Rocks and Minerals by UTH Rocks and Minerals by UTH    

Lesson 4: Minerals

Directions

Study the lesson for one week.

Over the week:

• Read the lesson.
• Review the synopsis.
• Recite aloud the vocabulary words and their definitions.
• Study the rock and mineral of the week.
• Complete the enrichment activities.
• Study the review questions.

Synopsis

A mineral is any naturally occurring solid inorganic (doesn't originate from living organisms) material that has a definite chemical composition and characteristic physical properties. Examples of minerals include substances made up of a single element like gold, silver, and mercury and substances made up of more than one element (compounds) such as quartz and talc.

Vocabulary

Mineral: Any naturally occurring inorganic material that has a (more or less) definite chemical composition and characteristic physical properties.
Organic: Pertaining to or derived from living organisms.
Inorganic: Pertaining to that does not originate in a living organism.
Element: Any one of the simplest chemical substances that cannot be decomposed in a chemical reaction or by any chemical means and made up of atoms all having the same number of protons.
Compound: A substance made from any combination elements.
Trace Element: A chemical element present in a substance in very small quantities.
Pseudoscience: Any body of knowledge that purports to be scientific or to be supported by science but which fails to comply with the scientific method.
Brittle: Likely to break or crumble when bending.

Rock or Mineral of the Week

Overview

• Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral that comes in many different colors due to trace elements such as iron (Fe), titanium (Ti), or manganese (Mn). For example, amethyst is purple quartz and rose quartz is pink quartz.

• Quartz is a compound - consisting of both elements Silicon (Si) and Oxygen (O).
• Quartz has numerous uses including making glass, radios, watches, televisions, computers, cell phones, and jewelry.

Physical Characteristics

• Color: Clear, red, yellow, green, purple, brown, black, white, and gray
• Hardness: 7
• Luster: Vitreous (glass-like)
• Cleavage: None
• Streak: Colorless (harder than streak plate)
• Tenacity: Brittle (likely to break when bending)

Locations

• All over the world. Large deposits are found in the United States (Arkansas) and Brazil.

Interesting Facts

• Sand consists of miniscule pieces of quartz.

• Quartz is the most common mineral at the Earth's surface.

• Quartz grows in hexagonal crystals (6-sided).

• Some people believe quartz and other rocks and minerals contain mystical healing properties. However, the scientific community considers this a pseudoscience.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Narrate the Lesson

• After reading or listening to the lesson, narrate the lesson aloud using your own words.

Activity 2: Can You Find It?

Find the following elements on the periodic table:

• Silicon (Si)
• Oxygen (O)
• Copper (Cu)
• Gold (Au)
• Iron (Fe)
• Silver (Ag)
• Lead (Pb)
• Zinc (Zn)
• In which group and period is Silicon (Si)?

Activity 3: Map the Lesson

• Quartz deposits are found in Arkansas in the United States.
• Find Arkansas (AR) on the map of the United States.

Activity 4: Take a Nature Walk

• Embark on a nature walk.
• Collect one rock or mineral specimen.
• Use the gathered specimen to create the field book entry.

Activity 5: Complete a Field Book Entry   

After your nature walk, complete page 6 in 'Fifth Grade Science Rocks and Minerals Notebook Pages.'

Review

Question 1

How many different elements does quartz (SiO2) contain?

1 / 3

Answer 1

Quartz (SiO2) contains two elements - silicon (Si) and oxygen (O).

1 / 3

Question 2

Is quartz (SiO2) a compound?

2 / 3

Answer 2

Yes, quartz (SiO2) is a compound consisting of two types of elements - silicon (Si) and oxygen (O).

2 / 3

Question 3

Describe something about quartz (SiO2).

3 / 3

Answer 3

Quartz (SiO2) is the most abundant mineral at the surface of the Earth. It comes in all sorts of colors and has many uses, including making glass, televisions, computers, and watches.

3 / 3

❮ ❯

1. How many different elements does quartz (SiO2) contain? Quartz (SiO2) contains two elements - silicon (Si) and oxygen (O).
2. Is quartz (SiO2) a compound? Yes, quartz (SiO2) is a compound consisting of two types of elements - silicon (Si) and oxygen (O).
3. Describe something about quartz (SiO2). Quartz (SiO2) is the most abundant mineral at the surface of the Earth. It comes in all sorts of colors and has many uses, including making glass, televisions, computers, and watches.

References

'Mineral.' Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral. n.p.

'Quartz.' Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartz. n.p.

'International Mineralogical Association (IMA).' International Mineralogical Association. www.ima-mineralogy.org. n.p.

Cited Physical Properties. Geology.com. geology.com/rocks. n.p.