ASSIGNMENT ON ROCKS AND MINERALS

What Are Rocks Worksheet 1. Use your own words to describe what you think a rock is and then find the proper definition in the article. Combine your answers in the space below. _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 2. What is an element? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. What are the three categories of rock? Beside each one, write down what you already might know about each category. _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 27

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What Are Minerals Worksheet 1. Use your own words to describe what you think a mineral is and then find the proper definition in the article. Combine your answers in the space below. _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 2. Describe some of the tests that geologist use to identify and name minerals. _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. Describe the structure of minerals. _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 28

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4. What is a gemstone? Explain ______________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 5. Choose one of the minerals from the following list. Research the mineral online. Use the following questions to find out more about the mineral.

Aluminum Gold Copper Feldspar Gypsum Halite Nickel Potash Quartz Pyrite Where can this mineral be found on Earth?

What uses does this mineral have?

What types of rock are made from this mineral?

Is this mineral common?

What is this mineral’s crystal structure?

Where does this mineral fall on Mohs’ hardness scale?

Why is this mineral important?

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Igneous Rock Worksheet 1. Draw a picture that shows the four layers of the Earth

2. Explain how igneous rock is formed. _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. Explain how scientists can determine whether igneous rock is intrusive or extrusive. _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 30

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4. Where can you find igneous rocks? ______________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ 5. Use the article to list some common names of igneous rock. Use the internet to help you find more names and sort the list into rocks that have been formed intrusively and rocks that have been formed extrusively. _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Intrusive

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Extrusive

Sedimentary Rock Worksheet 1. Where is the best place to find sedimentary rock? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 2. Explain how sedimentary rock is formed. _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 3. What are some of the common characteristics of sedimentary rock? _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ 32

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