Demonstration Resources:
1. Demonstration: What's in the Cereal You Eat?
Source: http://www.womeninmining.org/CEREAL1.HTM
Scientific Principles/Description: To introduce students in the concept of extracting valuable minerals from the rocks that contain these minerals. Demonstrates the abundance of minerals that we don't even think about day-to-day.
Evaluation: Useful demo that doesn't take too much time to do.
Grade Level: Elementary to College
2. Demonstration: Rock Obituary
Source: http://www.womeninmining.org/ROCKOBIT.HTM
Scientific Principles/Description: To introduce spark thinking about the processes that go into the formation of different types of rocks.
Evaluation: Kinda corny, but good for younger children.
Grade Level: Elementary
3. Demonstration: Crystal Gardens
Source: http://www.yesmag.bc.ca/projects/crystal_gardens.html
Scientific Principles/Description: Demonstrates how to grow a garden of crystals. Every mineral has a unique crystal form. The shape of the molecules that make up a pure mineral are exactly the same as the visible shape of the crystal after it has grown.
Evaluation: Extremely time consuming since it takes days for crystals to grow, but still a cool demo.
Grade Level: High School and College
4. Demonstration: Salt & Vinegar Crystals
Source: http://www.yesmag.bc.ca/projects/salt_vinegar.html
Scientific Principles/Description: Demonstrates how to grow crystals using household items, much like the "Crystal Gardens" demo, but with different materials. Every mineral has a unique crystal form. The shape of the molecules that make up a pure mineral are exactly the same as the visible shape of the crystal after it has grown.
Evaluation: Extremely time consuming since it takes days for crystals to grow, but still a cool demo.
Grade Level: High School and College
5. Demonstration: Erosion Explosion
Source: http://nyelabs.kcts.org/flash_go.html
Scientific Principles/Description: Demonstrates how erosion occurs as a result of freezing and expansion opening cracks on the earth's surface.
Evaluation: Time consuming because it involves freezing, but an interesting demo from Bill Nye the Science Guy.
Grade Level: Junior High to High School
6. Demonstration: Exploding Stone
Source: http://www.deepwell.com/ccimino/demos.html
Scientific Principles/Description: Demonstrates how minerals can fracture as a result of freezing and expanding.
Evaluation: Time consuming and difficult to find a frozen stone in Southern California in the Springtime, but an interesting demo nonetheless.
Grade Level: High School to College.
7. Demonstration: Coal Flowers
Source: http://www.womeninmining.org/COAL1.HTM
Scientific Principles/Description: Grow crystals with coals.
Evaluation: Similar to other crystal growing experiments, but still good.
Grade Level: High School & College.
8. Demonstration: Penny Demonstration
Source: http://www.womeninmining.org/PENNY1.HTM
Scientific Principles/Description: Shows the different physical properties of different minerals (more specifically, the different weights and densities of coins that are the same size).
Evaluation: Time consuming, but an interesting demo from Bill Nye the Science Guy.
Grade Level: Junior High to High School
9. Demonstration: Triboluminescence (glowing rocks)
Source: http://rockhoundingar.com/quartz/experiments.html
Scientific Principles/Description: By rubbing two pieces of quartz together, you can easily demonstrate the physical property of luminescence in quartz.
Evaluation: Cool demonstration...
Grade Level: All, esp College.
10. Demonstration: Mining in a Nutshell
Source: http://www.womeninmining.org/NUTSHEL.HTM
Scientific Principles/Description: Demonstrates the steps that are taken to find, extract, process and use mineral resources.
Evaluation: Corny way to make kids learn about mining.
Grade Level: Junior High
General Resources:
1. Source: Hewitt. Conceptual Physical Science - Second Edition, Chapter 22. United States: Harper Collins College Publishers, 1999.
Description: Chapter 22 deals with rocks and minerals explains how they are formed and some of the physical properties of different rocks and minerals.
Evaluation: This book thoroughly explains the compositions and physical properties of rocks and minerals. Hewitt also demonstrates some of the things he is explain with examples and pictures.
Grade Level: High School and College
2. Source: http://www.womeninmining.org/Wimlinks.htm
Description: The largest group of rock & mineral related experiments I could find ANYWHERE.
Evaluation: Experiments are designed to promote interest in the mining industry, but they are useful as demonstrations as well.
Grade Level: Elementary through College
3. Source: http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/gemstones/
Description: Info about the properties of gemstones..
Evaluation: Informative.
Grade Level: High School and College
4. Source: http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/collect1/collectgip.html
Description: Information on the history and formation of rocks and suggestions for rock collecting.
Evaluation: Informative.
Grade Level: High School and College
5. Source: http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/prospect1/goldgip.html
Description: Contains information about the nature of gold, its origins, and the geologic environments in which it is commonly found.
Evaluation: Informative for those who might want to go out prospecting for gold.
Grade Level: High School and College
6. Source: http://geology.er.usgs.gov/eastern/inquiries.html
Description: Educational site from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Evaluation: Good information for geological science.
Grade Level: High School and College
7. Source: http://mineral.galleries.com/
Description: Cool pictures and information on different minerals.
Evaluation: Pictures are really good.
Grade Level: All ages.
8. Source: http://rockhoundingar.com/quartz/experiments.html
Description: Experiments and links to information within the
site about minerals (the info on the physical properties of quartz are
especially interesting).
Evaluation: More experiments would be good...
Grade Level: All.