Georgia S6E5.b
The Standard
Plan and carry out an investigation of the characteristics of minerals and how minerals contribute to rock composition.
Georgia Standards of Excellence for Science · Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to show how Earth's surface is formed.
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students plan fair tests for color, streak, luster, hardness, cleavage, and reaction to acid. They record observations and use a property chart to identify samples. They use visible mineral grains to describe what a rock contains.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student chooses suitable tools, keeps procedures consistent, and records repeatable observations in a clear table. They identify a mineral from several properties, not color alone. They explain that rocks contain one or more minerals and support a composition claim with observations.
Common Misconceptions
- Students often identify a mineral by color alone, even though impurities can change color. They may treat rocks and minerals as the same thing or assume every rock contains only one mineral. They may confuse streak with surface color and hardness with how easily a sample breaks.
How to Assess It
- Give each student a mystery mineral, streak plate, penny, and hand lens. Ask them to record three tests, identify the mineral using a chart, and support their answer with evidence.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
In teams, test quartz, calcite, feldspar, and mica with hand lenses, streak plates, pennies, glass, and diluted vinegar, then record results.
Show two granite samples and ask students to identify minerals and cite visible evidence for each claim.
Play Mineral Match: students pair property cards with mineral names, then challenge a partner to justify one match using test data.
Examine a granite tile or countertop photo, label visible mineral grains, and explain how those grains affect its color and texture.
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Printable S6E5.b Worksheet
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Related Standards
- S3E1
Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the physical attributes of rocks and soils.
- S3E1.a
Ask questions and analyze data to classify rocks by their physical attributes (color, texture, luster, and hardness) using simple tests.
- S3E1.b
Plan and carry out investigations to describe properties (color, texture, capacity to retain water, and ability to support growth of plants) of soils and soil t...
- S6E5.h
Plan and carry out an investigation to provide evidence that soil is composed of layers of weathered rocks and decomposed organic material.
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