Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals GRADES K–2
Rock, Mineral, and Crystal WORKSHEET A
Answer Key & Notes to Educator
You will explore rocks, minerals, and crystals.
STOP 1 Find a granite rock in “Mineral Basics” area of the hall
A rock is a solid. It is made of one or more minerals.
This granite rock is made of different kinds of mineral grains.
You can tell the minerals in this rock apart by their different colors.
How many kinds of minerals do you see? Answer: 4
Look closely at the granite rock. Touch it. What do you see and feel? Check the boxes below.
▢ rough ▢ smooth ▢ soft ▢ cold ▢ one color
▢ bumpy ▢ slimy ▢ hard ▢ warm ▢ many colors
Next, look at the four objects below the granite rock. Can you match these four big
minerals with the tiny mineral
Each is about the same size as the granite. But they’re not rocks.
grains in the granite rock?
They are minerals! These four kinds of minerals also make up the
▢ Yes, I matched all four!
granite rock. Minerals come in different sizes. Some are really big
▢ Yes, I matched some
and some are really small.
▢ No, I didn’t match any
STOP 2 Explore the minerals to the right of the granite
Minerals come in many colors, shapes, and sizes.
Compare these minerals. How are they the same?
▢ solid ▢ liquid ▢ alive ▢ not alive ▢ cold ▢ hot
How are they different?
Size: ▢ big ▢ medium ▢ small
Shape: ▢ bubbly ▢ flaky ▢ long ▢ pointy ▢ sharp
Colors: ▢ red ▢ orange ▢ yellow ▢ green ▢ blue
▢ purple ▢ brown ▢ black ▢ white ▢ other
© 2023 American Museum of Natural History 1
Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals GRADES K–2
STOP 3 Observe a crystal to the left of the granite
Some minerals are also found as well-formed crystals. This one here is
one single crystal.
See its flat surfaces? They are called “faces.”
Count the number of faces on this crystal: Answer: more than 10
Look at the faces of this crystal.
Do you see a shape?
Which shape do you think it might be? Circle it
hexagon square triangle
STOP 4 Explore crystals and 3-D models in the “Crystal Systems” area of the hall
Each kind of mineral forms in a three-dimensional
(3-D) shape.
Look at the minerals on the wall. Then look at
the touchable models of shapes at the bottom.
For each column, can you see how the 3-D
shapes of the minerals and models are similar?
Yes, it is easy to see how they are similar
Yes, but some are harder to see than others
No, I don’t see how they are similar
EXPLORE MORE
Play the “What is a Mineral?” interactive game. Find out the traits that make a mineral a mineral!
© 2023 American Museum of Natural History 2
Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals GRADES K–2
Mineral: Quartz WORKSHEET B1
Answer Key & Notes to Educator
You will explore the colors, shapes, and sizes of a mineral called quartz.
STOP 1 Find and observe a giant geode near the hall entrance (pick one of the two)
A geode is a rounded rock that is hollow on the inside. On
the outside, this giant geode looks like a gray rock. But on
the inside, it is lined with mineral crystals. One type of
mineral in this geode is quartz. Quartz comes in many
different colors. Purple quartz are called amethyst. There
are thousands of amethyst crystals inside this geode!
Pick one or more of the purple quartz crystals. Look at them closely.
Draw one or more crystals: What colors do you see?
▢ red ▢ orange ▢ yellow ▢ green
▢ blue ▢ purple ▢ black ▢ white
▢ brown ▢ other:
What do you think it would feel like?
▢ rough ▢ smooth ▢ sharp ▢ bumpy
▢ other:
The size of this crystal is:
▢ smaller than my head
▢ same size as my head
▢ bigger than my head
Compare a few of the purple quartz crystals.
Do you see a 3-D shape?
Which shape do you think it might be? Circle it:
Answer: hexagonal cubic hexagonal orthorhombic
© 2023 American Museum of Natural History 3
Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals GRADES K–2
STOP 2 Find and observe other quartz specimens HINT: Look in these cases!
● A Quartz by Any Other Name (#1–14)
The mineral quartz comes in many different colors and sizes. ● Light and Dark (#20, 22, 27, 29)
To see the variety, look for quartzes in nearby cases. ● Beautiful and Classic
Pick your favorite quartz. Draw and describe it below.
Draw it: Describe its color and size:
Observations will vary
Do you see a 3-D shape? Which shape do you think
it might be? Circle it: Answer: hexagonal
cubic hexagonal orthorhombic
STOP 3 Find and observe gems made from quartz HINT: Go to the Hall of Gems
Look for a case titled Quartz
People use tools to turn rough crystals into cut and
Pick your favorite quartz gem. Draw it:
polished crystals. We call these gems.
Compare the rough crystals and the gems.
Describe one way they are different:
Observations may include: minerals are rough and
bumpy; gems have more shiny and smooth surfaces
What colors do you see?
▢ red ▢ orange ▢ yellow ▢ green
▢ blue ▢ purple ▢ black ▢ white
▢ brown ▢ other:
© 2023 American Museum of Natural History 4
Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals GRADES K–2
Mineral: Beryl WORKSHEET B2
Answer Key & Notes to Educator
You will explore the colors, shapes, and sizes of a mineral called beryl.
STOP 1 Find and observe large beryl crystals
Each of these beryls is one single crystal. The biggest one in
the middle is 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall. This crystal might look
really big. But it is just a small piece of an enormous beryl
crystal that was found in Maine. That crystal was 19 feet
(5.8 meters) long. It looked like a tree log! Other pieces of
that enormous crystal are in other museums.
Pick one of the four beryl crystals to observe. Look at it closely. Touch it.
Draw of the beryl crystals: What colors do you see?
▢ red ▢ orange ▢ yellow ▢ green
▢ blue ▢ purple ▢ black ▢ white
▢ brown ▢ other:
What do you think it would feel like?
▢ rough ▢ smooth ▢ sharp ▢ bumpy
▢ other:
The size of this crystal is:
▢ smaller than my head
▢ same size as my head
▢ bigger than my head
Compare the three smaller beryl crystals.
Do you see a 3-D shape?
Which shape do you think it might be? Circle it:
Answer: hexagonal cubic dodecahedron hexagonal
© 2023 American Museum of Natural History 5
Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals GRADES K–2
STOP 2 Find and observe other beryl specimens HINT: You can find beryl in these cases!
● What Big Crystals You Have (# 3, 5, 7)
The mineral beryl comes in many different colors and sizes. ● Complex Pegmatites (# 22, 35, 41, 42)
To see the variety, look for beryl in nearby cases in the hall. ● Beautiful and Classic
Pick your favorite beryl. Draw and describe it below.
Draw it: Describe its color and size:
Observations will vary
Do you see a 3-D shape? Which shape do you think
it might be? Circle it: Answer: hexagonal
cubic dodecahedron hexagonal
STOP 3 Find and observe gems made from beryl HINT: Go to the Hall of Gems
Look for a case titled Beryl
People use tools to turn rough crystals into cut and
Pick your favorite beryl gem. Draw it:
polished crystals. We call these gems.
Compare the rough crystals and the gems.
Describe one way they are different:
Observations may include: minerals are rough and
bumpy; gems have more shiny and smooth surfaces
What colors do you see?
▢ red ▢ orange ▢ yellow ▢ green
▢ blue ▢ purple ▢ black ▢ white
▢ brown ▢ other:
© 2023 American Museum of Natural History 6
Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals GRADES K–2
Mineral: Garnet WORKSHEET B3
Answer Key & Notes to Educator
You will explore the colors, shapes, and sizes of a mineral called garnet.
STOP 1 Find and observe this giant rock slab
This giant rock slab was found in upstate New York. This
rock contains many kinds of minerals. One of these
minerals is garnet. It is easy to spot the garnets in this rock.
Just look for the dark red minerals!
Pick one of the smallest garnets and one of the biggest
garnets to observe. Look at them closely. Touch them.
Draw the small garnet you chose. Try to draw it What colors do you see?
at the same size as the actual garnet! ▢ red ▢ orange ▢ yellow ▢ green
▢ blue ▢ purple ▢ black ▢ white
▢ brown ▢ other:
What do you think it would feel like?
▢ rough ▢ smooth ▢ sharp ▢ bumpy
▢ other:
The size of the big garnet I chose is:
▢ smaller than my head
▢ same size as my head
▢ bigger than my head
Compare a few of the garnets.
Do you see a 3-D shape?
Which shape do you think it might be? Circle it:
Answer: dodecahedron cubic dodecahedron hexagonal
© 2023 American Museum of Natural History 7
Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals GRADES K–2
STOP 2 Find and observe other garnet specimens HINT: Go to a case titled
Garnets: Beautiful,
Durable, Useful
The word “garnet” is the name of a group of different kinds of minerals.
They come in many colors and sizes. All the minerals in this case are
garnets!
Pick your favorite garnet. Draw and describe it below.
Draw it: Describe its color and size:
Observations will vary
Do you see a 3-D shape? Which shape do you think
it might be? Circle it: Answer: dodecahedron
cubic dodecahedron hexagonal
STOP 3 Find and observe gems made from garnet HINT: Go to the Hall of Gems
Look for a case titled Garnet
People use tools to turn rough crystals into cut and
Pick your favorite garnet gem. Draw it:
polished crystals. We call these gems.
Compare the rough crystals and the gems.
Describe one way they are different:
Observations may include: minerals are rough and
bumpy; gems have more shiny and smooth surfaces
What colors do you see?
▢ red ▢ orange ▢ yellow ▢ green
▢ blue ▢ purple ▢ black ▢ white
▢ brown ▢ other:
© 2023 American Museum of Natural History 8
Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals GRADES K–2
Mineral: Fluorite WORKSHEET B4
Answer Key & Notes to Educator
You will explore the colors, shapes, and sizes of a mineral called fluorite.
STOP 1 Find and observe a fluorite
This fluorite is made of many small crystals. Each fluorite
crystal looks like a tiny yellow box.
And there’s another mineral here. On top of the fluorite
crystals are golden grains of a mineral called pyrite.
Pick one or more of the fluorite crystals. Look at it closely.
Draw one or more fluorite crystals: What colors do you see?
▢ red ▢ orange ▢ yellow ▢ green
▢ blue ▢ purple ▢ black ▢ white
▢ brown ▢ other:
What do you think it would feel like?
▢ rough ▢ smooth ▢ sharp ▢ bumpy
▢ other:
The size of this crystal is:
▢ smaller than my head
▢ same size as my head
▢ bigger than my head
Compare a few of the fluorite crystals.
Do you see a 3-D shape?
Which shape do you think it might be? Circle it:
Answer: cubic cubic dodecahedron hexagonal
© 2023 American Museum of Natural History 9
Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals GRADES K–2
STOP 2 Find and observe other fluorite specimens HINT: Go to a case titled
The Many Colors of Fluorite
The mineral fluorite comes in many different colors and sizes.
To see the variety, look at the ones in this case. They’re all fluorites!
Pick your favorite fluorite. Draw and describe it below.
Draw it: Describe its color and size:
Observations will vary
Do you see a 3-D shape? Which shape do you think
it might be? Circle it: Answer: cubic
cubic dodecahedron hexagonal
STOP 3 Find and observe gems made from fluorite HINT: Go to the Hall of Gems
Look for a case titled Fluorite
People use tools to turn rough crystals into cut and
Pick your favorite fluorite gem. Draw it:
polished crystals. We call these gems.
Compare the rough crystals and the gems.
Describe one way they are different:
Observations may include: minerals are rough and
bumpy; gems have more shiny and smooth surfaces
What colors do you see?
▢ red ▢ orange ▢ yellow ▢ green
▢ blue ▢ purple ▢ black ▢ white
▢ brown ▢ other:
© 2023 American Museum of Natural History 10
Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals GRADES K–2
Mineral: Azurite WORKSHEET B5
Answer Key & Notes to Educator
You will explore the colors, shapes, and sizes of a mineral called azurite.
STOP 1 Find and observe this rock
This huge rock is called the Singing Stone. It used to “sing”
high-pitched sounds when the humidity changed. But now
that it is in a temperature-controlled room, it is quiet.
This rock contains many kinds of minerals. Three of these
minerals are azurite, copper, and malachite. It is easy to
spot these minerals by their color. Azurite is blue, copper
is brown, and malachite is green.
The name of the mineral “azurite” is very similar to the
name of the color “azure.” That’s because both words come
from the same root word that means “blue.” And the
mineral azurite is known for its rich blue color.
Pick a part of the rock that has azurite. Look at it closely.
Draw a part of the rock that contains azurite: What colors do you see in this rock?
▢ red ▢ orange ▢ yellow ▢ green
▢ blue ▢ purple ▢ black ▢ white
▢ brown ▢ other:
What do you think it would feel like?
▢ rough ▢ smooth ▢ sharp ▢ bumpy
▢ other:
The size of this rock is:
▢ smaller than my head
▢ same size as my head
▢ bigger than my head
© 2023 American Museum of Natural History 11
Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals GRADES K–2
STOP 2 Find and observe other azurite specimens HINT: Look for azurite in these cases!
● An Enriching Process (# 16, 18)
The mineral azurite comes in different shades of blue. ● Copper Hills of Arizona (# 17, 23)
Look for them in nearby cases in the hall. ● Beautiful and Classic
Pick your favorite azurite. Draw and describe it below.
Draw it: Describe its color and size:
Observations will vary
Do you see a 3-D shape? Which shape do you think
it might be? Circle it: Answer: monoclinic
dodecahedron hexagonal monoclinic
STOP 3 Explore how gems are made HINT: Go to the Hall of Gems
Look for a case titled Rough and Cut
People use tools to turn rough crystals into cut and polished crystals we call gems.
Pick your favorite pair of a rough crystal and a gem in this case. Draw and compare them below.
Draw the rough specimen: Draw the gem: Describe how they are similar:
Observations may include: colors
Describe how they are different:
Observations may include: minerals
are rough and bumpy; gems have
more shiny and smooth surfaces
© 2023 American Museum of Natural History 12
