Curated OER
Percent Deviation Rocks and Minerals
In this rocks and minerals worksheet, students calculate the percent deviation from various mass measurements taken of rocks or minerals. This worksheet has 10 problems to solve.
Curated OER
Bubble, Bubble, Soil and Fun!
Fifth graders experiment to find the physical properties and commercial uses of the mineral talc. They create a soapstone sculpture and a rubric for the creation.
Curated OER
Not Just For A Baby's Bottom
Eighth graders investigate the presence of talc in the geologic record. The different characteristics of talc is covered. The instructional activity includes background information for the teacher.
Province of British Columbia
B.c. Ministry of Energy and Mines: Common Rock Forming Minerals
There are six common minerals most often found in rocks. They are quartz, feldspar, olivine, mica, pyroxene, and amphibole. This website provides photos and information on each, and discusses their importance when identifying rocks.
Other
The image.com: Minerals
This is a very large list of minerals complete with image and physical descriptions, chemical descriptions, and classification.
Utah State Office of Education
Utah State Office of Education: Identifying and Classifying Minerals
This thorough Utah State Office of Education site explains the criteria for identifying minerals and provides pictures of various minerals.
Children's Museum
Children's Museum of Indianapolis: What's a Hardness Scale?
Find an illustrated explanation of the Mohs' hardness scale, which is used to compare the hardness of minerals. The scale explains the differences in hardness among a range of minerals, beginning with the softest (talc) and ending with...
Curated OER
The image.com: Minerals
This is a very large list of minerals complete with image and physical descriptions, chemical descriptions, and classification.