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Rocks and Minerals
Rocks and Minerals
Rock - A rock is any natural combination (aggregate) of two or more minerals. For example,
granite is a rock composed of the minerals quartz (white), feldspar (pink), and mica (black)
Rocks are classified into one of three groups depending on how they were formed:
igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic.
Activity:
Using the four samples provided on this table, place each in its correct location on the diagram.
Draw a diagram of the rock granite, and use pencil crayons to shade your diagram as realistically
as possible. Create a legend to explain your colour scheme or label each of the three minerals on
your diagram.
Granite:
CGF3M Rock and Mineral Activity 1/HD/JPD - Adapted from Mining Matters/0316
Date: __________________________________________________
Activity:
Match the samples provided on this table with the consumer product in which they are an
important ingredient. How many of these products do you actually use, or have used?
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Aluminium, Barite, Chromium, Clay, Copper, Feldspar, Granite, Gypsum, Indium, Iron,
Iron Oxide, Limestone, Nickel, Quartz, Shale, Silica, Silver, Titanium Dioxide, Vermiculite, Zinc
Match the minerals listed above to the products they are found in within your home (use the
iPad and rock and mineral reference books to help in your task):
Are there any other rocks, minerals, or metals used in your home?
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CGF3M Rock and Mineral Activity 2/HD/JPD - Adapted from Mining Matters/0316
Date: __________________________________________________
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Would your senses always be a reliable method of determining the identity of a mineral?
Why or why not?
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Activity - Part 2:
Examine the “Physical Properties of Minerals” chart below and use the testing equipment on the
table (magnet, nail, penny, conductivity tester, magnifying glass, streak plate, and copy of the
Mohs’ hardness scale) to make a more precise evaluation of the identity of the seven mineral
samples.
Mineral Colour Lustre Hardness Magnetic Conductivity Streak Distinction
Amethyst purple colour;
purple vitreous white/ no cleavage
7 No No
(glassy) colourless fractures like
glass
Calcite flat, glassy
beige vitreous 3 cleavage
No No white
off-white (glassy) (can be surfaces,
white scratched by effervesces
a penny) with acid
CGF3M Rock and Mineral Activity 3/HD/JPD - Adapted from Mining Matters/0316
Date: ___________________________________________
Birthstones
Month J F M A M J J A S O N D
Stone Garnet Amethyst Aquamarine Diamond Emerald Pearl Ruby Peridot Sapphire Opal Topaz Turquoise
CGF3M Rock and Mineral Activity 3/HD/JPD - Adapted from Mining Matters/0316
Date: __________________________________________________
1. Are there any characteristics that you notice that are unique to igneous rocks?
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2. Are there any characteristics that you notice that are unique to sedimentary rocks?
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3. Are there any characteristics that you notice that are unique to metamorphic rocks?
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CGF3M Rock and Mineral Activity 4/HD/JPD - Adapted from Mining Matters/0316
Date: __________________________________________________
Activity:
Using the information provided on the table and your textbook, complete the rock cycle diagram below:
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CGF3M Rock and Mineral Activity 5/HD/JPD - Adapted from Mining Matters/0316
Date: __________________________________________________
Pumice - Pumice is formed when lava, magma that reaches the surface of the Earth (extrusive), cools
quickly and solidifies (becomes volcanic rock). It is identified by its holes, called vesicles, which were
formed from gas bubbles trapped in the cooling lava after the volcanic eruption. If you look closely at
other volcanic igneous rocks, you will sometimes see vesicles, but usually not as clear as you will see in
this pumice sample.
2. Use the magnifying glass to examine the vesicles found on the sample. Describe what you see.
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3. Place the sample of pumice in the container of water and note what happens. Explain why this
happens. Remove the pumice from the container and place it on the paper towel.
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Diorite - Diorite is formed when magma cools slowly under (intrusive) the Earth’s surface (plutonic
igneous rock). It is identified by its large grain (crystals) size and its appearance. Diorite is made up of
about half light - and half dark-coloured grains. Each grain represents an individual mineral. The different
coloured grains indicate that there is more than one mineral in the sample. That is a clue that diorite is a
rock and not a mineral. The white mineral is plagioclase feldspar and the black is hornblende and mica.
5. Use the magnifying glass to examine the diorite. Describe what you see.
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6. Place the diorite in the container of water and note what happens. Remove the rhyolite
from the container and place it on the paper towel.
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CGF3M Rock and Mineral Activity 6/HD/JPD - Adapted from Mining Matters/0316
Date: __________________________________________________
Activity:
1. Look at the sediments in the jar. Observe the shape and colour of the grains. Use a ruler to
estimate the size of the grains (try counting the number of grains along 1cm).
Sediment 2
Sediment 3
2. Gently shake the jar of sediments and place the jar back on the table. Record your
observations of the water and sediments in your container after each time period listed.
Time Observations
Immediately after shaking
After 1 minute
After 5 minutes
After 10 minutes
Next day
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CGF3M Rock and Mineral Activity 7/HD/JPD - Adapted from Mining Matters/0316
Date: __________________________________________________
Activity - Part 1:
1. Roll the plasticine between your hands until it is soft and easy to shape. Roll it into a ball shape.
2. Insert the five pennies into the plasticine ball in different directions (randomly oriented). In the chart
below sketch and label a picture of the plasticine ball before pressure was applied.
3. Place the ball on the desk and carefully flatten the plasticine. In the chart below sketch and label a
picture of the plasticine ball after pressure was applied.
4. Remove the pennies from the plasticine ball and leave for the next group.
Activity - Part 2:
Complete the Venn diagram below to compare and contrast the parent rock - granite (igneous) with its
metamorphic form - gneiss. Note what is similar about the two rocks in the centre section, and what is
different about each in their respective sides.
CGF3M Rock and Mineral Activity 8/HD/JPD - Adapted from Mining Matters/0316
Date: __________________________________________________
Paleozoic Cambrian
Ordovician
Silurian
Devonian
Carboniferous
Permian
Mesozoic Triassic
Phanerozoic Jurassic
CGF3M Rock and Mineral Activity 9/HD/JPD - Adapted from Mining Matters/0316
Date: __________________________________________________
CGF3M Rock and Mineral Activity 10/HD/JPD - Adapted from Mining Matters/0316
Date: __________________________________________________
Activity 2
On the map of Canada on the back of this page, add a title and show in which Provinces and
Territories these four metals are produced.
CGF3M Rock and Mineral Activity 11/HD/JPD - Adapted from Mining Matters/0316
Note: This activity can be updated each year to reflect the current mineral data compiled and
distributed by the Mining Association of Canada in their Facts and Figures report produced
annually. Data for 2015 is can be found at: http://mining.ca/documents/facts-and-figures-2015.
CGF3M Rock and Mineral Activity 11/HD/JPD - Adapted from Mining Matters/0316
Date: __________________________________________________
Ore - An ore is a naturally occurring material from which a mineral (or minerals) of economic
value can be extracted for profit.
Activity
Examine the posters on this table that depict an underground mine and a surface mine.
Complete the following chart to compare and contrast these two mining techniques.
CGF3M Rock and Mineral Activity 12/HD/JPD - Adapted from Mining Matters/0316
The Stages of Operating a Mine
1. Mineral Exploration
Geologists use many different methods to look for valuable minerals. They study satellite
images of the Earth and use aircraft to measure things, such as the magnetism in the land. Maps
also help them choose an area to explore.
Before a mining company can explore more closely, it must get the exclusive rights to a
piece of land. This is called staking a claim. The company can then use special equipment to look
more closely for mineral deposits. Geologists do field work to identify different rocks and collect
rock and soil samples to study in a laboratory. If the results are good, the company drills holes in
the ground to take out long, thin cylinders of rock called cores, which can be studied to find out
how much valuable mineral they contain.
2. Evaluation
Once a mining company finds a mineral deposit, the next step is to decide if it will be
worth spending the millions of dollars needed to construct a mine.
A mineral evaluation looks at how much it will cost to construct and operate the mine, to
sell the minerals, to take care of the environment, and whether or not the company will make any
money. Finding a good mineral deposit is rare.
3. Mine Construction
Mineral deposits close to the surface of the Earth can be mined by digging a surface or
open pit mine. This means using huge diggers to scrape away the surface material and blasting
the solid rock with explosives to reach the valuable minerals.
Mineral deposits buried deep in the Earth have to be mined using an underground mine.
This means digging tunnels into the Earth to reach the valuable minerals.
CGF3M Rock and Mineral Activity 12/HD/JPD - Adapted from Mining Matters/0316