Sixth graders learn what makes something a mineral — it must be naturally occurring, inorganic, solid, and have a crystal structure and definite composition — and how properties like hardness and streak help identify them.
Students will be able to…
Gold and quartz are minerals; wood and steel are not. What five rules must a substance meet to count as a mineral — and how do geologists tell one mineral from another?
Project this and sort each substance by whether it meets the five rules to be a mineral, or fails one of them.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
Gold and quartz are minerals; wood and steel are not — what’s the rule?
Students investigate.
Students explain.
Students elaborate.
Students conclude.
Aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (Middle School Earth & Space Science).
Develop a model of the cycling of Earth’s materials (rocks and minerals).
Analyze the distribution of Earth’s mineral and natural resources.
Describe the atomic composition of substances.
Analyzing and interpreting data.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students test minerals by rubbing them on a streak plate to reveal the color of their powder — a reliable identification clue. A printable minerals sheet is in the Science library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.