The Wonders of Rocks and Minerals CD-ROM

Written by Edward J. Tarbuck and Frederick K. Lutgens, Illinois Central College, and Edward Greaney, Hunterdon Central Regional High School.

The Wonders of Rocks and Minerals Version 1.3 explores the world of geology in an exciting and highly interactive way. What are minerals and how are they different from rocks? What are the three groups of rocks and the geological processes involved in the formation of each? You will learn to identify and name minerals and rocks, just like a geologist does on a field trip.

New to this version:

Scored review quizzes that can be printed or saved to file
New navigation with page numbers and a jump button
Default narration
Chapter headings for easier navigation

Includes stunning photographs, full color animated sequences, a glossary, interactive exercises, and an illustrated database of over 50 minerals. Includes two levels of study: Elementary (grades 3-6) and Intermediate (grades 7-12). Student Worksheets available online! Call 1-800-293-2725 for information on version upgrades.

Table of Contents

Minerals: How are Minerals and Rocks Different? / Important Mineral Properties / How to Identify Minerals / A Mineral Identification Key / Important Mineral Groups / Reviewing Minerals / Basic Facts About Common Minerals
The Rock Cycle
Igneous Rocks: How Igneous Rocks Form / Textures of Igneous Rocks / Minerals in Igneous Rocks / Naming Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks: How Sedimentary Rocks Form / Conglomerate, Sandstone, and Shale / Limestone, Chert, and Other Chemical Sedimentary Rocks / Reviewing Sedimentary Rocks / Interpreting Past Environments
Metamorphic Rocks: Metamorphic Rocks are Changed Rocks / What Causes Metamorphism? / How Metamorphic Rocks are Different / Common Metamorphic Rocks
The Rock Review Challenge

National Science Education Standards
See how The Wonders of Rocks and Minerals aligns with NSES standards

Mineral related websites, sorted by category.

System Requirements
Macintosh®	PowerPC™ 180 MHz processor (G3 or higher recommended); Mac OS® 9.2 to Mac OS X, 128 MBytes available RAM; thousands or millions of colors. Intel users click here.
Windows®	Windows 98®: Intel® Pentium® II 200MHz, 64 MBytes available RAM; Windows 2000® and Windows XP®: Pentium III 450 MHz, 128 MBytes available RAM; thousands or millions of colors. Windows 7 and Vista users click here.