Rocks and Minerals
Guest Scientist: David Walker
Welcome/Introduction to “Earth2Class”
View the introductory slide presentations
Guest Scientist: David Walker
Dr. Walker is the Higgins Professor in Columbia’s Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences, with many achievements in the field of Geochemistry.
View Dr. Walker’s slides presentation
Basic to teaching Earth science. In this program, we find out how a petrologist looks at them, especially the crystalline state that characterizes minerals. The best way to demonstrate that minerals are crystalline is to show that they diffract X-rays. The variety of diffraction patterns produced is extremely useful in distinguishing different minerals from each other. A demonstration of diffraction and the theory behind it will be presented with practical applications.
Rocks and Minerals Resources
- EXAMINE THE PERTINENT CURRICULUM GUIDES, VOCABULARY, AND OTHER RESOURCES
- BROWSE THE “MINERALS, ROCKS, AND RESOURCES” ACTIVITIES AND OTHER RESOURCES CREATED BY DR. PASSOW
Educational Technology,
Virtual Simulations of Microscopy and Optics – Make sure you check out the Polarized Light Microscopy to see how crystallized specimens appear when viewed through a polarized light microscope. Samples include a Moon rock, a dinosaur bone, spinach, amethyst and many others.
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/optics/tutorials/index.html