Loreen Davila- Lesson Plan

Subject(s): _The Study of Minerals _ Date: _3/6/15____________

Teacher: _Loreen Davila_________ School: _CSUDH Elementary School______________

1.

Objective (What is the topic of discussion and reason for learning?)

Our topic is the study, description, and identification of minerals.

2.

Learning Target(s): (What will students know & be able to do as a result of this
lesson?)
Students will be able to describe the physical properties commonly used to
identify minerals. Students will also be able to identify minerals using a mineral
identification key and identify common rock-forming minerals. Lastly, they
will be able to identify the economic uses of several minerals.
Students should know and understand the following terms:
Mineral: Any naturally occurring inorganic solid that possesses an orderly
crystalline structure and a definite chemical composition that allows for some
variation.
Rock: Any solid mass of mineral, or mineral-like matter that occurs naturally
as part of our planet.
Luster: The appearance of light reflected from the surface of a mineral.
Streak: The color of a mineral in powdered form.
Habit: Characteristic shapes or patterns that crystals tend to grow and form
into.
Hardness: A measure of the resistance of a mineral to abrasion or scratching.
Cleavage: The breakage of a crystal when subject to stress on a particular
plane.
Fracture: Minerals that do not exhibit cleavage when broken.
Opaque: No light is transmitted through the sample.
Translucent: When light, but not an image, is transmitted through the sample.
Transparent: When both light and an image are visible through the sample.

3.

Relevance/Rationale: (Why are the outcomes of this lesson important in the real
world? How will it benefit students to know this topic?)
The outcomes of this lesson are important because students are constantly
surrounded by minerals. Minerals are the building blocks of rocks, and the key
to the earth's past. Students need to understand that minerals are important and
that they play a major role in our everyday lives.

4.

Formative Assessment Criteria for success: (How will you & your students
know if they have successfully met the outcomes? By what criteria will they be
assessed?)
Tests will be given to students in which the descriptions of minerals will be
given, and they will need to use an identification key to distinguish which
mineral it is.
Test Questions
Use the identification table to identify:
What mineral is metallic, golden yellow, hardness of 4, and has a grayblack streak.
Answer: Chalcopyrite
What mineral is nonmetallic, any color, hardness of 7, and has a glassy
appearance?
Answer: Quartz
What mineral is nonmetallic, colorless, transparent, and elastic in thin
sheets?
Answer: Muscovite Mica
What mineral is metallic, black, magnetic, and has a hardness of 6?
Answer: Magnetite

5.

Activities/Tasks: (What learning experiences will students engage in?)

Students will perform a light transmission experiment. By doing this
experiment, they will observe and understand which minerals transmit light the
best and worst. Samples of minerals will be given, and students will observe
which minerals are opaque, translucent, or transparent. A flashlight will be
given in order to make the light brighter.

6.

Resources/Materials: (What texts, digital resources, & Materials will be used in

this lesson?)
Earth Science textbook, Mineral Identification Key, mineral samples, flashlight.