Physical Geology:
Minerals
Unit Driving Questions |
Ohio Standards** |
- How are minerals classified and identified?
- What role does environment play in mineral classification and identification?
- Why and how are rocks and minerals important to humans and other life on Earth?
- In what ways do the chemical and physical components of Earth's minerals determine the properties of those minerals?
- How do the environmental conditions in which a mineral forms and exists impact the mineral?
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PG.M: Minerals
- PG.M.1: Atoms and Elements
- PG.M.2: Chemical Bonding (ionic, covalent, metallic)
- PG.M.3: Crystallinity (crystal structure)
- PG.M.4: Criteria of a mineral ( crystalline solid, occurs in nature, inorganic, defined chemical composition)
- PG.M.4: Properties of minerals (hardness, luster, cleavage, streak, crystal shape, fluorencence, flammability, density/specific gravity, malleability)
Science Inquiry and Application
- Identify questions and concepts that guide scientific investigations
- Design and conduct scientific investigations
- Use technology and mathematics to improve investigations and communication
- Formulate and revise explanations and models using logic and evidence (critical thinking)
- Recognize and analyze explanations and models, and
- Communicate and support a scientific argument
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Understandings |
- Chemical and physical components of minerals determine the properties of those minerals. For example, cleavage and hardness are connected to chemical bonding of minerals.
- Scientists research, test, and evaluate minerals through mineral testing – investigations, experimentation, observation, technology, and models are used.
- The environment in which minerals form in important in the classification of a mineral. Mineral data can be used to interpret the environmental conditions that existed during the formation of the mineral.
- Properties such as cleavage and hardness are properties that can be used to identify minerals.
- Mineral testing, experimentation, and modeling are used to evaluate minerals.
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Learning Targets: |
Students will be able to....
- Describe 7 main topics studied in Physical Geology and why each is important.
- Develop an expanding portfolio of learning, both electronic and hard copy.
- Define crystal, rock, and mineral. Explain the differences.
- Explain the difference between a crystalline substance and an amorphous substance.
- List minerals common in Earth's crust.
- Explain how crystals form.
- Describe the effects of temperature (and thus time) on crystal formation.
- Explain that properties of minerals are a result of their chemical and physical (crystalline) makeup, so properties can be used to ID minerals.
- Construct and explain models of crystal structure and relate each model to a specific quantifiable property (cleavage, hardness)
- Observe and collect data on minerals for color, hardness, luster, cleavage, malleability, flammability, fluorescence, specific gravity.
- Connect properties of a mineral to its chemical bonding.
- Research. test, evaluate, and identify various minerals.
- Use mineral data to identify and describe environmental conditions existing at the time of the mineral's formation.
- Describe mineral habitats in terms of how they are impacted by natural and human processes.
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Academic Vocabulary: Bricks |
Academic Vocabulary: Mortar |
- Amorphous
- Atom
- Calcite
- Chemical bond
- Chemical composition
- Cleavage
- Crystalline, Crystallinity (crystal structure)
- Cubic
- Element
- Feldspar
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- Flammability
- Fluorescence
- Hardness
- Inorganic
- Luster
- Hexagonal
- Malleability
- Mica
- Mineral
- Monoclinic
- Natural
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- Organic
- Orthorhombic
- Physical Geology
- Precipitate
- Quartz
- Saturated/unsaturated
- Solute
- Solution
- Solvent
- Specific gravity
- Tetragonal
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- analyze
- classify
- compare
- contrast
- define
- describe
- elaborate
- explain
- interpret
- list; state
- relate
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- law (in science)
- theory
- claim
- evidence
- reason
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Activities |
Differentiation |
Assessent |
- Growing crystals activity
- Close read: Minerals, rocks, crystals – what’s the difference?
- Learn to perform tests on minerals to determine their properties.
- Build crystal models in small groups. Explain how a specific property of a mineral is related to the crystal structure.
- Mineral identification – collect data and research the chemical formula, mineral use, chemical bonds, and properties of the mineral.
- Create a webpage that relates a mineral’s structure to its formation, mining, use, and laws governing such.
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- Many opportunities to hear, read, write, speak both scientific and academic vocabulary.
- Design and conduct an experiment (or research) to test specific properties of a mineral that has a unique use (quartz battery, gypsum wallboard)
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- Construct and explain models of crystal structure and relate structure to properties
- FA - Stick quizzes
- CER modeled with Crystals Around You activity, practiced with Growing Crystals and with Mineral ID labs.
- Summative unit test on Schoology
- Summative
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Handouts
Links to Resources: (will open in a new window)
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