My Mineral

Activity Source: The Mineralogical Society of America

 

Background

Minerals are the naturally occurring solid materials that make up rocks and sands and are found in soil. You have probably heard of minerals such as diamond, halite (table salt), graphite, garnet, and quartz, but there are many others. New minerals are being discovered all the time. There are 6,017 minerals as of this writing, and you can learn about them online in the Handbook of Mineralogy, Mineralogy4Kids, and on the Mindat website. Many people collect minerals, have favorite ones, and are always trying to learn as much as they can about them. In this activity, your job is to become a specialist in one mineral of your choice and share your knowledge with others. Hint: You may want to start with your birthstone.

Materials

  • Computer with Internet access
  • PowerPoint or other presentation software
  • A pen or pencil
  • Paper

Procedure

  1. Choose a presentation format to share about one special mineral. You can use PowerPoint or you may prefer to make a poster, or even a video to create an informative and interesting presentation for anyone who likes minerals.

  2. One place you could start identifying your special mineral is the Mindat site’s photo gallery. Take a tour and see what mineral(s) you find interesting.

  3. Once you have chosen a mineral, find out as much as you can about it for your presentation.

    a. For example, its chemical formula, how it is formed, where it is found and how rare it is, its physical properties, how it is used, and anything else you can discover about it.

    b. Be sure to collect images from open-source sites, as well as their references, so that you can cite these.

  4. As you do your research, visit the Minerals Day website’s Resources. There are links there to help with this activity (virtual tours of museum mineral halls, resources from local and regional mineralogical societies, Gemological Institute of America, etc.)

    a. When you complete your presentation, share it with family, friends, classmates, and anyone else who is interested. Be ready to answer questions and listen to any suggestions for improvement.

Analysis

  1. How easy was it to find information on the mineral you chose?

    a. How did the number of available resources affect your mineral choice?

    b. Look up common minerals, such as those listed in the introduction to this activity. Then, look up some extremely rare minerals like Painite or Fingerite. Does the number of resources available seem to be related to how common a mineral is?

  2. View others’ presentations. How does their mineral compare to yours?

Further Steps

The Mineralogical Society of America would be delighted to see your presentation if you would care to share it with us. You can email your presentation to business@minsocam.org using the subject line “My Mineral Presentation”.

NGSS Connections

  • SEP: Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
  • DCI: ESS2.A: Earth’s Materials and Systems
  • CCC: Energy and Matter

SDG Connections