Crystals, Rocks and Minerals Unit

No outdoor rock hounding during this snowy January 2011! We did, however, spend cozy afternoons inside having fun learning about what this planet Earth is all about. The class started deep within looking at the amazing things going on, and the changes that produce big events on the surface, such as volcanoes, mountains, and earthquakes.

Using the school's beautiful crystal and rock collection, students learned about the difference between minerals and rocks and about different kinds of each. Some of the most fun came with using the mineral and rock test kits.

The rock cycle was explored and added to their list of abiotic cycles that occur on earth.

Everyone also learned how to "grow" their own crystals!