Lapis lazuli

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/lapis-lazuli

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the geological classification?Metamorphic rock, primarily composed of lazurite, pyrite, calcite, and diopside
2. What is the primary historical source?Sar-i Sang mines, Badakhshan province, Afghanistan, active since the 7th millennium BC
3. What is lapis lazuli and why is it so blue?Lapis lazuli is a blue rock made of minerals like lazurite, pyrite, and calcite. The lazurite gives it the deep blue color, while pyrite adds yellow flecks and calcite adds white streaks.
4. Where did people first mine lapis lazuli?The earliest mines were in the Sar-i Sang mines in Badakhshan province, Afghanistan, around the 7th millennium BC.

Metamorphic Rock: Rock that has undergone transformation due to heat, pressure, or chemical alteration from its original form.
Lazurite: The primary mineral component of lapis lazuli, responsible for its characteristic deep blue color.
Ultramarine: A historically valuable and intensely colored blue pigment derived from ground lapis lazuli.
Pyrite: A common mineral, also known as 'fool's gold,' often present in lapis lazuli, contributing golden flecks.