Science Classroom Connection

We will discuss and reinforce the topic on the environmental formation of minerals and how they are mined from surface and subsurface areas, as well as we will elaborate upon the application of minerals in our daily lives.

Students will a brief amount of  to share and/or collaborate upon their mineral data that was collected earlier in the week to carry out their analysis. The due date has been extended until the end of the day on Friday of this week. Otherwise, it will begin to count as late unless you have prior special circumstances arranged with your classroom teacher.

Students will complete their rock and mineral work study on the selected minerals and rocks that were assigned last week.

Students will research and complete the properties of minerals known as hardness, density, special properties, and determine a few common uses of their minerals and rocks.

Once they are done, students will embark on analyzing their data in terms of their rocks’ and minerals’ similarities and differences as well as draw any pertinent conclusions based on their findings.

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Students will have another opportunity to reinforce one of the properties of minerals known as hardness.

For this lab activity, students will utilize three common objects, namely, fingernail, pencil tip (graphite), and a penny, as well as another mineral or rock selected by the classroom teacher. Students will carry out the scratch test on each of these objects per our classroom instructions to determine which object has the highest number on Mohs Scale of Hardness as compared to the lowest number on that scale. Then students will collect and analyze their findings and report their work to their teacher.

Students will have an opportunity to explore and examine closely a various number of rocks and minerals and identify the key properties that characterize each rock or mineral. This includes color, luster, streak, hardness, density, cleavage/fracture, as well as identify a few common usages for those rock and minerals that have been examined in class.

Students will be allowed to access the internet to complete any pertinent work that is needed to complete their analytical study of these properties.

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Students are highly advised to complete their double journal entry that is attached in their notebooks. This will serve as part of their study material for future evaluation. If a student has an access to a printer, s/he is permitted to make a copy of the attachment.

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Students will read, write, and orally discuss the structure of  minerals as well as describe the two major groups of minerals based on key characteristics that will be explained and elaborated upon in the next couple of days. We will utilize a common strategy used in our middle schools known as the Double Journal entries. Students from various sections will be asked to create our word wall for the new concepts/ideas based on the Frayer model.

Students will be evaluated upon our inquiry activities that we have learned and practiced in class for the past two weeks. This includes how to determine the values of unknown variables such as density, mass, or volume. Moreover, students will be questioned upon the process of the scientific method in terms of its steps and applications in our everyday life.

Students will be evaluated upon our inquiry activities that we have learned and practiced in class for the past two weeks. This includes how to determine the values of unknown variables such as density, mass, or volume. Moreover, students will be questioned upon the process of the scientific method in terms of its steps and applications in our everyday life.

Students are highly recommended to study their class notes and any pertinent information that they have been given in class or posted/mentioned on the teacher’s iblog.

NOTE: The classroom teacher does not provide a so-called a “study guide” that verbally spells out all test questions indirectly for the students to study. The classroom teacher prepares students for their future education as they move forward in life.

Students will have an opportunity to put the scientific method into effect as they will determine which paper towel is the best absorbent among several brands.

Students will brainstorm their objective, hypothesis, materials & procedure, collect and analyze their data, and draw a conclusion that reflects whether or not to accept their hypothesis in terms of which paper towel is the best absorbent.