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ROCKS

Rocks are a solid piece composed of a variety of different minerals. Their makeup cannot always be exactly determined because of their chemical and structural variety.

WHAT ARE ROCKS AND MINERALS?

MINERALS

Minerals are solid structures that are naturally occurring. They also have a set chemical structure which is the same throughout the entire mineral.

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THREE MAJOR TYPES OF ROCKS

METAMORPHIC	SEDIMENTARY	IGNEOUS
Metamorphic rocks are made from other types of rock. These rocks are formed when they are put under great amounts of heat and pressure deep inside the Earth’s crust.	Sedimentary rocks are formed through the compaction of sediments (broken up pieces of rock). They are brought together by different Earth processes such as wind or water. These are where many fossils and shells of ancient animals are found!	Igneous rocks are formed from volcanoes. When a volcano erupts, lava or magma comes out. Once it cools and hardens, it becomes an igneous rock.

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THE ROCK CYCLE

MAGMA

IGNEOUS

METAMORPHIC

SEDIMENTARY

COOLS & HARDENS

WEATHER & EROSION

MELTING

HEAT & PRESSURE

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PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

Inorganic: Must be nonliving
Solid: Must be a solid in all physical properties
Crystalline: The atoms are arranged in a specific pattern
Naturally Occurring: Formed by natural processes, cannot be created in a lab by humans
Chemical Composition: All minerals have a set chemical composition and chemical formula

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PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

Hardness: Describes how easy it is to scratch the surface of a mineral. We use Moh’s scale to determine hardness.
Luster: Describes how a mineral reflects light. Uses words like glassy, metallic, or dull
Cleavage: Describes how a mineral breaks into pieces, depending on their chemical makeup, they will break differently.
Color: Some minerals have distinct color, while others vary in color. For some it can be a defining feature, while for others it is not.

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MOH’S HARDNESS SCALE

HARDNESS	MINERAL	OBSERVATIONS	HARDNESS	MINERAL	OBSERVATIONS
1	Taic	Very Soft	6	Orthoclase	Hard
2	Gypsum	Very Soft	7	Quartz	Hard
3	Calcite	Soft	8	Topaz	Very Hard
4	Fluorite	Soft	9	Corundum	Very Hard
5	Apatite	Soft	10	Diamond	Very Hard

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FORMATION PROCESSES

WEATHERING

The Earth’s surface breaking down into smaller pieces

TRANSPORTATION

Once the pieces are broken down, they are transported through different processes like wind or water.

DEPOSITION

After transportation, the pieces stop moving and are deposited in a new environment

COMPACTION

After long periods of time, the deposited sediments are compacted and pressed together tightly to form rocks!

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MINERAL ID ACTIVITY

Virtual Mineral Identification Labs:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Virtual-Mineral-Identification-Kit-distance-learning-6008424?st=0b1c84f5e3f66c38c7c3525a3aa67cc1

Science, BodenKelly. “Virtual Mineral Identification Kit.” Teachers Pay Teachers, https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Virtual-Mineral-Identification-Kit-distance-learning-6008424?st=0b1c84f5e3f66c38c7c3525a3aa67cc1.

https://d32ogoqmya1dw8.cloudfront.net/files/geo2yc/activities/introduction_mineral_identific.pdf

Smaglik, Suki. “Intro Mineral Exercise.” Teach The Earth, https://d32ogoqmya1dw8.cloudfront.net/files/geo2yc/activities/introduction_mineral_identific.pdf. ��

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INTRODUCTION TO GEMSTONES

What is a Gemstone? Gems are rare, natural minerals that usually have bright beautiful colors
Where do they come from? They come from rocks, but are cut and polished to look pretty and can be turned into jewelry.
What are they used for? We find gemstones in jewelry birthstones, decoration, and as symbols

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WHAT IS YOUR BIRTHSTONE?

MONTH	STONE	COLOR	MONTH	STONE	COLOR
JANUARY	GARNET	RED	JULY	RUBY	RED
FEBRUARY	AMETHYST	PURPLE	AUGUST	PERIDOT	LIME GREEN
MARCH	AQUAMARINE	LIGHT BLUE	SEPTEMBER	SAPPHIRE	DARK BLUE
APRIL	DIAMOND	CLEAR	OCTOBER	OPAL	IRRIDESCENT
MAY	EMERALD	GREEN	NOVERMBER	CITRINE	ORANGE
JUNE	ALEXANDRITE	BLUE/PURPLE	DECEMBER	TOPAZ	BLUE

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