This exercise is designed to help students think about the properties of minerals that are most useful for mineral classification and identification.

Students are given a set of minerals and asked to come up with a hierarchical classification scheme (a "key") that can be used to identify different mineral species.
They compare their results with the products of other groups.
They test the various schemes by applying them to unknown samples.
While doing this exercise, the students develop observational and interpretational skill.
They also begin to think about the nature of classification systems.

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Students think about the nature of classification systems and about properties that are most useful for classifying minerals as they derive their own hierarchical scheme, or key, for identifying and naming mineral species. When finished, they read Mineralogy: A Historical Review by Robert M. Hazen and revise their classification scheme. Finally, groups trade their systematic plans and identify unknown mineral samples with them, comenting on the usefullness of the various methods.

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In this geology activity, students investigate the physical property of mineral cleavage by physically trying to break down a block of halite and describing the results. This lab addresses many misunderstandings non-majors have about the physical properties of minerals and includes a brief write up of their conclusions.

These sheets are designed to give students a framework for making observations of minerals in hand specimen and (for selected minerals) in thin section. I place most of the emphasis on the distinguishing properties, rather than requiring an exhaustive list. Students use hand specimen observation, thin section observation (for selected minerals) and references to complete the forms.

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Students will examine mineral separates from sand samples collected from a number of rivers each of which drains a slightly different geologic terrane. Differences in mineralogic composition and mineral abundance will be used to suggest different provenance for each of the sand samples.
These sand samples may be treated as unknowns or the students may be informed of where the sand was sampled. At the end of the mineral separations and binocular microscope identification, the students may be allowed to consult geologic maps of the regions sampled to aid in their provenance determination.

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At the end of this exercise you will be able to calculate chemical formula of a mineral based on weight percent oxides, and evaluate the extent of solid solution between end member compositions.

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This three part lab introduces sulfides and other ore minerals.

Part one - Ore Minerals: Students fill in a table giving the metal, formula, and mineral group of several ore minerals.
Part two - Box of Rocks: Students examine trays of ore minerals and record their physical properties, composition, habit, occurence, economic value, and use and answer questions about color, luster, density, transparency, and availability.
Part three - Famous Digs: Students answer a series of questions related to famous ore deposits.

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The contents related to Organic Chemistry of Grade 12, science course. The contents are similar to e-Book available online from "From siyavula.com". The summary of the course: Organic molecules, structure, IUPAC naming, physical properties, application, chemical reactions, etc. All Siyavula textbook content made available on this site is released under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution License (Attribution under CC BY license). That means that anyone is free to Share, and Remix that content as long as he or she attributes the author by stating the author's name, and states "From siyavula.com"

This module includes a mini-lecture (5 minutes) that defines specific heat capacity and includes an examples (no unit conversions).

This activity uses cooperative learning to identify minerals in hand sample based on physical properties. The "Jigsaw" pedagogy upon which this lab is based provides the environment for four succeeding labs in which the students learn the megascopic characteristic properties, chemical composition, and a geologic significance for each of approximately 100 minerals.

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Students will complete a laboratory experiment, followed by answering questions as to whether the changes were physical or chemical in nature.

Students will complete a laboratory experiment, followed by answering questions as to whether the changes were physical or chemical in nature.

This is an online adventure game in which players prospect for minerals on a virtual geologically realistic world.

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In this semester-long private mineral project, students become experts on one mineral. They write a paper about their mineral and use key information about it to publish a web page. Information should include provenance, physical properties, composition, recent related literature, photos of samples, optical properties, x-ray pattern, crystallography, economic value, atomic structure, other closely related minerals, associated myths, and a complete list of references based on GSA format.

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Students examine a number of key mineral properties and how they are displayed by different minerals. Mineral properties examined include crystal habit, cleavage, parting, fracture, hardness, tenacity, specific gravity, luster, color, and streak.

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This three-part exercise continues the study of minerals' physical properties and introduces petrographic microscopes. In part one, students identify minerals using a given list of minerals. In part two, students their text and newly aquired mineral identification skills to identify unknown minerals. In part three, students are introduced to the petrographic microscope and answer several related questions.

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Students choose a project on an area of the geosciences in which one or more mineral's chemistry and/or crystal structure is significant to understanding that geoscience problem. They then study that mineral in detail in both hand sample and on the SEM, XRF, XRD, and/or in thin section. Students may provide your own sample or use a sample from the student collection. For practicality sake, the sample must be available and not so valuable or rare that we cannot let you use pieces of it for the project. Additionally, the mineral studied in detail must be significantly different than those they will be tested on for the final exam.

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Take students into the field and give each team a list of rocks or mineral types you want found and brought back within the time limit.

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In this three-part exercise, students study hand samples and thin sections of sedimentary minerals and rocks.

Part one - Box of Rocks: Students examine a tray of Halides, Carbonates, Borates, and Clays and record their physical properties, composition, habit, and occurence. They note chemical and physical similarities and differences of the minerals.
Part two - Definitions: Define a list of terms relevent to the lab.
Part three - Minerals in Thin Section: Observe sedimentary minerals in thin section and answer questions about them.

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This activity is designed to enhance student comprehension of mineralogy and its applications by having students read scientific articles from the journal American Mineralogist, answer questions, and discuss the article in class.

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