ES-6-1: We are learning to recognize that minerals have specific and quantifiable properties.
ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY:
minerals
streak
organic
cleavage
Mohs’ Scale
inorganic
LAB(S)
(Challenge question)
fracture
crystals
luster
hardness
layers of the earth (crust, mantle, outer core ,inner core)
WE HAVE CONCLUDED THAT…
1 -Layers of the Earth
Cube activity
Layers of the earth:
1. Crust: The outer layer where we live. Rocks and minerals are found
in this thin layer.
2. Mantle: Thick layer of heavy rock
3. Outer Core: Made of molten (liquid) iron and nickel.
4. Inner Core: Made of solid iron and nickel
2 - Growing Crystals and
cutting out crystal shapes
Organic: once living, contains carbon, fossils
Inorganic: has no traces of life, no carbon, minerals
Crystals: There are 6 geometric shapes that are formed when a liquid
evaporates from a solution. Crystals are the building blocks of minerals.
3 - Mineral Identification
Tests (Luster, Streak,
Hardness, Cleavage)
4 - Special Properties
(Acid and Magnetism)
Mineral: solid material of the earth’s crust made of only ONE
substance/crystal shape
Mineral Identification Tests to determine properties:
1. Luster: the way light bounces off a mineral (shiny)metallic and nonmetallic
2. Surface Color: observe the outer color
3. Streak: color of the powder(inner color) left behind on a white or
black streak plate
4. Hardness: how well a mineral resists scratching-use Mohs’ Scale of
Hardness
5. Cleavage: the tendency for mineral to break along flat, smooth
surfaces-use a mallet and chisel-will break along the weakest plane
6. Fracture: when the mineral does NOT break smoothly
7. Special Properties: acid and magnetism
SUPPORTING
TEXT
page C32-C37
ES-6-2: We are learning to explain that rocks are made of one or more minerals and are formed
in different ways.
ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY:
rock, sedimentary rock, metamorphic rock, igneous rock, sediments, weathering,
erosion, deposition, cementation, compaction, magma, lava
LAB(S)
(Challenge question)
Building a sedimentary rock
in a cup
Igneous lab with the
spoons
Metamorphic lab with the
clay
Rock cycle diagrams
WE HAVE CONCLUDED THAT…
Rock – naturally formed solid in the earth’s crust made up of 2 or
more minerals
Sediments – sand, silt, clay, etc…
1 - Sedimentary rock - WEDC
 Weathering – breaking of rock into pieces
 Erosion – movement of sediments
 Deposition – settling of sediments
 Cementation – compacting over time
Properties of Sedimentary rock include:
 Layers, found near water, can have fossils, soft
2- Metamorphic rock – HP - change form due to heat and pressure
Properties of Metamorphic rock include:
 Wavy bands, rock that changes, has a “parent rock”, hard,
compacted
3- Igneous rock– MCH - cooling and hardening of magma (molten
rock deep below the surface which cools slowly with large crystals) or
lava (magma that reaches the earth’s surface which cools quickly
with little or no crystals)
Properties of Igneous rock include:
 Porous, large or small crystals
SUPPORTING
TEXT
Page 52
42-47
ES-6-3: We are learning to explain the make-up of soil.
ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY:
soil, sand, clay, humus, loam
LAB(S)
(Challenge question)
WE HAVE CONCLUDED THAT…
Paper plate activity
Soil components = air, water, organic material,
mineral matter that build over time
Composition of soil –
looking at sand, clay and
humus
Humus = part of soil that contains organic
material
Color lab
Texture lab
Percolation lab
SUPPORTING
TEXT
ES-6-4: We are learning to describe how nonrenewable geologic resources (minerals, rocks, soil,
and fossil fuels) can be extracted, used, stored, and disposed.
ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY:
Renewable resource, nonrenewable resource, conservation, fossil fuels,
LAB(S)
(Challenge question)
Renew a Bean
Looking at coal samples
Drilling for oil in muffins
WE HAVE CONCLUDED THAT…
Renewable = biomass, wind, hydropower, solar,
geothermal
Nonrenewable = coal, petroleum/oil, natural gas,
nuclear, propane
Renewable – can be replenished by nature in a
short amount of time
Nonrenewable – takes millions of years to
replenish
Fossil fuels = coal, oil, natural gas are the result
of the remains of ancient plants and animals
decomposed
SUPPORTING
TEXT