Republic of the Philippines

TARLAC STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
Lucinda Campus, Tarlac City
Tel. no (045) 4930182; Fax No. (045)982-0110

Lesson Plan In NS E: Earth Science

Definition and
Formation of Minerals

Prepared by:
Kaye Angeli P. Concepcion

BSEd Sciences 3A

Submitted to:
Mr. Jayson Y. Punzalan, LPT, MAEd
 I. Pre-test
1. It refers to a naturally occurring, inorganic substance with a crystalline structure.
a. rock
b. soil
c. gypsum
d. minerals
2. It refers to the geometric arrangement of atoms in the crystalline form of minerals.
a. rock
b. crystals
c. minerals
d. crystal structure
3. It is the mineral’s resistance to scratching.
a. hardness
b. cleavage
c. streak
d. fracture
4. Minerals have different zones of weakness and will, therefore, break into varied shapes
when force is applied.
a. True
b. False
c. It depends on the hardness of the mineral
5. Mohs Scale of Hardness used to measure the density of a mineral.
a. True
b. False

II. Learning Objectives

 review the Early Study of Minerals
 discuss what is Minerals
 restate the Physical Properties of Minerals
 identify the Importance of Crystal Structure
 classify the Formation of Minerals
III. Content
A. Preparatory Activities
BEMOJI
Instruction: After the reporter reads the question on the screen, the students will
type the given emoji on the chat box that will represent their answers. The reporter
will give 15 seconds in each item and the first 5 persons who answer will be given 1 point
on the quiz.

B. Developmental Activities
TOPIC: DEFINITION AND FORMATION OF MINERALS
I. Early Study of Minerals
Georgius Agricola, a German physician who was much more enthusiastic
about mining than medicine, documented mining practices and mineral
 descriptions in his book De Re Metallica, published in 1556. The title literally
translates as "On the Nature of Metals", but at that time the word "metal" was
widely used to describe any material from the earth. Agricola describes every
aspect of mining, from how to identify minerals to 16th-century techniques for
crushing ore to the uses of minerals and the diseases that they could cause.

Agricola's book remained a mining standard for nearly two hundred years and
is considered the first major contribution to the science of mineralogy. Despite
the comprehensive nature of the book, Agricola had little understanding of the
fundamental composition of minerals. In other words, he had no way of
knowing their chemical formulas. Though much thought had been devoted to
the concept of atoms, the experiments that would allow scientists to define the
nature of atoms, and thus the chemical composition of minerals, were more
than 200 years away when Agricola began writing. Thus, early on, the science
of mineralogy advanced on the basis of describing the shape of minerals and
their defining properties, like hardness, instead of their atomic structure.
II. Definition of Minerals
Minerals- refers to a naturally occurring, inorganic substance with a crystalline
structure.
The word "mineral" means something very specific to Earth scientists.
By definition, a mineral:

1. Is naturally formed;
2. Is solid;
3. Is formed by inorganic processes;
4. Has a specific chemical composition; and
5. Has a characteristic crystal structure
1. Naturally formed: Minerals form through natural processes, including volcanic
eruptions, precipitation of a solid out of a liquid, and weathering of pre-existing minerals.
Today, scientists, engineers, and manufacturers synthesize many ceramics, plastics, and
other substances with a specific chemical composition and structure, but none of
these synthetic substances is considered a true mineral.
2. Solid: Liquids and gases are not considered minerals, in large part because their
structure is constantly changing, which means they do not have a
characteristic crystal structure. A true mineral must be solid.
3. Formed by inorganic processes: Any material produced through organic activity –
such as leaves, bones, peat, shell, or soft animal tissue. Is not considered a mineral.
 Most fossils, although they were once living, have generally had their living tissues
completely replaced by inorganic processes after burial; thus, they are considered to be
composed of minerals as well.
4. Specific chemical composition: Most minerals exist as chemical compounds whose
compositions can be expressed using a chemical formula A few minerals, such as graphite,
consist of only one type of atom (carbon, in this case); therefore, the chemical formula for graphite
is written simply as C. All minerals are defined by their chemical composition. If we tried
to change the composition of muscovite by replacing the aluminium with iron and magnesium, for
instance, we would end up with a totally new and different mineral called biotite.
On the other hand, many minerals do contain impurities, and these impurities can vary.

Figure 1: An example of rose quartz, colored by trace amounts of titanium.

It was not until the 1900s, 350 years after Agricola's book, that scientists were able to
determine the specific chemical composition of minerals. The invention of
the mass spectrometer, ever more powerful microscopes, and the use
of diffraction techniques allowed the kind of highly detailed analysis that caused the
science of mineralogy to flourish.
5. Characteristic crystal structure:
Crystals are composed of a repeating structural unit composed of atoms of one or
more elements.
Crystal Structure- refers to the geometric arrangement of atoms in the
crystalline form of minerals.

The Physical Properties of Minerals used as bases for their identification are:
1. color
2. streak
 3. hardness

4. crystal form
5. cleavage
6. fracture
7. luster

8. density

Nicolaus Steno, a Dutch contemporary of Isaac Newton, made an important

contribution to mineralogy in 1669 when he noted that the angles between faces (or
sides) of quartz crystals were constant, no matter how big the crystals were or where
they had formed. Today, we know that Steno's Law of Interfacial Angles concerning the
external appearance of crystals reflects a regular, internal arrangement of atoms. The
angles are constant between faces on quartz crystals because every single quartz
crystal is made of the same atoms: one atom of silicon for every two atoms of oxygen, written with
the molecular formula SiO2.
The chemical composition of a mineral is reflected internally in a regular,
repeating arrangement of atoms, called the crystal structure of the mineral. The crystal
 structure of halite is shown in Figure 2. The internal structure (shown on the left) is
reflected in a generally consistent external crystal form (shown on the right), as noted
by Steno. The cubic shape of salt crystals very clearly reflects the right
angle bonds between the Na and Cl atoms in its atomic structure.

Figure 2a: A sodium chloride crystal. Figure 2b: The cubic shape of
salt crystals results from the
regular arrangement of
atoms forming the crystal.
Most importantly, this structure repeats itself. As the halite crystal is broken into smaller
and smaller pieces, it retains its cubic structure.

III. The Importance of Crystal Structure

The graphite-diamond mineral pair is an extreme example of the importance
of crystal structure. These two very different minerals have exactly the same
chemical formula, but the crystal structure of the two minerals is very different. In graphite,
carbon atoms are bonded together along a flat plane, as shown in Figure 3. These sheets
of carbon are loosely held together by weak attractive forces. However, the
attractive forces between sheets can be easily broken, allowing them to slide past one
another. Thus graphite is a soft, slippery mineral that is often used as a lubricant in
machines. When graphite is rubbed against another material, such as a piece of paper, it
leaves a trail of small sheets that have broken free, thus it is also used in pencils.
 Figure 3a: The internal structure of Figure 3b: Graphite as a metallic
graphite shows strong bonds within sheen is soft and can be easily
planes and weak forces between
them. broken into thin sheets.

In diamond, by comparison, every single carbon atom is bonded strongly to four

surrounding carbon atoms in a 3-dimensional structure. This structure results in
one of the hardest natural substances on the planet, a property that
contributes to its value. The structure of each of these minerals is crucial to
determining their physical properties.

Figure 4a: The internal structure of Figure 4b: An uncut diamond

crystal. diamond shows equally strong
bonds is clear and is
the hardest substance in all
directions.

IV. Formation of Minerals

Factors such as temperature, time, pressure and the concentration and availability
of ions in a solution influence the formation of minerals. Under right conditions,
minerals can arise from solids and gases. However, minerals are often
formed in a liquid environment such as water solutions of magma. A high temperature
in these liquid environments disrupts the formation of chemical bonds between the
elements, and therefore, prevents crystals from forming. Time is
one of the most important factors because it takes time for atoms to become
ordered. If time is limited, the mineral grains will remain very small. The
presence of water enhances the mobility of ions and can lead to the
formation of larger crystals over shorter time periods.

In order for a mineral crystal to grow, the elements needed to make it must be
present in the appropriate proportions, the physical and chemical conditions must
be favorable, and there must be sufficient time for the atoms to become
arranged.

Most of the minerals that make up the rocks around us formed through the cooling
of molten rock, known as magma. At the high temperatures that exist
deep within Earth, some geological materials are liquid. As magma rises up through
the crust, either by volcanic eruption or by more gradual processes, it cools and
minerals crystallize. If the cooling process is rapid (minutes, hours, days, or years),
the components of the minerals will not have time to become ordered and only small
crystals can form before the rock becomes solid. The resulting rock will be fine-
grained (i.e., crystals less than 1 mm). If the cooling is slow (from decades to millions
of years), the degree of ordering will be higher and relatively large crystals will form. In
some cases, the cooling will be so fast (seconds) that the texture will be glassy,
which means that no crystals at all form. Volcanic glass is not composed of
minerals because the magma has cooled too rapidly for crystals to grow,
although over time (millions of years) the volcanic glass may crystallize into
various silicate minerals.

Minerals can also form in several other ways:

a.Precipitation from aqueous solution- (i.e., from hot water flowing underground,
from evaporation of a lake or inland sea, or in some cases, directly from seawater)
b.Precipitation from gaseous emanations- (e.g., in volcanic regions).
c. Metamorphism- formation of new minerals directly from the elements within
existing minerals under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure.
d.Weathering- during which minerals unstable at Earth’s surface may be altered to
other minerals
e.Organic formation- formation of minerals within shells (primarily calcite) and teeth
and bones (primarily apatite) by organisms (these organically formed minerals are
still called minerals because they can also form inorganically).

V. Closure Activities
Instruction: After the reporter reads the question on the screen, the students will type
their answers on the chat box. The reporter will give 15 seconds in each item and the
first 5 persons who answer will be given 1 point on the quiz.
1. Give the eight physical properties of Minerals.
2. Give at least three factors of formation of minerals.
3. Define what is minerals using the words given by the Earth Scientists.
IV. Synthesis/Generalization
 Early Study of Minerals
Georgius Agricola, a German physician who was much more enthusiastic about
mining than medicine, documented mining practices and mineral descriptions in his
book De Re Metallica, published in 1556. The title literally translates as "On the Nature
of Metals", but at that time the word "metal" was widely used to describe any material
from the earth. Agricola describes every aspect of mining, from how to identify
minerals to 16th-century techniques for crushing ore to the uses of minerals and the
diseases that they could cause.
 Minerals- refers to a naturally occurring, inorganic substance with a crystalline
structure.
The word "mineral" means something very specific to Earth scientists.
By definition, a mineral:

1.Is naturally formed;

2.Is solid;
3.Is formed by inorganic processes;
4.Has a specific chemical composition; and
5.Has a characteristic crystal structure

 Crystals are composed of a repeating structural unit composed of atoms of one or

more elements.
 Crystal Structure- refers to the geometric arrangement of atoms in the crystalline
form of minerals.

The Physical Properties of Minerals used as bases for their identification are:
1. color
2. streak
3. hardness
4. crystal form
5. cleavage
6. fracture
7. luster
8. density
 The Importance of Crystal Structure
The graphite-diamond mineral pair is an extreme example of the importance
of crystal structure. These two very different minerals have exactly the same
chemical formula, but the crystal structure of the two minerals is very different.
 Formation of Minerals
Factors such as temperature, time, pressure and the concentration and availability
of ions in a solution influence the formation of minerals. Under right conditions,
minerals can arise from solids and gases.
 Minerals can also form in several other ways:

a. Precipitation from aqueous solution- (i.e., from hot water flowing underground,
from evaporation of a lake or inland sea, or in some cases, directly from
seawater).
b. Precipitation from gaseous emanations- (e.g., in volcanic regions).
c. Metamorphism- formation of new minerals directly from the elements within
existing minerals under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure.
d. Weathering- during which minerals unstable at Earth’s surface may be altered to
other minerals.
e. Organic formation- formation of minerals within shells (primarily calcite) and
teeth and bones (primarily apatite) by organisms (these organically formed
minerals are still called minerals because they can also form inorganically).

V. Evaluation
Type on the chat box the correct answer.

1. It is the formation of new minerals directly from the elements within existing minerals under
conditions of elevated temperature and pressure.
a. Weathering
b. Metamorphism
c. Organic Formation
d. Precipitation from aqueous solution
2. He is a German physician who was much more enthusiastic about mining than medicine,
documented mining practices and mineral descriptions in his book De Re Metallica,
published in 1556.
a. Isaac Newton
b. Georgius Agricola
c. Nicolaus Steno
3. It is one of the Physical Properties of Minerals which is easy to observe but it is not the
most reliable reference for identification of minerals.
a. color
b. streak
c. luster
d. cleavage
4. It is one of the Physical Properties of Minerals which do not form layers and mostly result
from the lack of well-defined zones of weakness.
a. fracture
b. streak
c. color
d. cleavage
5. During the 16th Century, was widely used to describe any material from the
earth.
a. Minerals
 b. Rock
c. Crystals
d. Metals
6. These are composed of a repeating structural unit composed of atoms of one or more
elements.
a. Minerals
b. Rock
c. Crystals
d. Metals

7-10. List at least 3 Factors of Formation of Minerals.

VI. Assignment/ Agreement

List at least 5 minerals and it’s scale on the Mohs Scale of Hardness.

VII. References
a. Textbook Reference/s:
 Earth and Science: Knowing and Understanding Nature by Briones et,al….
b. Online Reference/s:
 https://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Earth-Science/6/Defining-Minerals/119
 https://opentextbc.ca/geology/chapter/2-5-formation-of-minerals/