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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. Which minerals left a white streak?
  2. 2. Which single test picks out mineral C on its own?
  3. 3. Which mineral was pulled by a magnet?
  4. 4. Which mineral scratched glass?
2.A mineral scratches glass. What does that tell you?
  • A.It is softer than glass
  • B.It is made of glass
  • C.It is harder than glass
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.Two minerals give the same result in every test you ran. What should you do?
  • A.Decide they are different
  • B.Stop testing
  • C.Try another test, or consider that they may be the same mineral
5.Fool's gold looks like gold but leaves a greenish-black streak, while gold leaves a yellow one. What does that show?
  • A.Streaks are always black
  • B.A streak test can tell apart minerals that look alike
  • C.Fool's gold is real gold
6.What is a mineral's "shine," or luster?
  • A.How hot it gets in the sun
  • B.The way its surface reflects light
  • C.How heavy it feels
7.What does the streak test show?
  • A.How shiny the mineral is
  • B.How heavy the mineral is
  • C.The color of the powder a mineral leaves when rubbed on a rough white tile

LessonPrint · 5-PS1-3 · Set 25 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Scratch, Shine and Streak

Set 25. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Mineral A and mineral D. 2. The magnet test, because only C was pulled by a magnet. 3. Mineral C. 4. Mineral B.
  2. 2.It is harder than glass
  3. 3.One a fingernail can scratch
  4. 4.Try another test, or consider that they may be the same mineral
  5. 5.A streak test can tell apart minerals that look alike
  6. 6.The way its surface reflects light
  7. 7.The color of the powder a mineral leaves when rubbed on a rough white tile

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