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Collecting Rocks. By Rachel M. Barker Rocks Tell the Story of the Earth The Earth is made of rock, from the tallest mountains to the floor of the deepest ocean. Thousands of different types of rocks and minerals have been found on Earth. Most rocks at the Earth's surface are formed from only eight elements (oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sodium), but these elements are combined in a number of ways to make rocks that are very different. Rocks are continually changing. Types of Rocks Geologists classify rocks in three groups, according to the major Earth processes that formed them.

Igneous rocks are formed from melted rock that has cooled and solidified. Sedimentary rocks are formed at the surface of the Earth, either in water or on land. Sometimes sedimentary and igneous rocks are subjected to pressures so intense or heat so high that they are completely changed. Rock-forming and rock-destroying processes have been active for billions of years. Starting a Collection. Example Descriptions | USGS Schoolyard Geology. USGS Geology in the Parks. Description Table | USGS Schoolyard Geology. Download this page as a Microsoft WORD document | Download this page as a PDF Document As a geologist, you need to practice describing rocks in detail. It's not enough just to say "it's a rock". You need to be very specific and mention each of the properties that make one rock different from another. Find a particularly interesting rock on your schoolyard.

It can be either natural or man-made. Describe the rock in detail. If you aren't familiar with rocks already, refer to this web page. Schoolyard Geology Home • Lesson 1 • Lesson 2 • Lesson 3 • Downloads. About | USGS Schoolyard Geology. The main purpose of this web site is to introduce teachers to the geologic features on their own schoolyard. We hope to open their eyes to the possibilities for teaching geology to students in a familiar, easily accessible, and personally relevant setting. We have divided the site into three individual lessons: Teaching Sequence The lessons are completely independent but can work together as an effective sequence. The map exercises of Lesson 1 come first because teachers can refer to the schoolyard map throughout future exercises. During the mapping exercise, students will realize that there are geologic materials all over their schoolyard.

Lesson 3 is a resource of example geologic features that might have analogs in the schoolyard. Schoolyard Geology Home • Lesson 1 • Lesson 2 • Lesson 3 • Downloads. Crosscutting and Superposition | USGS Schoolyard Geology. GeoMan's Mineral and Rock Identification. Schools Science Clips - Rocks and soils. Mineral Properties, Uses and Descriptions. Diamond Diopside Dolomite Enstatite Epidote Fluorite Fuchsite Galena Garnet Glauconite Gold Graphite Gypsum. Mineral Resource of the Month. Mineral Resources - The Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom. Science Olympiad Materials - Rocks and Minerals. Common Misconceptions About Rocks and Minerals — Rocks and Minerals. Although the research base for geologic misconceptions is not as extensive as that of other disciplines within earth and space science, it is clear that students and teachers alike hold a wide range of incorrect ideas about rocks, minerals, and the rock cycle.

To promote accurate scientific instruction, it is important that teachers are cognizant of their own understanding and seek to continually improve their content knowledge. Formative assessment can provide a great deal of insight into student thinking before, during, and after instruction. Finally, teachers should be metacognitive practitioners and reflect on how their methods of instruction may lead to the formation or strengthening of existing misconceptions.

Geologic Misconceptions Geologic misconceptions can take many forms – the language used to define and describe specimens, relevant properties for classification, the rock cycle, and geologic time. Communication Breakdown Size Really Doesn’t Matter Good Looks Are Superficial. How We Use Minerals Games. Rock and Mineral Prospecting. Primitive Technology and Native Arts Continued from Page 1 Rock and Mineral Prospecting Any long-term survival training should include techniques for mining and collecting ores and other useful minerals. A mineral is composed of either a single element (like gold) or compound of elements (like sodium chlorine - aka table salt). As a rule, minerals have a solid, crystalline form. Common ones used in construction or household products include quartz, talc, gypsum, graphite and sulphur. Rocks are created initially by magma (below the surface) or lava flowing above the surface of the earth. Igneous - born directly from volcanic output, like granite and basalt Metamorphic - existing rocks that were reshaped after extreme pressure and heat, like slate Sedimentary - rocks composed of layers of clays, silts, fossils and other sediments eroded and washed away from mountains, like limestone and shale Over time, weathering, landslides and other forms of erosion peel or break down igneous rocks.

How are rocks formed ? Rock Cycle. Rock and the Rock Cycle. Interactive Rock Cycle Animation. Rocks, Rock Information, Facts, News, Photos -- National Geographic. Rocks are so common that most of us take them for granted—cursing when we hit them with the garden hoe or taking advantage of them to drive in tent pegs on summer camping trips. But what exactly is a rock? To geologists, a rock is a natural substance composed of solid crystals of different minerals that have been fused together into a solid lump.

The minerals may or may not have been formed at the same time. What matters is that natural processes glued them all together. There are three basic types of rock: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Extremely common in the Earth's crust, igneous rocks are volcanic and form from molten material. Typically, granite makes up large parts of all the continents.

Granite rocks can be very old. Sedimentary rocks are formed from eroded fragments of other rocks or even from the remains of plants or animals. Fossils are most frequently found in sedimentary rock, which comes in layers, called strata. Rock Key. The Rock Identification Key - by Don PeckRock Key Table of Contents What Are Rocks? Rocks are what the crust of the earth is made of. They are the mountains and the bottom of the ocean. They are everywhere on earth, but often buried under soil. Rocks are made of minerals, like quartz, calcite, feldspars, and micas. . [ Return to Rock Key Table of Contents ] What Minerals Form Rocks? Layers of the Earth. Dynamic Earth . Intro. The Life Cycle of a Mineral Deposit—A Teacher’s Guide for Hands-On Mineral Education Activities. This teacher's guide defines what a mineral deposit is and how a mineral deposit is identified and measured, how the mineral resources are extracted, and how the mining site is reclaimed; how minerals and mineral resources are processed; and how we use mineral resources in our every day lives.

Included are 10 activitybased learning exercises that educate students on basic geologic concepts; the processes of finding, identifying, and extracting the resources from a mineral deposit; and the uses of minerals. The guide is intended for K through 12 Earth science teachers and students and is designed to meet the National Science Content Standards as defined by the National Research Council (1996). To assist in the understanding of some of the geology and mineral terms, see the Glossary (appendix 1) and Minerals and Their Uses (appendix 2).

Wegener's Puzzling Evidence Exercise (6th Grade) Although Alfred Wegener was not the first to suggest that continents have moved about the Earth, his presentation of carefully compiled evidence for continental drift inspired decades of scientific debate. Wegener's evidence, in concert with compelling evidence provided by post World War II technology, eventually led to universal acceptance of the theory of Plate Tectonics in the scientific community. The following files are needed for this exercise and can be downloaded in pdf format (Teacher Overview, (For Teachers) Wegener's Key to Continental Positions for grade 6, Student Puzzle Pieces, Key to Wegener's Evidence sheet, and Student Map of the World Today). If students need additional hints beyond those provided below, there is a Puzzle Outline Hint to be used as a base for the puzzle.

Objectives Students will observe and analyze scientific evidence used by Wegener. Students will read and interpret maps and map symbols. The Student Puzzle Pieces and Legend Time frame 1-2 class periods. Teaching Geological Time Eras To Students With Help From This Video. Home Page. Now_and_Then. When you first find a fossil it is sometimes hard to tell what kind of animal it belonged to. It is usually just a part of the original animal. In this section you will find pictures of various fossils that you too may some day discover. Just click on the picture and not only will you see a larger photo of the fossil but you will also see what the original animal may have looked like millions of years ago!!

Learn about Erosion. Learn about Weathering. Lesson.pdf. Eye in the Sky--Human Impact. Environmental Issues Lesson Plan: Reducing Waste. Grade: 01 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using frequently occurring conjunctions to signal simple relationships (e.g., because).

Grade: 02 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using adjectives and adverbs to describe (e.g., When other kids are happy that makes me happy). Grade: 03 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships (e.g., After dinner that night we went looking for them). Grade: 04 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.6 Grade: 05 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.6 Grade: K CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.K.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.2. HumanFootprint.pdf. BrainPOP Jr. | Science | Learn about Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. StudyJams. Shake, Rattle and Slide. Exploring Rocks and Minerals.

50 Really Cool Online Tools for Science Teachers. A 21st-century education revolves around the Internet for everything from collaboration, tools, lessons, and even earning degrees online. If you are looking for ways to integrate online learning into your science class or science degree programs, then take a look at these cool online tools that are just perfect for both teachers and students.

Science Tools to Use with Students These tools offer opportunities for learning about climate, cells, the human body, nature, and more. ChemiCool. Share this periodic table with your class for an easy to use tool with information on each of the specific elements.GPS Activities and Lesson Plans. If you are interested in using GPS and geocaching with your science class, get the basics on how it’s done and browse through lessons other teachers have used with their classes.Climate Zone. AP Tools Whether you are setting up a new AP curriculum or are just looking for additional material to use with your AP science students, these tools will help. Calculators. Bill Nye The Science Guy & Rocks & Soil FULL EPISODE. Rocks for Kids - 15 Fun Activities and Ideas - Teach Junkie. The Magic School Bus | Games | Blows Its Top.

Geology Online Lesson Plans--Illinois State Museum. Videos - Geology. Geology may be a science that moves very slowly, but a number of videos bring the subject to life for students. Education World compiled some great videos that will get kids excited about the topic. For each one, we include a description and grade level. We also note the video’s capacity for engagement (“cool factor”). The Geology and Formation of the Western Land of U.S.

Source: World-earthquakes.com. Despite the odd syntax of its title, this video is produced by the experts at World Earthquakes—a group that tracks earthquake data around the globe. Grade level: Sixth grade or higher Run time: 44:59 Description: This rather dramatic video shows geology in action—specifically, how the western part of the United States came to look the way it does. Cool factor: Not as cool as some, but dramatizations of geologic activities add interest. National Geographic Colliding Continents Source: National Geographic Grade level: All ages Run time: 50:05 Geology Kitchen: What is a Mineral? Run time: 5:44.