Alberta Grade 7 Mineral identification template

A template for a mineral identification lab based on the Grade 7 Alberta curriculum (topic: planet earth)

Student are given 5 minerals to identify based on colour, luster, fracture/cleavage, streak test and hardness. The students are also given 7 data tables of minerals properties to help narrow down their selection of guesses. The more accurately they perform the tests, the easier it will be to identify the minerals.

The template can be added into google classroom and a rubric added. The rubric break down is mentioned in the presentation as well.

Other minerals can be substituted based on available resources at your location. just be sure to add the data sheet for the newly selected minerals. and be sure there are 2 minerals that look similar but have different characteristics to make them distinct from one another.

This lab can be run within an hour and the second class can be used for data input and mineral selection.

1. Mineral Identification Lab Name:

2. Day 1 Instructions: provide students with 5 of the following charts on a sheet of paper. Students will rotate through the stations and fill in the information for each. (no chromebooks/tech required until second class.) Station # Luster Colour Streak test Hardness Fracture/Cleavage Transparency Guess

3. Day 2 instructions Students will transfer their results onto their own copy of the slides. Students will then use the provided data charts on slide 5 to match their mystery minerals to the data. Their evidence for their guess should reference BOTH the provided graph and their experiments.

4. Rubric - 10pts/slide Luster 1 pt. Accurate collection of information based on supplied chunk of mineral Colour 1pt Accurate collection of information based on supplied chunk of mineral Streak test 1pt Accurate collection of information based on supplied chunk of mineral Hardness 1pt Accurate collection of information based on supplied chunk of mineral Fracture/Cleavage 1pt Accurate collection of information based on supplied chunk of mineral Transparency 1pt Accurate collection of information based on supplied chunk of mineral Guess 1 pt. Guess must be logical but does not need to be correct as there are similar minerals. Table and explanation/stars Students have input the information table into the slide show and indicated the information being referenced using the stars provided OR in words which data matched their own best.

5. Station #1 (done as a group) Luster Shiny, glassy Colour black/dark grey-brown Streak test Light gray and kind of flaky Hardness 7 Fracture/Cleavage fracture Transparency Translucent Guess Explain your guess:The streak colour, the hardness and Transparency all matched. Paste table from geology.com over this space. And use the stars to show where your information matches to support your explanation

6. Station #2 Luster Colour Streak test Hardness Fracture/Cleavage Transparency Guess Explain your guess: Paste table from geology.com over this space. And use the stars to show where your information matches to support your explanation

7. Station #3 Luster Colour Streak test Hardness Fracture/Cleavage Transparency Guess Explain your guess: Paste table from geology.com over this space. And use the stars to show where your information matches to support your explanation

8. Station #4 Luster Colour Streak test Hardness Fracture/Cleavage Transparency Guess Explain your guess: Paste table from geology.com over this space. And use the stars to show where your information matches to support your explanation

9. Station #5 Luster Colour Streak test Hardness Fracture/Cleavage Transparency Guess Explain your guess: Paste table from geology.com over this space. And use the stars to show where your information matches to support your explanation