Chemistry Rocks! A Look at the Chemistry of Your Favorite Minerals and Gems

Do you love rocks and minerals? Are there shoeboxes of stones all over your room? Is the sound of a rock tumbler a constant noise in your house? Do you ever wonder where your favorite minerals get their colors? Then this is the class for you! Each week, we will look at a different type of mineral and discuss its chemistry- what elements make it up, how they're arranged, and where its color comes from. We'll also discuss how the minerals are used- from the not-so-surprising (earrings, necklaces) to the very surprising (cleaning, wind tunnels, and more!) 

How the class is structured:
- Short icebreaker 
- Introduction to that week's mineral- students can share with the group what they already know about that week's mineral and show off any examples they might have
- Introduction to that week's mineral property focus- we'll cover different properties of minerals in class each week so students can build their knowledge of how to classify different minerals
- In-depth learning about the mineral of the week- we'll discuss the chemistry, properties, uses, where it's found, and colors
- Review game to quiz and reinforce what we learned that day
- Wrap-up and questions- we'll summarize what we discussed and I'll take any questions that students have that weren't already answered

Class Topics
Week of 9/26- Diamond
Week of 10/3- Agate and Jasper
Week of 10/10- Beryl 
Week of 10/17- Fluorite 
Week of 10/24- Lapis lazuli 
Week of 10/31- Calcite