Academic Programs –> National Museum of Natural History
National Museum of Natural History
 Students compare the properties of five minerals through observation and tests.  To determine the true color of a mineral, a student streaks it across a special tile.  | Pre-trip lesson: In this unit, students study how the surface of the Earth was formed and how it continues to change over time. They learn about the layers of the Earth and how the surface is divided into plates. Through guided, hands-on experiments, students explore how plate tectonics explains three important features—earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountains. Students learn three ways rocks are formed and then learn some of the properties used to identify minerals. Students also describe the properties of several mineral samples. Trip: At the museum’s Discovery Lab, students participate in a mineral identification program. In small groups, students observe and run tests on several unknown minerals, recording their findings. Then, they identify each mineral by matching their discoveries to descriptions on mineral chart. In the galleries, students apply their knowledge of plate tectonics and rock formation. Post-trip lesson: As a culminating activity, students learn how crystals form by “growing” their own geodes. They record their observations over the course of the next week. Students also test their knowledge of the Earth as they compete in a collaborative review game and take written assessments.
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