Analyzing the hardness of rocks

Lesson 3 November 18, 2015

50min
GENERAL OUTCOMES
Demonstrate knowledge of materials that comprise Earths crust, and demonstrate
skill in classifying these materials
SPECIFIC OUTCOMES
Give description of the properties of a particular rock or mineral, identify a
sample rock or mineral that matches those properties of a particular rock or
mineral, identify a sample rock or mineral that matches those properties.
Properties that students should be able to describe and interpret include:
Color
lustre
Texture
Hardness
CROSS-CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS
Language Arts
5.2 work with a group
o Contribute ideas and information on topics to develop a common
knowledge base in the group
NUMERACY/LITERACY; ENGAGED/ETHICAL/ENTREPRENEURIAL STUDENT
Engaged thinker numeracy, know how to learn
Ethical citizen think critically, manage information
KAGAN STRATEGIES/INSTRUCTIONAL INTELLIGENCES
Snowball
MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES/LEARNING STYLES
Auditory
Visual
Tactile/kinesthetic
BLOOMS TAXONOMY GUIDING QUESTIONS
Recall what properties have we already looked at
Have students look at the bag and predict what type of test we will be doing next,
based on the items in the bag.
MATERIALS

MANIPULATIVES

Bag containing (pennie, nail, emery

file and glass bead)
Rock collections
Rock collection worksheets
Colored paper
pencils

TEACHER ACTIVITIES
Anticipatory Set (Hook)

Keep rock collections on floor

Place bag containing; pennie, nail,
emery file and glass bead on
students desk and half piece of
paper
Have students look at the bag and
predict what type of property test
we will be doing next, based on the
items in the bag.
Have students write down their
ideas on a half piece of paper.
When student are finished they will
then crumple up their paper and
snowball it (throw into a container)
Everyone will then grab one, open
it and share it with the class.
Tell students the test we are going
to be doing today is hardness.
[10 min]

Smartboard (notebook presentation)

STUDENT ACTIVITES

Practice/Development

Recall what properties we have

already looked at?
o Colour
o Lustre (metallic flecks,
glassy flecks, oily lustre
and dull lustre)
o Texture (coarse, fine, very
fine)
o Size (sand, granules,
pebbles, cobbles, boulder)
Ask what the first, second, third and

Predicted what type of test we will

be doing based on the items in the
bags

Write prediction on paper

Crumple it up and throw it in

container

Share your new paper with class

fourth properties we have looked at

are, write they on the board.
With an elbow partner have each
students share one ideas about each
category.
Slide 1
What is hardness? (Hardness is the
ability of a mineral to resist
scratching. It is important to
identify the hardness when people
want to build or construct
something from a given material.
The hardness dictates the function
or use of the materials. For
example, diamonds are often used
as drill bits because they are so
hard. Talc is ground up into powder.

Share one ideas from each category

Raise had and say what hardness is

Pick rock and go through Mohs

hardness scale

Determine hardness of all rocks in

Slide 2
Go thought Mohs Hardness Scale
Hand out Mohs Hardness Scale
sheets.
Read definition (invented by
German geologist, Friedrich Mohs
in 1822)
o Very soft fingernail
o Soft penny
o Medium nail
o Hard emery file
o Very -hard glass
Have each students pick one rock
from rock collection.
Go through the tests starting with
fingernail and working up.
At each hardness test ask if
anyones rock scratched.
If the answer is yes, you would
record it. If the answer is no, try
scratching with penny, etc.
Hand out My Rock Collection:
Hardness sheets (first person in
each row)
Have students go through the steps

to find the hardness of each of their

rocks.
[30 min]
Check for Understanding
Thumbs up, down, sideways
Closure/Reflection
Ask students to raise hand if they
had a rock that was; very soft, soft,
medium and hard.
[2min]

collection

MODIFICATIONS and EXTENSIONS

If students are taking to long they can put it in the unfinished for bin and finish it
when they have spare time
If students are finished early they can help a friend find the hardness of their rock
If students are finished early they can work on brain bubbles
EVALUATION and ASSESSMENT
Have students put their rock collection sheets in their binders and had in their rock
collection sheets in the science bin
NOTES AND REVISIONS