The OpenScience Laboratory

View mineral, rock and fossil specimens in high-quality images and videos.

Background and nature of task

This digital kit contains a wide range of common rock, mineral and fossil specimens that can be viewed as high-resolution images or even videos. Many of the images can be examined at higher magnifications using a zoom slider, allowing minute observation of very fine features, as if with a hand lens. All the specimens have labels and annotations that can be made visible or hidden with a toggle switch, and there is a measurement tool to determine their dimensions. Every specimen has a brief description, while for each mineral species there is also a page of information on its properties. For each type of fossil, mineral or rock, there are generally several images and/or videos. Most videos show a complete rotation of the specimen, allowing it to be viewed from all angles; in some cases the videos demonstrate peculiar properties or features of the specimen. Many of the specimens are of museum quality, so the overall kit represents an impressive, open-ended teaching resource with the potential for a wide range of learning activities and investigations.

Duration and pattern of use

15 minutes and upwards.