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Minerals Rocks Birthstones and Gemstones

The Rock Cycle

Museum of Rocks and Minerals

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Miss Menk is a 5th grade teacher at Shoemaker Elementary School in the East Penn School District.

When she is not teaching, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and playing with her dog, Marley.

Special thanks to Harcourt Science Earth Science book for the information in this museum!

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Note: Virtual museums were first introduced by educators at Keith Valley Middle School in Horsham, Pennsylvania. This template was designed by Lindsey Warneka under the direction of Dr. Christy Keeler during a Teaching American History grant module. View the Educational Virtual Museums website for more information on this instructional technique.

Museum of Rocks and Minerals

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Minerals

How do mineralsform?

What are some mineral properties?

How are minerals used?

Museum of Rocks and Minerals

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Rocks

Igneous RocksSedimentary Rocks

MetamorphicRocks

Museum of Rocks and Minerals

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The Rock Cycle

DefinitionProcesses Involved

Examples of theRock Cycle

Museum of Rocks and Minerals

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Birthstones and Gemstones

Museum of Rocks and Minerals

Lab Created Lab Created GemstonesGemstones

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This is the world’s largest blue diamond which is named the Hope Diamond and weighs in at 45.42 carats. This diamond has traveled the world in its lifetime, but now resides at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

Many legends surround this diamond. Some say that those who possess it will be cursed.

To find out more information about this beautiful diamond, check out these websites:

http://www.si.edu/encyclopedia_si/nmnh/hope.htm

http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/a_nav/hope_nav/main_hopfrm.html

The Hope Diamond

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To be a mineral, a material must have certain features. A mineral is always a solid material with particles arranged in a repeating pattern. This pattern is called a crystal. Almost all minerals are made from material that was never alive. Also, true minerals form only in nature. They are not made in a laboratory.

Minerals form in many ways. Some minerals form in Earth’s mantle. There, high heat and pressure change carbon into hard sparkling crystals called diamond. Diamonds have many uses. Some are cut and shaped to make jewelry. Most are used on cutting tools such as drills and saws.

Other minerals, such as calcite, can form at or near Earth’s surface. Some calcite forms in the ocean where calcium, oxygen, and carbon combine in sea water. Some ocean animals form calcite shells or other body parts. Calcite also forms as water evaporates in limestone caves.

Water also plays a role in forming other minerals. Galena crystals form when hot, mineral-rich water moves slowly through cracks in Earth’s crust, mixing with other minerals before it cools or evaporates.

How do minerals form?Diamond

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GalenaCalcite

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Imagine taking a look at a mineral and wondering, “What in the world is this?” Well, you can take a look at the mineral properties to figure out exactly what type of mineral it is!

1. Streak- the color of the powder left behind when you rub a mineral against a white tile. Usually it is the same color as the mineral.

2. Luster- the way the surface of a mineral reflects light. Some minerals look shiny, like how aluminum foil looks. These are of a metallic luster. Others are dull or dark and called nonmetallic. The sparkling appearance of a diamond is called a brilliant luster.

3. Hardness- a mineral’s ability to resist being scratched. Moh’s hardness scale lists minerals that have hardnesses from 1 to 10. A mineral with a higher number can scratch a mineral with a lower number.

What are some mineral properties?

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Some minerals can be used in nearly the same form they have in nature. They don’t need much refining, or processing to remove other materials.

Minerals Used in Everyday Life

•Silver and Copper- musical instruments, electric wire, jewelry

•Gypsum- plaster and wallboard

•Graphite- used in pencils

•Halite- table salt to preserve and flavor food

How do we use minerals?

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Rocks are made up of one or more minerals. Rocks that form when melted rock hardens are called igneous rocks. Lava cools and hardens before large mineral crystals have time to form.

•Quickly cooled rocks from lava are fine-grained

•Slowly cooled rocks from magma are course-grained.

Igneous Rocks

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Basalt

Gabbro Granite

Pumice

Obsidian

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Sedimentary Rock

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Sedimentary rocks are formed when sediments are compressed (or pushed together really hard) and hardened. Sediments are formed by weathering due to wind, water, ice, and plant roots. Weathering breaks up the rock into tiny pieces. Over a long period of time, layers of sediments can form sedimentary rocks as they are squeezed and stuck together.

Sedimentary Rock Examples:

Conglomerate

Limestone

Sandstone

Shale

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Metamorphic Rock

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High heat and great pressure can change the texture of rock—the way it looks and feels. They can also change the form of the minerals that make up the rock. These are called metamorphic rocks. Metamorphic rocks can form from any kind of rock—sedimentary, igneous, or even other metamorphic rocks.

Types of metamorphic rock:

Marble

Gneiss

SchistSlate

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The rock cycle is the process in which rocks are changed from one form to another. This process takes many years and occurs through weathering and eroding among many other causes. A rock may begin as one type and be changed many times. Changes may take thousands of years. Some part of the first rock, however, will still be there after each change.

The hole in the side of this rock formation

known as Window Rock which is

located in Arizona was caused by

weathering and erosion!

Definition

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1. Weathering

2. Erosion

3. Heat

4. Pressure

5. Melting

6. Compaction

7. Cementation

Processes in the Rock Cycle

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Weathering Rocks!

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Above is Miss Menk at Window Rock, Arizona. To the right is Miss Menk and her brother, Ben at the Painted Desert in Arizona. The top right picture is Miss Menk with her Mom and Dad at the Natural Bridge in Virginia . All of these rock formations are going through the rock cycle! How can you tell?

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A birthstone is the "gemstone associated with the date of one's birth, the wearing of which is commonly thought to bring good luck or health. Supernatural powers have long been attributed by astrologers to certain gemstones." -from Encyclopedia Britannica

Everyone has a birthstone—find out what yours is by checking out the picture to the right! Also click on thelinks below to find out moreinformation behind these colorfulstones!http://www.about-birthstones.com/birthstone-list.htmlhttp://www.acstones.com/Birthstone.html

Birthstones

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Gemstones

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Gemstones are naturally occurring crystallized minerals which come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. They are valued by many and are often used in jewelry.

Find out information on your favorite gemstone:

http://www.gemstone.org/gem-by-gem/gem-by-gem-by-variety.html

Emerald

Ruby

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Lab Created Gems Insert Artifact Picture Here

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Laboratory grown gems have basically the same look and makeup as their naturally found gemstone friends, however, they are not “the real thing”. Instead, specialized scientists are able to recreate a lab created gem given the right elements rather than waiting thousands of years for the natural gems to be mined out of caves and mines! Isn’t technology amazing? Natural gemstones are very expensive so many people choose to buy lab created gemstones as a beautiful alternative.

Lab created pink sapphire and diamond ring