TP – Students will create a database of observations to identify minerals

1.  First, students will create an outline of their database.  This will include a category for Color, Streak, Luster, Hardness, and any other identifiable feature.

2.  Next, students will observe the minerals and record the observable features into the database.

3.  Then, students will perform the routines needed for determining the hardness and streak.

• For hardness, you will begin by scratching the mineral with your nail.  If it does not scratch, you will try a penny.  If that does not work, you will try a steel nail.  The higher the level of scratch needed = higher hardness of the mineral.
• For streak, you will put the mineral against the streak plate and scratch across.  The color left behind is the streak.  If you do not see a color, it is the color of the tile or clear.

4.  After the database is filled with all the observations, you will compare your chart to the one I have posted here:

mineral-identification-chart

You will try to identify the name of the mineral and record it on your chart.