Introduction to Rocks and Minerals

Minerals Introduction

by Deondrea Talley

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​Describe the differences in the three rocks below

​As you noticed with the three images, rocks can look very different from each other.

​Rocks are mixtures of minerals, rock fragments, organic matter, or other natural materials.

​—Rocks are made up of minerals

—A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid with a definite chemical composition and an orderly arrangement of atoms.

Open Ended

What is inorganic mean?

Open Ended

What does naturally occuring mean?

Multiple Select

Minerals are

• inorganic and created by humans 

• naturally occurring and inorganic 

• Need humans to create

• None of above

​Questions to ask yourself when determining if an item is a mineral or not:

—Is it non-living material?

—Is it a solid?

—Is it formed in nature?

—Are its atoms arranged in a pattern that is repeated over and over?

​Mineral or non-mineral?

Look at each picture and decide if it is a mineral or a non mineral

Multiple Choice

wood

• mineral 

• non mineral 

Multiple Choice

diamonds

• mineral

• non mineral

Multiple Choice

bone 

• mineral 

• non mineral 

Multiple Choice

Granite

• non mineral

• mineral

Multiple Choice

pearls

• non mineral

• mineral

Multiple Choice

Iceberg

• Mineral 

• non mineral 

Multiple Choice

fossil

• mineral 

• non mineral 

Multiple Choice

topaz

• mineral

• non mineral

Multiple Choice

gold 

• Mineral 

• non mineral 

Open Ended

What are te 3 type of rock?

Open Ended

Describe an igneous rock

Open Ended

Describe a metaorphic rock

Open Ended

Describe a sedimentary rock