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Scratch, Shine and Streak is a free printable Grade 5 science worksheet on identifying minerals from a table of test results, aligned to NGSS performance expectation 5-PS1-3. It prints 7 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Scratch, Shine and Streak

5-PS1-3

NameDate

Read the record, then answer the questions.

1.Read the record, then answer the questions.

Four Unlabeled Minerals

Test results for four unlabeled minerals, each tested the same five ways. WHAT EACH MINERAL DID Mineral A: scratched by a fingernail, pearly shine, white streak, not pulled by a magnet, no fizz Mineral B: scratches glass, glassy shine, no streak, not pulled by a magnet, no fizz Mineral C: not scratched by a coin, metallic shine, black streak, pulled by a magnet, no fizz Mineral D: scratched by a coin but not a fingernail, glassy shine, white streak, not pulled by a magnet, fizzes with vinegar Tests: scratch, shine, streak on a rough white tile, magnet, a drop of vinegar.

  1. 1. What claim does this record support?
  2. 2. Which single test picks out mineral C on its own?
  3. 3. A new mineral is scratched by a fingernail and leaves a white streak. Which is it most like?
  4. 4. A and D both leave a white streak. Which test tells them apart?
2.What is a mineral's "shine," or luster?
  • A.How heavy it feels
  • B.How hot it gets in the sun
  • C.The way its surface reflects light
3.Which of these minerals is the softest?
  • A.One a coin cannot scratch
  • B.One a fingernail can scratch
  • C.One that scratches glass
4.A mineral fizzes when a drop of vinegar is put on it. What does that show?
  • A.It reacts with the vinegar, which is a property you can test
  • B.It is magnetic
  • C.It is melting
5.A mineral scratches glass. What does that tell you?
  • A.It is harder than glass
  • B.It is softer than glass
  • C.It is made of glass
6.Why is a mineral's streak better evidence than its color?
  • A.Color cannot be seen
  • B.Streak is prettier
  • C.A mineral's color can vary, but its streak usually stays the same
7.Two minerals give the same result in every test you ran. What should you do?
  • A.Try another test, or consider that they may be the same mineral
  • B.Decide they are different
  • C.Stop testing

LessonPrint · 5-PS1-3 · Set 10 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Scratch, Shine and Streak

Set 10. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Minerals can be told apart by a set of properties, each tested the same way. 2. The magnet test, because only C was pulled by a magnet. 3. Mineral A, which is also scratched by a fingernail and leaves a white streak. 4. The scratch test: a fingernail scratches A but not D. The vinegar test works too, because only D fizzes.
  2. 2.The way its surface reflects light
  3. 3.One a fingernail can scratch
  4. 4.It reacts with the vinegar, which is a property you can test
  5. 5.It is harder than glass
  6. 6.A mineral's color can vary, but its streak usually stays the same
  7. 7.Try another test, or consider that they may be the same mineral

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to 5-PS1-3 of the Next Generation Science Standards.