variety of ways we use carbon as well as its three allotropes that are found in the natural world - graphite, diamonds, and amorphous carbon.
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Handout
Utah State Office of Education

Utah State Office of Education: Identifying and Classifying Minerals

For Students 9th - 10th
This thorough Utah State Office of Education site explains the criteria for identifying minerals and provides pictures of various minerals.
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Unit Plan
BBC

Bbc: Bitesize: Maths: 2 D Shapes

For Students 2nd - 8th Standards
Learn about the properties of 2-D shapes: circles, triangles, polygons, and quadrilaterals. Includes information, video, and examples about each, with games and quizzes for reinforcement.
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Handout
Other

Chemistry 1341 Lecture Notes: Inorganic Carbon Compounds

For Students 9th - 10th
The forms of inorganic carbon are discussed in terms of their hybridization, stability, reactivity, and uses.
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Handout
Burke Museum

Burke Museum: Birthstones: Myths and History

For Students 9th - 10th
As part of the Burke Museum's site on Geology, this page details the birthstones for each month and discusses both the myth and the history behind birthstones.
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Handout
Geometry Help

Geometry Help: Rhombus

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Explains the basic concept of a rhombus with step-by-step instructions and methods for solving specific problems on your own relating to this topic.
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Handout
MadSci Network

The Mad Scientist Network: Chemistry

For Students 9th - 10th
Using a question and answer format, this page addresses the question: "What effect may crystallization have on the optical properties of a material?" Crystalline and amorphous solids are compared and contrasted; their properties are...