Mineral Identification Lab | Rocks and Minerals Activity for Earth Science Unit

Your students will love this classic mineral identification activity. Students test mineral properties for hardness using the Mohs hardness scale, streak, cleavage, magnetism, luster, electrical conductivity, reaction to acid, and whether they are transparent, translucent or opaque. Working with a detailed key, students identify their 12 mystery minerals in this geology activity. Rock and mineral identification is a fabulous way to learn about mineral properties and mineral identification and makes a great addition to your rock, gem, mineral, fossil and meteorite identification activities and/or your rocks and minerals unit.

Here's what's included:

• Teacher Instructions—fully illustrated
• Six-page student pre-lab activities
• Mohs Hardness scale plus two pages of related student worksheets and an answer key
• Lab sheets and detailed student key
• Hands-on Assessment
• Bonus ELA activity relating mineral testing to literature
• Both a printable PDF file AND a link to the student worksheets on Google Slides which can be assigned in Google Classroom

This is a fantastic value!

This lesson explains how to set up the experiment with fully illustrated instructions for the teacher and complete student instructions for how to identify each mineral property. Student pages are written in kid-friendly language. Most of the materials are reusable so you can repeat the activity year after year. Many students say this is their favorite investigation of the school year.

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