Crystal Models
• Divide the 8 crystal models up between the people at your table.
• Cut out the models along the solid lines and fold along the dotted
lines.
• Put one very small dot of glue on each tab and glue the sides of
your crystal together.
• Glue your crystal model in the appropriate space on your group’s
“Crystal Shapes” sheet.
• Answer the analysis questions.
Analysis Questions:
1. What are the 8 crystal shapes?
2. Which crystal shapes did you make?
3. What characteristics do all crystals share?
Add to Table of Contents:
Mineral Observations
Minerals of Earth’s Crust
Pg. 22
Pg. 23
Mineral observations
Title page 22 in notebook:
Mineral observations
Mineral Observations Pg. 22
Write down each mineral. Skip a line
between mineral names.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1. Halite2. Calcite3. Magnetite4. Lodestone5. Sulfur6. Mica7. Pyrolusite8. Bentonite-
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
9. Feldspar10. Fluorite11. Graphite
12. Bauxite13. Quartz14. Hematite15. Barite-
As you walk around the stations, write down
observations about the mineral samples. You will
have 30 seconds at each station.
Name:________________
Observations: Color:_____________
Shiny or not shiny?
Smooth or rough?
After you are done:
What characteristics do all minerals have in
common?
Hand out note fill-in page
Ch. 5 Minerals of the
Earth’s Crust
• What is the most common element in the
Earth’s crust?
A. Iron
B. Oxygen
C. Silicon
D. Copper
What is a Mineral?
• Natural, usually inorganic solid
substance with a crystal structure.
– Inorganic=nonliving
Pyromorphite
What do all minerals have in
common?
All:
1. Are formed by natural processes.
2. Are NOT alive and NEVER were alive
3. Are solids with a definite volume and
shape.
4. Are elements or compounds with a
unique chemical makeup
5. Are made up of particles that are
arranged in a pattern that is repeated
over and over (called a CRYSTAL)
Minerals in the Earth’s Crust
• More than 3000 different types of minerals,
but only 20 are common.
• Quartz(SiO2)is the most common mineral in
the Earth’s crust.
• Tape your notes in on pg. 23
• Tape across the top so you can read both
sides.
New note sheet
Groups of Minerals
• Minerals are grouped by the elements
they are made of.
Beryl (Emerald)
Calcite
Amethyst
Mineral
Group
Characteristics
Contain
1. Silicates
Oxygen &
Silica
The most abundant
group of minerals
Make up 96% of the
Earth’s crust
MICA
Examples
Quartz
(SiO2)
mica
Quartz
Mineral Group
Characteristics
Do
2. NonSilicates
not contain
compounds of
Silica and
Oxygen
Make up only
4% of the
Earth’s crust
Include some
of the most
important
minerals
Examples

6 different
groups.
Mineral Group
A. Carbonates
Characteristics
Carbon
Examples
&
Calcite (CaCO3)
Oxygen and a
positive ion,
such as Calcium
Calcite with Duftite inclusions
Mineral
Group
B. Halides
Characteristics
Examples
Chlorine or Fluorine Halite(NaCl)
combined with Sodium Fluorite(CaF2)
or Potassium.

Mineral Group
C. Oxides
Characteristics
Metallic
ion
and Oxygen
Examples
Hematite
(Fe2)O3
Mineral Group
D. Sulfides
Characteristics
Sulfur
and a
metallic ion
Galena
Examples
Galena (PbS)
Mineral Group
E. Sulfates
Barite on Calcite
BaSo4 / CaCO3
Characteristics
Metallic
Sulfur &
Oxygen
ion,
Barite
BaSo4
Examples
Barite (BaSO4)
Mineral Group
F. Native
Elements
Characteristics
Single
elements
Examples
Gold (Au),
Diamond (C),
Silver (Ag)
What is a gem?



A Mineral OR Rock that has value
Rare !
Sometimes polishing or cutting will add
value
Gemstone Questions
Fri. 10/17, Mon. 10/20
A pearl forms when a particle of
dirt gets trapped in the soft
tissue of an oyster. To protect
itself from the irritating particle,
the oyster secretes a protective
layer of a white material called
nacre to cover the particle. This
nacre covered particle is what
we harvest as a pearl.
1. Is a pearl a mineral?
2. Why or why not?
Review
What two elements must be present in a
silicate?
a. Silicon and sodium
b. Silicon and phosphorus
c. Silicon and quartz
d. Silicon and oxygen
In: pg 12
Watch “Crystals” by Brainpop…
1 .What element are diamonds made from?
2 . What do all crystals have in common?
Out
1. What is your birthstone?
2. What does it look like?
3. If you could have any birthstone, which
would it be? Why?
Mon. 11/5 and Wed. 11/7
• Quiz #1 today
In: Pg. 16
• Watch the movie clip and complete the
True/False quiz at the end.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Thru 1: Pg. 17
5.2 Identifying Minerals CLOZE passage
• As you read pgs. 109-112 in the textbook,
please fill in the blanks in the CLOZE passage.
Which of the following is NOT one of the four
criteria for determining if a substance is a
mineral?
a. It is inorganic
b. It is a solid
c. It has a consistent chemical composition
d. It has a shiny surface
Add to Table of Contents:
Mineral Lab/questions
Properties of Minerals
Pg. 24
Pg. 25
Physical Properties of Minerals Pg. 25
(can be used to identify the mineral)
1. Color
• Can be misleading
• Can vary with the type of impurities
Physical Properties of Minerals
(can be used to identify the mineral)
2. Luster
• Surface reflection of
light
Pyrite has a metallic luster
• metallic = shiny like metal
• non-metallic = dull or
reflects light(but not like
metals)
Calcite has a non-metallic luster
Physical Properties of Minerals
(can be used to identify the mineral)
3. Streak
• The color of the powdered
form of the mineral
• The color of the streak can be
different than the mineral
• Minerals must be softer than
the streak plate
Streak…can help identify quartz
http://www.childrensmuseum.org/geomysteries/cube/b3.html
Physical Properties of Minerals
(can be used to identify the mineral)
4. Cleavage & Fracture
– The way the mineral breaks
– Cleavage—minerals break
along smooth, flat surfaces
and every fragment has the
same general shape
– Fracture—minerals that break
at random with rough or
jagged edges along irregular
lines of weakness.
Cleavage or fracture?
Cleavage or fracture?
Physical Properties of Minerals
(can be used to identify the mineral)
5. Hardness
• How easily a mineral scratches
materials(or resists being
scratched)
• Mohs Hardness Scale
• Scale from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest)
• Test by seeing if the mineral can scratch
different objects (like human fingernail, copper
penny, glass, steel file)
• Mineral Properties lab:
Name
1.Hematite
2. Pyrite
3. Graphite
4. Gypsum
5. Halite
6. Calcite
7. Selenite
8. Apatite
9. Quartz
10.Muscovite
11. Olivine
12.Microcline
Color Luster
Streak
Color
Cleavage
or Fracture
Hardness
(1-10)
Questions: pg.24 under chart
1. Which mineral had a metallic luster?
2. What mineral had a color that was different
from its streak color?
3. What is the difference between cleavage and
fracture?
4. Which 2 minerals had cleavage?
5. Which mineral had the least hardness?
6. Which mineral had the greatest hardness?
Out
Describe each characteristic used to identify a mineral
Color
Hardness
Streak
Identifying
Minerals
Fracture
Luster
Cleavage
Thurs. 11/8 and Fri. 11/9
The color of a mineral in its powdered form is
called the mineral’s
a. Streak
b. Luster
c. Cleavage
d. Fracture
In: Pg 18
View the minerals on the next slide and write
down whether they show cleavage or fracture.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Cleavage or Fracture?
1.
4.
2.
3.
Thru 1: pg 19
• Identifying Minerals Lab
Thru 2
Pg. 20
Blank
Pg. 21
Diamonds worksheet.
Out
An unknown mineral has the
following characteristics:
• It scratches feldspar
• It scratches glass
• It cannot scratch quartz
• Topaz scratches it.
1. What is the mineral’s
hardness number on
Mohs Scale of Hardness?
2. Which mineral example is
this likely to be?
Tues. 11/13 and Wed. 11/14
• Quiz #2
Quiz #2
• Which of the following is the most unreliable
characteristic to use to identify a mineral?
a. Streak
b. Luster
c. Color
d. Hardness
In: Pg. 22
• What is one mineral that you use every day?
• What is the use of this mineral?
Halite
Gypsum
Talc
Calcite
Thru 1: Pg. 23
Uses of Minerals Lab
• Complete the Lab and tape in on this page!
Out
• Did any of the mineral uses you discovered in
the lab surprise you? Explain.