Heads up, field trip coming up!

So this week we have our first field trip to the Earth & Minerals Science Museum! We did a whole unit on Minerals towards the end of the regular school year as well as a unit on the Rock Cycle! Our review today on minerals was a little rough so let's review one more time.

Mineral: A naturally formed, inorganic solid that has a definite crystalline structure.
Elements: Pure substances that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by ordinary chemical means.

Is it a mineral? By asking the following four questions, you can tell whether an object is a mineral or not.
1.) Is it nonliving material?
2.) Is it a solid?
3.) Does it have a crystalline structure?
4.) Is it formed in nature?

Atoms: The smallest part of an element that has all the properties of that element.
Compound: A substance made of two or more elements that have been chemically joined or bonded.
Crystals: Solid, geometric forms of minerals produced by a repeating pattern of atoms or molecules.

Two Groups of Minerals: Silicate and Nonsilicate.
Silicate: Minerals that contain a combination of silicon and oxygen.
Nonsilicate: Minerals that do not contain a combination of the elements silicon and oxygen.


Identifying minerals:
Luster: The way the surface reflects light.
Streak: Color of a mineral in powdered form.
Cleavage: The tendency of some minerals to break along smooth, flat surfaces.
Fracture: The tendency of some minerals to break along curved or irregular surfaces.
Hardness: Mohs Hardness Scale is used to determine the minerals resistance to being scratched.

Answer the following questions in the comment box:

 1. Which of the following is NOT true about a mineral? 
 a. It is a solid. 
 b. It has a crystalline structure. 
 c. It is not a living thing. 
 d. It is made in a lab. 

 2. What is the smallest part of an element called? 
 a. an atom 
 b. a native element 
 c. a compound 
 d. a crystal 

 3. What is a substance made of two or more chemically bonded elements 
called? 
 a. an atom 
 b. a native element 
 c. a compound 
 d. a crystal 

 4. Which of the following is NOT true of crystals? 
 a. They are solids. 
 b. They have a geometric form. 
 c. They are alive. 
 d. They have a repeating inner structure. 

 5. What two groups are minerals divided into? 
 a. atoms and compounds 
 b. crystals and solids 
 c. silicate minerals and nonsilicate minerals 
 d. hard minerals and soft minerals 

 Also, what are your thoughts on our upcoming field trip? Are you excited? Do you think it will be fun or boring? Are you hoping to learn something new? Tell me in the comment section along with your answers.

REMEMBER IF YOU DO NOT HAVE YOUR PERMISSION SLIP IN BY FRIDAY MORNING, YOU WILL NOT GO ON THE FIELD TRIP!!