Image by Scott Brande
link to an entire website - e.g., Online Minerals
link to one particular web page - e.g., mineral cleavage
link to one particular section on a web page - e.g., Examples: Numbers of Cleavages
Before you can identify a mineral by name, you must be able to recognize and identify its properties.
Review luster. Study visual examples for distinguishing metallic and non-metallic luster.
Take the Luster Practice Quiz to assess how well you can correctly recognize luster.
Almost all common metallic minerals conduct electricity
Consult the Primer on Electricity and Minerals - answer the following questions.
select your favorite metallic element from the periodic table, write its name and chemical symbol
examine the pie chart of 'The Big Eight' - identify elements that are NOT metals
name the metallic elements that are used to identify 'archaeological ages' of civilization
name the common 'native' element metallic minerals
electricity is what happens when _________ are on the move
a flashlight represents an electrical circuit - study the 'open' circuit and 'closed' circuit illustrations
Review the Flashlight Test and watch the short videos.
watch the 'flashlight test' of mineral A08. Is mineral A08 metallic or non-metallic?
each unknown sample has its own page - here's A09
students 'test' minerals online by observing a short video and/or image(s) of the actual testing of the unknown sample
students record observational results in a data form
online test of A09 for its luster ; record your determination of luster - metallic or non-metallic
online test of A09 for Mohs hardness ; record your determination of hardness - harder or softer than glass
online test of A09 for streak ; record your determination of streak
online test of A09 for reaction to a magnet ; record your determination of magnetism
online test of A09 reaction to cold, dilute HCl ; record your determination of the sample's reaction to acid
online test of A09 for electrical conductance ; record your determination of the sample's electrical conduction
online observation of A09 cleavage fragments ; record your determination of cleavage in the sample
students compare properties of A09 with reference minerals in the visual bank - closest match wins!
traditional identification activity
student observes (tests) physical samples to determine properties
student records properties on a data form
student consults an expansive chart or table with known minerals and their properties
student identifies an unknown mineral by name when unknown sample properties most closely match those in the reference table
online identification activity
student observes online media (images, video) of tests of physical samples to determine properties
student records properties on a data form (online, notebook, paper, etc.)
student consults online reference table (see below - Digital Bank) of known minerals and their properties
student identifies an unknown mineral by name when unknown sample properties most closely match those in the Digital Bank
Digital Bank - an online digital spreadsheet populated with common reference minerals and their properties
pop-out access from website
multiple tabs pre-sorted for properties
links to image archives on mindat.org
links to technical data on webmineral.com
an example model for observations of unknown samples
instructions for learning to observe and test properties needed for identification
unknown samples, each of which includes videos and images that show the physical test or results of a test on each sample
data form for recording results of observations on unknown samples
pathways to identification of unknown by comparison to reference (named) minerals
compare recorded properties of unknown sample to media of reference minerals
compare recorded properties of unknown sample to pre-sorted properties of reference minerals in the Digital Bank
consult both the visual and the digital reference mineral banks
identification result
name unknown sample by closest match to a reference mineral in the visual or digital banks