Carolyn N. Kinder
Crystals have changed the world a lot. Crystals occur widely in nature and they are used a great deal in modern technology. Crystals are everywhere.
The purpose of designing a unit on “Crystals What Are They And What Holds Them Together” is to help students learn about crystals and their structure.
The unit will deal with what is a crystal, the three states of matter: their properties, structure, ions and salts, and crystal growth.
The students will do some hands on activities with crystal creations, such as crystal on a string and snowflakes. The students will make several crystal system models. The unit will explain that a crystal does not suddenly spring into being; it grows into being.
The unit will deal with two methods of growing crystals. One method is by preparing a saturated solution and the other is growing crystal by evaporation. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages that will be discussed.
The unit can be taught to students in grades five through eight. The science and math teachers are encouraged to use a team teaching approach. Other features that will be included in the unit are content, lesson plans, resources, and a bibliography.