Rocks, Minerals, and Gems

I taught a science class with the boys and some of their friends from September 2010 to March 2011. This year we studied Space and Earth Science. In March we finished up our study of rocks and minerals.

We started the month by attending the Ventura Gem and Mineral Show as a family. The timing of the show and our studies was perfect. We enjoyed checking out the booths, exploring the displays, and playing the games in the kids' area. Here the boys are identifying the minerals from their grab bag:

Our last science class was action-packed with the study of the types of rocks and the rock cycle. Here we are making "igneous rock" by first making "magma" by melting "rocks" (chocolate chips and marshmallows, in butter and sugar), then we poured the melted "magma" into a pan to cool into "igneous rock" (fudge). It was a fun, educational, and yummy experiment.

Then we studied the difference between how sedimentary rocks and metamorphic rocks are make with a crayon experiment. We also looked at examples of the different types of metamorphic, sedimentary, and igneous rocks. Lastly, the kids made their own "sedimentary rock" jars. They got to let their creative juices flow and also have something special to take home.

Before

After

We had a great time studying Space and Earth Science this year.