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.

This activity simulates some methods that are used to sort recoverable materials to be recycled. Students produce a mixture of several materials, then apply various techniques to separate the mixture into its component materials. Full description.

In this activity, students measure the specific gravity of rocks and equate it to density. There are instructions for modifying the balance to be able to weigh the rocks in water. There are also several suggestions about how to use the data and the kinds of graphs that can be made. The site has a list of materials, detailed instructions, and examples of charts and graphs. Full description.

This essay with a field journal focus reports on a family vacation to the Dead Sea, where the saltiness of the water made it difficult to keep their feet underwater. The reasons for the salinity level of this sea, along with what scientists do and do not know about why the ocean is so salty is also included in the essay. There is also an overview of the importance of salt to humans and the chemistry ... Full description.