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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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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. A and D both leave a white streak. Which test tells them apart?
  3. 3. Why was every mineral given the same five tests?
  4. 4. Which mineral was pulled by a magnet?
2.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
3.Why is a mineral's streak better evidence than its color?
  • A.A mineral's color can vary, but its streak usually stays the same
  • B.Color cannot be seen
  • C.Streak is prettier
4.Four gray minerals are tested and only one is pulled by a magnet. What is that test good for?
  • A.Telling the other three apart
  • B.Finding how hard they are
  • C.Picking that one out from the rest
5.Which of these minerals is the softest?
  • A.One a fingernail can scratch
  • B.One that scratches glass
  • C.One a coin cannot scratch
6.Two minerals give the same result in every test you ran. What should you do?
  • A.Stop testing
  • B.Decide they are different
  • C.Try another test, or consider that they may be the same mineral
7.Why use several tests rather than one?
  • A.One test is never useful
  • B.More tests always give the same result
  • C.One test may give the same result for two different minerals

LessonPrint · 5-PS1-3 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Scratch, Shine and Streak

Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Mineral A and mineral D. 2. The scratch test: a fingernail scratches A but not D. The vinegar test works too, because only D fizzes. 3. So the results can be compared and each mineral told apart from the others. 4. Mineral C.
  2. 2.It is harder than glass
  3. 3.A mineral's color can vary, but its streak usually stays the same
  4. 4.Picking that one out from the rest
  5. 5.One a fingernail can scratch
  6. 6.Try another test, or consider that they may be the same mineral
  7. 7.One test may give the same result for two different minerals

Questions about Scratch, Shine and Streak

What does the Scratch, Shine and Streak worksheet cover?

It practices identifying minerals from a table of test results — 7 questions for Grade 5, all on NGSS 5-PS1-3: Identify a material by its properties. The instruction to students is “Read the record, then answer the questions”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.

Which NGSS performance expectation does Scratch, Shine and Streak practice?

5-PS1-3, under Physical Science for Grade 5. The published performance expectation reads: “Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties.” The worksheet assesses that performance expectation rather than a paraphrase of it.

What age or grade is this worksheet for?

Scratch, Shine and Streak is written for Grade 5, typically ages 10-11. It is one of the sheets on 5-PS1-3, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.

Does Scratch, Shine and Streak come with an answer key?

Yes. All 7 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.

How many different versions of Scratch, Shine and Streak can I print?

25 — one per student, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.

Is Scratch, Shine and Streak free to print and photocopy?

Yes. Scratch, Shine and Streak, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.

More practice for 5-PS1-3

Identify a material by its properties.

All Grade 5 worksheets

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