With your counselor’s assistance, identify 15 different rocks and minerals. List the name of each specimen, tell whether it is a rock or mineral, and give the name of its class (if it is a rock) or list its identifying physical properties (if it is a mineral).
This option is about careful comparison. You do not need to own every specimen. You need to observe them closely enough to decide what they are and explain why.
A Good Identification Routine
Decide whether the specimen is a rock or a mineral.
If it is a rock, ask which class it belongs to.
If it is a mineral, list the physical properties that support your identification.
Record your answer clearly in your notebook.
Helpful Questions
Does it look like one mineral or a mixture?
Are there visible layers, crystals, or foliation?
What is the hardness?
Does it show cleavage, fracture, or streak?
What is the luster?
Official Resources
There is no official resource link for this page. Work directly with your counselor and the specimens available to you.
The next requirement takes mineral resources out of the collection box and into everyday infrastructure by looking at road-building materials.