This site contains photographs of pseudomorph minerals and an explanation of the formation of pseudomorphs. Pseudomorph literally means false form and is used in mineralogy to indicate that a mineral has the outward appearance of a different mineral. Pseudomorph photographs at this site include filling pseudomorphs, replacement pseudomorphs, and encrustation pseudomorphs. Some examples shown include ... Full description.

This lesson introduces students to the clod, a device that uses the principles of solubility for the measurement of water currents. In this activity, students will be able to describe factors that affect the solubility of a chemical substance in seawater and explain how information on the solubility of a substance can be used to measure water currents. Full description.

This demonstration of average density uses understandable units of total mass and volume of the Earth. The required supplies are a can of beer or soda and a 1-pound bag of pretzels. By imagining, for instance, 4.4 bags of pretzels fitting into a beer/soda can, students can better visualize the average density of the Earth. Full description.

In this activity, students heat limestone (mainly calcium carbonate) to form lime (calcium oxide) and note the differences between the reactions of limestone and lime with water, acids and carbon dioxide. Adding water to the lime produces slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) in an exothermic reaction. Some of the calcium hydroxide dissolves in the water, producing an alkaline solution called limewater. ... Full description.

This presentation describes the six crystal systems used for classifying minerals. Each of the systems is represented by a diagram showing the angles and proportions of the crystallographic axes, a physical model showing the possible arrangements of faces and one or more photos of actual specimens displaying the described symmetry and some possible modifications. Full description.

This article, from Earth: Inside and Out, takes a look at the widespread influence of the Nobel Prize-winning chemist Harold C. Urey. It covers his discovery of deuterium and the large-scale process he devised for obtaining water with high proportions of this isotope. The role of Urey as director of the Atomic Bomb Project at Columbia University, along with his contributions to the atom bomb and the ... Full description.

This resource is about Jade, how it is formed, where it is found and what it is used for. Jade includes both jadeite and nephrite which are found in many colors and patterns. There are five sections and some have several sub-sections. All sections consist of labeled photographs and additional information can be had by rolling over the labels. Full description.

This comic strip is part of OLogy, where students can collect virtual trading cards and create projects with them. In this interactive comic strip, they learn about the geologic origins of four common objects: the sand in a drinking glass; the zinc, copper, nickel, and other metals in coins; the bauxite in a sheet of aluminum foil; and the oil in a plastic ball. Full description.

Students investigate variables that may influence the growth of crystals which they have learned to make. There are two options for implementing this activity. The first is open-ended, with the students deciding what variables affect crystal growth and then deciding on the manipulating variables they would like to study. The second is prescriptive and explains to students how to test three variables ... Full description.

This activity will help students in their understanding of the complexities of snowpack formation and using this data to make predictions about how particular slopes might behave. The kind of snow, the incline of the slope, and the terrain all play a role in when and where avalanches will occur. In this activity, students layer foodstuffs to mimic the strong and weak layers within a snowpack and then ... Full description.