Pearl

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

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/pearl

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 a pearl?A pearl is a shiny treasure made by sea creatures called mollusks. It forms inside the oyster or mussel when the animal covers a tiny irritant with layers of nacre. The layers create a round or irregular shape that shines like a tiny rainbow.
2. How do pearls get their shiny sparkle?The sparkle, called orient, comes from light bouncing off many microscopic layers of nacre inside the pearl. Each layer is made of tiny crystals of aragonite and a little organic material. The layers reflect light and make the pearl shimmer.

Biomineralization: The process by which living organisms produce minerals, such as the formation of pearls by mollusks.
Aragonite: A crystalline form of calcium carbonate that is the primary component of nacre in pearls.
Conchiolin: An organic protein matrix that binds aragonite crystals together in nacre, contributing to its strength and luster.
Orient: The unique, shimmering iridescence and luster of a pearl, caused by light interacting with its layered structure.