Growing and observing the growth of crystals is an upper-elementary or middle school student inquiry-based science project, in-which they use critical thinking skills to make observations and share findings. In this investigation, students make observations of symmetry in crystals and compare the effects of temperature on the growth of crystals.
Most minerals occur naturally as crystals, which are non-organic or not living objects. Every crystal has an orderly internal pattern of atoms, with a distinctive way of locking new atoms into a pattern that repeats again and again. This is called symmetry, a regular repeated pattern of component parts. The shape of a crystal; such as a cube (like salt) or a six-sided form (like a snowflake) mirrors the internal arrangement of the atoms.
Investigating Crystals
The investigation procedures, required materials, and example questions to ask students are located at Investigating the Symmetry in Crystals.
Additional Resources
Understanding Scientific Inquiry
Problem Solving and Science Process Skills
Scientific Method and Problem-Based Learning
Tags: elementary science investigation, hands on geology, middle school science investigation, symmetry of crystals
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