If you don’t have any supplies for studying minerals, my experience suggests that the following mineral specimens and supplies provides you with the least amount of materials you need for hands-on activities.
Mineral Samples
I chose these three because you get a variety of mineral properties for low cost. Talc is a cheap replacement for graphite and fluorite can work in place of hematite for a middle level hardness, although its luster and streak are the same as quartz.
Mineral | Hardness | Streak | Luster |
graphite | 1.5-2 | black | submetallic |
red hematite | 5-6 | red-brown | earthy |
quartz | 7 | white | glassy |
Additional Supplies
- white streak plates (Unglazed porcelain tiles) – sets are about 10 bucks
- pennies
- nails
- steel butter knives (if allowed)
With these supplies your students can make observations and practice testing minerals for streak and hardness.
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