Crystals, Minerals & Rocks Unit
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Welcome to the Crystals, Rocks & Minerals Unit!
When you were Intermediates, we learned about how the Earth was formed, and how the lithosphere is the rocky outer part of the Earth. We also learned how the lithosphere is broken into tectonic plates that move, and how that movement causes earthquakes and volcanoes. In this class we will learn what those rocks are made of, how they are made, and how they change. |
In this unit we will...
Watch and learn how crystals grow See how crystals can have 'habits' and how they are characterized Find out how what minerals are and how they make up rocks Learn how crystals, minerals & rocks are made and how they change |
Some good overall websites that will help you throughout this unit are:
Mineralogy for Kids |
How snowflakes form
Because rocks are made up of minerals and minerals are made up with crystals, we'll start this unit with the basic structure of crystals. Since it's winter, we'll start off with one of our favorite crystals to play in - SNOW! Did you know that snow is frozen water, just like ice? Because it forms under different conditions than ice, it crystallizes into a different shape or 'habit'.
The following explanations are copied from NOAA website |
The more complex explanation is this: |
A Guide to Snowflakes
All snowflakes form in hexagonal (6-sided) crystals, but they can take on different shapes or habits as seen below. At the bottom of this page you will find some beautiful photographs of snowflakes.
Make a snowflake
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20 Things You Didn't Know About Snow
Taken from Discover magazine
By Susan Kruglinski | Wednesday, December 12, 2007 1 Snow is a mineral, just like diamonds and salt. |
Microscopic Images of Snowflakes
Photographer Alexey Kljatov takes incredible close-up photos of snowflakes in his backyard in Moscow.
“I capture snowflakes on the open balcony of my house, mostly on glass surface, lighted by an LED flashlight from the opposite side of the glass, and sometimes in natural light, using dark woolen fabrics as background.”