Exploring
Minerals

 Used
by

 Southern
New
England
Native
People
 This
file
contains
instructional
materials
for
an
earth
science
lesson
included
in
The
Whole
Kit
and
 Kaboodle,
a
hands‐on,
inquiry‐centered
science
kit
developed
by
Dr.
Greg
Kniseley,
Susan
Dorr,
and
 Suzy
Williams
in
1992.
Using
a
thematic
approach,
the
curriculum
developers
integrated
a
social
 studies
and
technology
theme,
"Use
of
Natural
Materials,"
with
the
teaching
of
life,
physical,
and
 earth
sciences.
Unit
topics
and
concepts
include:

 • Southern
New
England
Native
People's
uses
of
plants,
animals,
and
rocks
 • Flight
principles
(motion,
force,
gravity,
lift,
thrust,
drag)
of
an
arrow;
making
and
testing
 arrows
 • Physical
properties
(hardness,
streak,
color)
of
six
minerals
used
by
Native
People
during
 the
contact
period
 • Native
and
scientific
explanations
for
the
origin
of
corn
 • Structure
and
function
of
corn
and
bean
seeds;
corn
and
bean
seed
germination;
recording
 data
and
graphing;
a
seed
journal
 • Popcorn
investigations:
What
makes
popcorn
kernels
pop?
How
does
soaking
popcorn
 affect
the
way
it
pops?
 • Interrelationships
of
living
and
nonliving
in
a
southern
New
England
forest
community:
 producers,
consumers,
decomposers,
predator‐prey
relationships,
food
chains
and
food
 webs
 
 The
kit
contains
18
lesson
plans
in
the
teacher's
guide.
Each
lesson
contains
a
general
overview,
an
 objective,
key
terms,
materials,
teacher
preparation,
procedure,
and
extension
activities.
The
two
 storage
totes
contain
most
of
the
materials
required
for
conducting
the
lessons.
The
materials
include
 a
Natural
Materials
Collection,
a
filmstrip/text
(entitled
Native
People's
Uses
of
Plants,
Animals,
and
 Rocks
),
a
Food
Chain
Card
Game,
Mineral
Collections
(contains
6
minerals)
for
four
small
groups,
a
 "lotto"
game,
four
relevant
examples
of
children's
fiction
and
nonfiction,
background
information
for
 the
teacher,
and
inexpensive,
consummable
materials
for
the
science
lessons.
 
 


BACKGROUND
INFORMATION:
 Rocks
and
Minerals
Used
by
Native
People
 
 Minerals
are
natural,
nonliving
solids
with
a
constant
chemical
composition,
generally
crystalline.

 They
are
made
up
of
elements
such
as
silicon,
oxygen,
carbon,
and
iron.

Native
People
used
 felsite,
quartz,
chert,
and
flint
for
points.
 
 Rocks
are
any
masses
of
nonliving
solids,
usually
made
of
two
or
more
minerals.

Quartzite,
a
rock
 used
for
points,
only
contains
the
mineral
quartz.

Scientists
classify
rocks
as
igneous,
 sedimentary,
or
metamorphic.
 
 Igneous
Rocks
are
molten
material
which
are
cooled
into
crystal
or
crystalline
masses.

Felsite
is
 an
igneous
rock.
 
 Sedimentary
Rocks
are
layered
deposits
of
sediment
such
as
mud
or
sand.

Native
People
did
not
 use
sedimentary
rocks
as
points.

However,
flint
and
chert
were
found
with
sedimentary
 rocks.
 
 Metamorphic
Rocks
are
igneous
or
sedimentary
rocks,
transformed
by
great
heat
or
pressure.
 Native
People
used
quartzite
and
argillite
(red
slate)
for
points.

They
carved
soapstone,
a
soft,
 metamorphic
rock,
into
bowls
and
jewelry.
 


Minerals
Collection
 
 SAMPLE
NUMBER/NAME
 
 1‐‐Soapstone
(Talc)
 
 Talc
comes
from
the
Latin
word
 talcum.

In
Old
French,
talc
meant
 "mica"
probably
because
some
 forms
of
talc
occur
in
thin
layers
or
 plates
like
true
mica.
 
 
 
 
 2‐‐Quartz
(Chert)
 
 Comes
from
the
German
word
 quarz.

Nobody
seems
to
know
 from
where
the
German
word
 came.

Chert
is
an
impure
form
of
 flint.
 
 
 
 
 3‐‐Quartz
(Flint)
 
 Comes
from
the
German
word
 quarz.

Nobody
seems
to
know
 from
where
the
German
word
 came.



 4‐‐Hematite
 (Red
Ochre)
 
 Comes
from
the
Greek
word
for
 blood,
haima
 
 5‐‐Pyrite
 ("Fool's
Gold")
 No
fool
would
ever
confuse
this
 brassy
colored
mineral
with
gold!
 
 
 
 6‐‐Limonite

 (Yellow
Ochre)
 


NATIVE
USES
 
 
 
 This
soft
mineral
was
easily
carved
 into
pipes,
bowls,
pendants,
and
 game
stones.


TODAY'S
USES
 
 
 
 Used
to
make
fine
powder
for
the
 skin,
paint,
fired‐clay
objects,
 paper,
and
as
a
carving
material.
 



 Chert
splits
in
many
directions
and
 fractures
to
a
sharp
edge
when
 shaped
with
stones,
antlers,
and
 bones.

Native
People
shaped
chert
 into
points,
knives,
spears,
and
 scrapers.
 
 Evidence
suggests
that
fire
was
 made
by
striking
two
pieces
of
 chert
to
create
a
spark.
 
 
 Flint
splits
in
many
directions
and
 fractures
to
a
sharp
edge
when
 shaped
with
stones,
antlers,
and
 bones.

Native
People
shaped
flint
 into
points,
knives,
spears,
scrapers.
 
 Evidence
suggests
that
fire
was
 made
by
striking
two
pieces
of
flint
 to
create
a
spark.
 
 
 
 Native
People
crushed
hematite
 into
a
powder.

They
mixed
the
 powder
with
animal
fat
to
produce
 a
red
body
paint.



 
 
 
 Most
sand
is
made
up
of
small
 pieces
of
quartz.

Quartz
is
used
for
 sanding
hard
surfaces.
 
 
 



 Native
People
crushed
limonite
into
 a
powder.

They
mixed
the
powder
 with
animal
fat
to
produce
a
yellow
 body
paint.
 



 
 Limonite
is
used
to
make
a
yellow
 pigment.
 



 
 
 Most
sand
is
made
up
of
small
 pieces
of
quartz.
Quartz
is
used
for
 sanding
hard
surfaces.
 
 Used
in
electronics
and
glass‐ making.
 



 Hematite
is
a
source
of
iron
which
is
 used
as
steel
for
automobiles,
 railroad
tracks,
and
skyscrapers;
 pigments;
and
a
jeweler's
polishing
 powder.
 
 
 
 When
flint
or
chert
was
unavailable,
 
 Native
People
might
have
struck
 Pyrite
is
a
source
of
sulfur
which
is
 two
lumps
of
iron
pyrite
to
cause
a
 used
to
make
paper.
 spark.
 


BACKGROUND
INFORMATION:


 Organizing
and
Identifying
Minerals
 


ORGANIZING
ROCKS:
 In
the
classroom,
you
can
classify
or
organize
rocks
according
to
various
characteristics.

Geologists
organize
rocks
and
 minerals
according
to
size,
hardness,
weight,
external
color,
streak,
composition
(e.g.,
kind
of
minerals,
the
way
it
breaks),
 and
other
indicators
(e.g.,
magnetism,
reaction
to
vinegar
or
hydrochloric
acid).

For
suggestions
of
ways
to
teach
 classifying
and
making
dichotomous
keys,
see
Appendix
D
 
 CONDUCTING
A
HARDNESS
TEST:
 Rocks
vary
in
hardness
and
can
be
ordered
from
soft
to
hard.

The
Hardness
Sorting
Key
is
commonly
used
to
determine
 the
hardness
of
a
rock
or
mineral.

A
rock
that
scratches
another
rock
is
harder
than
that
rock.

Softest
Rock
(talc)
=
1.0
 and
Hardest
Rock
(diamond)
=
10.0.

When
students
conduct
the
hardness
test,
they
will
determine
if
a
rock
can
be
 scratched
by
a
fingernail,
penny,
or
a
point
of
a
steel
nail.

If
the
rock
cannot
be
scratched
with
a
point
of
a
steel
nail,
then
 the
rock
is
as
hard
or
harder
than
glass.

If
the
rock
can
be
scratched
by
a
steel
nail,
copper
penny,
and
a
thumbnail,
then
 the
rock
is
softer
than
glass. 
 CONDUCTING
A
STREAK
TEST:
 Some
minerals
can
be
identified
by
a
"streak
test".

Geologists
rub
the
edge
of
a
mineral
across
a
piece
of
unglazed
 porcelain
tile.

Geologists
use
the
color
of
the
streak
(powder
left
on
the
tile)
to
identify
some
minerals.

The
powder
from
 the
mineral
often
differs
from
the
external
color
of
the
rock.


 
 The
following
is
a
table
of
minerals
included
in
the
collection
and
their
characteristics:






 
 SAMPLE
 NUMBER‐
 NAME
 
 
 1‐Talc
(Soapstone)



 2‐Quartz
(Chert)
 
 
 3‐Quartz
(Flint)



 4‐Hematite

 (Red
Ochre)
 
 
 5‐Pyrite



 6‐Limonite

 (Yellow
Ochre)
 


HARDNESS
TEST
 RESULT



 
 [H=as
hard
or
harder
than
 STREAK
TEST
RESULT
 glass;
S=softer
than
glass]
 (Moh's
Scale)
 
 S
 (1.0)
 
 
 H
 (7.0)
 
 
 H
 (7.0)
 
 
 H
 (5.5‐6.5)
 
 
 H
 (6.0‐6.5)
 
 
 H
 (5.0‐5.5)



 
 EXTERNAL
COLOR



 white



 gray
or
green
 



 white



 lighter
in
color
than
flint



 white



 red
or
red‐brown


gray
or
black
outside;
 might
be
covered
with
a
 white
powder‐like
 material
 
 gray,
red‐brown



 greenish‐black



 pale
yellow;
brassy



 yellowish
brown



 brown





Hardness
Sorting
Key
(Moh's
Scale)
 



 Geologists
use
a
key,
similar
to
the
hardness
sorting
key
used
in
the
lesson,
to
determine
the
 hardness
of
a
rock
or
mineral.

They
call
the
key
Moh's
Scale.
 
 
 
 HARD‐
 
 
 NESS
SCALE

 
 
 (soft
to
 HARDNESS
TEST
 MINERAL
EXAMPLE
 hard)
 1.
 easily
scratches
with
fingernail
 Talc
 2.
 scratches
with
a
fingernail
 Gypsum

 3.
 scratches
with
a
copper
penny
or
pin
 Calcite
 4.
 easily
scratches
with
point
of
good
steel
 Fluorite
 knife
and
by
glass
 5.
 scratches
with
point
of
good
steel
knife
 Apatite
 6.
 knife
will
not
scratch
rock
and
rock
will
 Feldspar
 not
scratch
glass
 7.
 scratches
glass
easily
 Quartz
 8.
 scratches
quartz
easily
 Topaz
 9.
 scratches
topaz
easily
 Corundum
 10.
 scratches
all
other
rocks
 Diamond


Exploring
Minerals
Lesson
 
 
 


GENERAL
OVERVIEW:





LEARNING
OUTCOME:



 SCIENCE
PROCESSES
AND
SKILLS:
 
 KEY
TERMS:
 





Students
observe
the
physical
characteristics
of
six
minerals
used
by
Native
 People.
 Students
observe
the
physical
characteristics
of
minerals
and
conduct
the
 hardness
and
streak
tests
to
describe
physical
properties
of
minerals
used
by
 Native
People.
Students
collect,
organize,
and
interprets
data.
 Observing,
classifying,
inferring
 Rock,
mineral,
hardness,
streak,
texture


CLASS
TIME
REQUIRED:
45‐60
minutes
 
 MATERIALS:
Mineral
Collections;
Hardness
Kit
and
Streak
Test
Kit;
"Background
Information:

Organizing
and
Identifying
 Minerals;"
"
Minerals
Record
Sheet
(Individual);"
"Hardness
Sorting
Key;"
"Minerals
Chart;"
magnifying
lens.
 
 GETTING
READY:
 1.
 Read
about
the
mineral
collections
in
the
"Teacher
Resources"
section
of
the
Introduction.

 
 2.
 Remove
the
Hardness
Test
Kits
and
porcelain
tiles
from
each
Mineral
Collection
box.
Assign
one
Mineral
 Collection
to
each
group.

Assign
one
mineral
to
each
student.

Some
students
may
have
to
share
a
mineral
if
you
 have
more
than
24
students.
 
 3.
 Some
students
may
need
some
help
keeping
good
records
and
using
charts
in
this
lesson.
 
 4.
 Review
how
the
materials
were
used
by
Native
People..


 
 5.
 Before
the
lesson,
practice
the
Hardness
and
Streak
Tests
with
each
mineral.
 
 6.
 After
the
lesson,
clean
the
tiles
with
soap
and
water.

Dry
the
tiles
and
return
them
to
the
Mineral
Collection
 boxes.
 
 7.
 Cooperative
Learning:

Assign
tasks
and
roles
(e.g.,
Materials
Collector,
Recorder,
Reporter,
and
Task
Master).


 
 
 
 CONDUCTING
THE
LESSON:
 1.
 Ask:

How
do
you
think
Native
People
during
the
Contact
Period,
people
today,
other
animals,
and
plants
use
 rocks
and
minerals?

Make
a
list
of
possible
uses.
(Note:

Geologists
distinguish
between
rocks
and
minerals.
All
 rocks
are
made
up
of
minerals.

All
rocks
of
the
world
are
made
up
of
various
combinations
of
minerals.

Minerals
 have
a
definite,
unchanging
composition.

Rocks
may
contain
varying
amounts
of
different
minerals.)
 
 
 2.
 Distribute
to
each
group
a
Minerals
Collection
box
and
three
magnifying
lens.

Assign
each
student
one
or
two
 minerals.

Ask:

What
are
some
ways
you
can
observe
a
rock
closely?

Have
the
students
observe
the
minerals
 carefully
using
their
sense
of
sight,
smell,
and
touch.

Have
the
students
observe
the
minerals
with
the
 magnifying
lens.

Have
them
record
the
characteristics
of
the
rocks
(color,
size,
shape,
weight,
texture,
sound
 when
tapped
gently
on
a
hard
surface,
smell
etc.)
in
the
mineral
chart.



CONDUCTING
THE
LESSON
(continued):
 
 3.
 Demonstrate
the
hardness
and
streak
tests.

Explain
how
to
complete
the
record
sheet
and
chart.

Use
the
 "Background
Information:

Organizing
and
Identifying
Minerals,"
"Minerals
Record
Sheet,"
"Hardness
Sorting
 Key,"
and
"Minerals
Chart."

Distribute
the
zipper
bags
with
Hardness
Test
materials
and
the
porcelain
tiles.
 
 4.
 Have
the
students
conduct
the
hardness
and
streak
tests
for
their
minerals
and
complete
the
top
part
of
the
 "Minerals
Record
Sheet."
 
 5.
 Each
student
records
their
results
on
the
"Group
Mineral
Chart"
and
answers
the
questions
on
the
bottom
of
the
 "Minerals
Record
Sheet."
 
 6.
 Compare
each
group's
results.
Discuss
questions
at
the
bottom
of
the
"Minerals
Record
Sheet."
 
 7.
 Use
the
chart
from
the
Background
Information
sheet
to
identify
the
minerals.
 
 8.
 Return
the
nails
and
pennies
to
the
zipper
bags.

Wash
the
powder
off
the
porcelain
tiles
and
dry
them.

Place
the
 zipper
bags
and
tiles
in
the
Mineral
Collection
boxes.
 
 9.
 Show
the
students
the
natural
objects
from
the
Natural
Material
Collection.

Have
them
match
the
Native
Use
 Cards
with
the
natural
objects.

 
 OTHER
ACTIVITIES:
 
 1. Have
students
devise
an
identification
key
to
the
six
minerals
by
sorting
and
classifying
the
rocks.


 
 2. Have
students
bring
a
variety
of
rocks
to
class.

Have
students
sort
and
classify
(according
to
size,
shape,
 color,
texture,
etc.)

Use
egg
cartons
to
sort
rocks
(rough
vs.
smooth,
flat
vs.
round,
shiny
vs.
dull).

Have
 students
devise
an
identification
key
to
the
six
minerals.

Invite
a
local
rock
collector
(rock
hound)
or
 geologist
to
help
the
students
classify
rocks
according
to
how
they
were
formed:

igneous,
metamorphic,
and
 sedimentary
rocks..
 
 3. Read
Byrd
Baylor's
Everybody
Needs
a
Rock.
Have
students
find
and
adopt
a
"pet"
rock.

Students
can
 describe
the
physical
characteristics
and
uses
of
the
rock.
 
 4. Have
students
make
a
chart
listing
the
uses
of
rocks
and
minerals
by
people
(e.g.,
buildings,
fences,
food),
 other
animals
(e.g.,
shelters,
digestion
of
food
in
birds),
and
plants
(e.g.,
nutrients
for
growing).

Students
can
 draw
or
use
magazine
pictures
and
photos
to
illustrate
each
category.

Find
out
where
and
how
the
bricks
 were
made
or
rocks
were
quarried
to
build
the
school.
 
 5. Read
Joanna
Cole's
The
Magic
Schoolbus
Inside
the
Earth.

this
book
is
not
included
in
the
kit.
 
 6.
 For
locations
of
rocks
and
minerals
in
Rhode
Island
see
the
following
references
(not
provided
in
the
kit):

 
 Miller,
Clarence
E.

(1971).

Rhode
Island
Minerals
and
Their
Locations.

Department
of
Geology,
University
of
 Rhode
Island.

 
 Quinn,
Alonzo.

(1976).

Rhode
Island
Geology
for
the
Non‐Geologist.

Rhode
Island
Department
of
Natural
 Resources.


MINERALS
RECORD
SHEET
(INDIVIDUAL)






 
 
 SAMPLE
NUMBER



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



 
 
 COLOR,
SHAPE,
AND
 
 
 TEXTURE
OF
THE
 STREAK
TEST
RESULT
 HARDNESS
TEST
 ROCK
 (Describe
the
color
of
 RESULT
 (Is
it
shiny
or
dull?
 the
the
powder
after
 (Is
it
harder
or
softer
 Does
it
have
sharp
or
 rubbing
the
rock
 than
the
steel
nail?)
 rounded
edges?
Does
 across
the
tile.)
 
 it
feel
smooth
or
 rough?)
 
 
 
 



 









 Complete
the
following
questions
after
you
and
your
group
have
examined
all
six
minerals:
 
 1.
 Which
is
your
favorite
mineral?
 
 
 
 
 2.
 Which
minerals
would
you
use
for
a
point
of
an
arrow?
 
 
 
 
 3.
 Which
minerals
would
you
carve
for
a
bowl?
 
 4.
 Which
minerals
would
you
use
for
body
paint?
 
 5.
 How
was
your
mineral
used
by
Native
People
in
1700?
 
 
 
 6.
 How
is
your
mineral
used
by
people
today?



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


MINERAL
COLLECTION
CHART



 
 
 
 SAMPLE
 NUMBER





1
 
 
 2
 
 
 3
 
 
 4
 
 
 5
 
 
 6
 
 



 
 
 COLOR
AND
TEXTURE
OF
THE
 
 
 ROCK
 STREAK
TEST
RESULT
 HARDNESS
TEST
RESULT
 (Is
it
shiny
or
dull?
Does
it
have
 (Describe
the
color
of
the
the
 (Is
it
harder
than
glass
or
softer
 sharp
or
rounded
edges?
Does
 powder
after
rubbing
the
rock
 than
a
copper
penny?)
 it
feel
smooth
or
rough?)
 across
the
tile.)
 
 
 
 
 















































SIZE
SORTING
KEY



 Rocks
can
be
sorted
according
to
size.

The
following
is
a
size‐sorting
key.
 
 NAME
 SIZE
(in
inches)
 clay

 particles
can
only
be
seen
with
a
microscope

 silt

 as
fine
as
scouring
powder
 sand

 1/4
to
1/16
inches
across
 granules

 1/16
to
1/8
inches
across
 pebble

 1/8
to
2
1/2
inches
across
 cobble

 2
1/2
to
10
inches
across
 boulder

 more
than
10
inches
across