Lesson Minerals

Minerals

Day 2

Learning Target: I can recognize that a mineral is a natural solid with a characteristic crystal shape.

Open Ended

Do Now: Name three of the five ways that we can identify minerals.

Vocabulary

• Mineral: A solid, naturally formed substance that always has the same composition and the same properties.

• Rock: A naturally formed combination of minerals and other natural materials.

What are Rocks and Minerals?

A mineral is a natural solid with a characteristic crystal shape. Mineral crystals can form when hot water containing dissolved minerals cools down and forms a solid. Rocks on the other hand are made of mineral pieces mixed together. Rocks are made through the rock cycle!

Minerals can form when water within Earth becomes saturated.

Minerals are solids that occur naturally and have a characteristic crystal shape. Hot water deep within Earth flows through cracks, where it can dissolve different substances. When hot water flows toward the surface, it cools and forms crystals.

Minerals can form when water within Earth becomes saturated.

Hot water dissolves more minerals than cold water. When the water becomes saturated (can’t hold any more) with dissolved substances or cools, the water cannot hold onto all the dissolved minerals, and the minerals begin to crystallize on hard surfaces. Examples of minerals that form this way include gold, pyrite, and galena.

Rocks are made of minerals mixed together. 

Minerals combine to form rocks. There are three basic types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Within those three rock types are many other subtypes of rocks that are named based on the minerals they are made up of and their crystalline structure.

Open Ended

What are the different layers of Earth called?

What are the different layers of the Earth called?

The top layer of Earth is called the crust, beneath that is the mantle, and the inner-most layer is the core.

Open Ended

How is Earth's core different from the crust?

How is Earth's core different from the crust?

As you move from the crust to the core, the temperature rises to almost 5000°C at the core. The crust is solid, and the outer core is liquid.

Open Ended

Describe two characteristics of Earth's crust.

Describe two characteristics of Earth's crust.

Earth’s crust makes up Earth’s surface. Ocean crust is more dense than continental crust. The crust is broken into large pieces called tectonic plates. Tectonic plates move slowly over millions of years and form distinct boundaries.

Watch the following video on minerals and rocks, but do not go on to the rock cycle.

https://www.generationgenius.com/?share=F6073

Open Ended

How are rocks and minerals different?

How are rocks and minerals different?

Minerals are solid, naturally formed substances that always have the same composition and the same properties. Rocks are made of minerals.

Open Ended

How do crystals form?

How do crystals form?

Hot water dissolves minerals. When the water evaporates, it leaves behind the dissolved minerals in a crystal structure.

Complete the activity sheet that is attached on our Google Classroom.

Multiple Select

Exit Ticket: What are the three categories of rocks?

• Igneous

• Sedimentary

• Metamorphic

• Lava