A crystal garden

You can see how crystals of a mineral grow by growing some crystals yourself. Here's what you need:

6 tablespoons of water
1 tablespoons of ammonia
6 tablesspoons of laundry bluing
6 teaspoons of salt
6 pieces of charcoal-the kind used for outdoor cooking

Mix the water, ammonia, bluing, and salt together in a bowl. Put the charcoal in a pie pan. Now pour the liquid over the pieces of charcoal. Put the pie pan in a warm place where the water will evaporate quickly. When the water has evaporated, you will find you have grown a fantastic "garden" of crystals !

If you can't get some of the things listed above, you can grow crystals with nothing more than salt and water. Common table salt is a mineral called halite that forms in cube-shaped crystals.

Put a little hot water into a small pie pan or a saucer. Than, put several spoonfuls of salt into the water. Stir the water until all the salt dissolves. Put the pan in a place where it won't be disturbed. Leave it there for a few days.

Slowly, the water will dry up. On the bottom of the pan there will be a lot of shiny, cube-shaped crystals of salt.