Mineral Sorting Kit

SKU #RM-6

(5 reviews)

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Sort and identify 15 rock and mineral samples.

Description

Students use a simple identification "key" to sort 15 small rough and polished rock and mineral samples. The special key is large enough for students to actually place the specimens directly on it. The kit includes rocks and minerals such as mica, quartz, calcite, amethyst, pyrite, plus 10 others. This kit has been successfully field tested in hundreds of classrooms with students in grades 2-5. Contains small samples. Not recommended for children under 7.

Lesson Ideas

Download the pdf of this lesson!

Activities:

Place the 15 rock and mineral samples on the START circle, and begin the separation process. You should end with one sample on each of the rectangles.
Note: Some younger students may need help with the idea of a key to classify and separate a set of objects. They may need to practice using this key several times. Explain that the polished samples are not found this way in nature.
Have students try to identify the rocks and minerals without using the key.
Have students place the samples in alphabetical order by their names without looking at the list.
Create a different key which could be used to separate this set of rocks and minerals.
Devise a key for a different set of rocks and minerals.
After the students have mastered this set, ask them to identify unpolished specimens of the same kind. Unpolished specimens can be purchased at many science supple houses, as well as many museums and rock and mineral shows.

Warning: This kit contains many small rock and mineral samples. Keep away from very young children! Never place these or any other rocks or minerals in your mouth!

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Reviews

5 reviews

A little to be desired

Jun 10, 2021

With no geology experience whatsoever, I was able to identify the 15 objects based on their map. However, I wish the key was a little more stable. I had to make a photocopy to use because the original thin paper came folded and crumpled and wouldn't lay flat, that the stones wouldn't even weigh it down. I would have preferred a card stock, or laminated version.

Librarian Rachel

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Great Activity for Rocks and Minerals Lessons

Feb 20, 2019

Used during a Science Outreach event with 3rd graders and they found it fun. The mica samples didn't stand up to 120+ pairs of hands but that's ok, I can always find more. I bought enough kits for the teachers to use in their classrooms after the event.

Tiffany Hayden

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nice reinforcement

Dec 29, 2017

product did a nice job of reinforcing concepts covered

Mary Hughes

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packing

Dec 3, 2012

The samples arived in a plastic zip-lock bag loose and covered with dust like materal in the bag. A result of the handeling by the shipper I would guess. Altho some scratching occured the samples were as described.

John

Owner Response: John, we are sorry you are not completely satisfied with your purchase. We would be more than happy to exchange your Mineral Sorting Kit with one that meets your expectations. Please contact customer service to arrange an return.

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Easy to Do

May 16, 2012

My 1st grader and I were able to successfully "label" the minerals because of the simplicity of the chart. I even took it to his school to share with his class, who were able to use it in one of their centers for the day.

Tricia Parker

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NGSS

This product will support your students' understanding of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)*, as shown in the table below.

Elementary

Middle School

High School

2-PS1-1

Students can use Mineral Sorting Kit to plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties.

2-ESS1-1

Students can make observations of the minerals in the Mineral Sorting Kit and use information from media to construct an evidence-based account that Earth events can occur quickly or slowly.

5-PS1-3

Students can use the minerals in the Mineral Sorting Kit to make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties.

MS-ESS2-1

Students can make observations of minerals in the Mineral Sorting Kit as part of an investigation to develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.

HS-ESS1-5

Students can make observations of minerals in the Mineral Sorting Kit of the past and current movements of continental and oceanic crust and the theory of plate tectonics to explain the ages of crustal rocks.

Suggested Science Idea(s)

2-PS1-1
5-PS1-3

Students can make observations and sort the minerals in the Mineral Sorting Kit. They can describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties.

2-ESS1-1

Students can make observations on the minerals in the Mineral Sorting Kit to look for crystals. If there are well-formed, large crystals, the rock shows evidence of a slow process. Small crystals shows evidence of faster cooling.

MS-ESS2-1
HS-ESS1-5

Students can make observations of the minerals in the Mineral Sorting Kit as part of a study of Earth's geologic history.

* NGSS is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of, and do not endorse, this product.

Mineral Sorting Kit

NGSS

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