Photos and descriptions of First Grade science outreach program on Minerals and Rocks at Farmersville Elementary School.
Minerals, Rocks, and Planet Earth Farmersville Elementary
School, Academic Year 2013-2014
Grade 1
In this program, we learned about minerals and rocks, and how they form, and what they tell us about the Earth. We rearranged our desks so we were in groups of three or four. Everyone in the class got to set up a large magnifier on their desk. Then, each group got a special kit that contained rocks and minerals. Dr. DeLeo ordered the rocks from a special store and put these kits together for us. Farmersville Elementary School gets to keep the kits forever. They were made especially for us. The rocks are labeled on the inside cover.
Dr. DeLeo guided us through our study of minerals and rocks using a computer presentation. He described the difference between minerals and rocks. A mineral is a natural crystalline solid composed of a particular set of atoms that are put together in a certain way. Rocks are collections of minerals all stuck together. He asked us to begin by removing the first four minerals in the kit: pyrite, galena, calcite, and olivine. Photos of these minerals were projected on the screen as Dr. DeLeo described them. We examined the minerals and then rocks with our magnifiers.
Some of the students were so far ahead of Dr. DeLeo that he asked them to teach part of the program. First, Dr. DeLeo tried to help us to project our voices by reciting a line from Shakespeare. Then he had us teach the class. You can see a VIDEO of all of this by clicking the play button on the photo on the right.
We had to study the rocks and minerals carefully because Dr. DeLeo said he had invited a special rock reporter to come into the classroom and interview us. Here are some photos of us examining rocks and minerals. Our teachers were very interested in our rocks and minerals!
After we examined a set of minerals and rocks, Dr. DeLeo left the room to get the reporter who would interview us. When the reporter came into the room, he said, “Hello, I’m Rocky Rock-N-Roll.” And, he looked an awful lot like Dr. DeLeo! You can see a picture of him on the left. As he asked us questions about the minerals and rocks, he took movies of us. Dr. DeLeo showed us these movies. If you would like to see some VIDEOS, click the play buttons on the pictures below.
It was really fun – and a little embarrassing – to see ourselves on the big screen. To the left and below are some pictures of what we looked like when we saw ourselves on the big projection screen.
But we weren't here just to have fun, even though we did have fun. We were here to examine and learn about minerals and rocks, beginning with minerals. Below are photos of some of the minerals we examined.
The pictures on the right show two of us scientists examining calcite crystals. Notice how you can see through them. Calcite is the main ingredient in many clam shells, though you can't see through shells.
The photo below on the left shows one of us with a beautiful piece of clear quartz. Although it looks like a diamond, it is very common on Earth. The photo below in the middle shows the mineral olivine. We guessed right away why it is called olivine. The one on the right is pyrite, and it was obvious to us why is it called "fool's gold."
Galena, shown on the right, is a lead-containing ore, and that’s why it is so heavy. Dr. DeLeo's assistant, Mrs. Rankin, painted every piece of galena with two coats of fingernail polish so we wouldn’t come in contact with lead (perhaps an unnecessary precaution). Also, he told us that we should always wash our hands after handling rocks or doing any kind of science experiments, especially before we eat.
Dr. DeLeo was thrilled by how much we already knew about rocks and minerals. He wasn’t sure whether it was because kids were smarter than they used to be or teachers were smarter than they used to be. It might be a little of both. Dr. DeLeo described the three kinds of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are formed when melted rock cools and hardens, either underground or on the surface. We learned that when the rock solidifies underground, it hardens so slowly that it has time to grow big mineral crystals. Granite is one of these types. On the other hand, if the melted rock cools quickly on the surface, you don’t get big crystals. So, the sizes of the crystals that make up a rock tell us the story of its formation: large crystals mean it formed underground, and small crystals mean it formed on the surface.
Just below are photos of us examining (from left to right) the igneous rocks, granite, basalt, and obsidian. The basalt reminded us of the Moon. Dr. DeLeo told us that although the holes in basalt have nothing to do with craters on the Moon, the dark area on the Moon (that you can see even without a telescope) are basalt. Those dark areas are where lava flowed on the Moon billions of years ago. Obsidian looks like black glass!
The volcanic rock on the far left is pumice. It is so light that it floats on water. The rock just to the left is one of Dr. DeLeo's favorite igneous rocks. It is anorthosite. A piece of it was found on the Moon. When it was brought back to Earth, we learned that it was four and one half billion years old, which means it is one of the original rocks that formed when the Moon formed.
The kits also contain sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, but we didn't have time to look at these while Dr. DeLeo was here. Some sedimentary rocks are formed by pressing together (compacting) loose particles that have been deposited on land or in bodies of water. These loose particles are called sediments. Other sedimentary rocks are formed by the crystallization of dissolved minerals. Sedimentary rocks often show layered structures. Metamorphic rocks are rocks that have been changed (metamorphosed) by the actions of high temperatures and pressures within the Earth. Hence, metamorphic rocks have been changed from their original forms. Marble is an example of a metamorphic rock.
At the end of the program, Dr. DeLeo gave each of us a placemat with pictures and information about rocks and minerals. Ms. Brittany, a Lehigh University student, described highlights of the placemat. We had lots of fun!
I hope you have enjoyed this web presentation as much as we enjoyed sharing the actual learning experience with your son or daughter. Although we have endeavored to exclude photographs where permission has been denied, it is possible for errors to occur. If you would like us to remove a photograph of your son or daughter for any reason, please send me an e-mail message at lgd0@lehigh.edu or call me at 610-758-3413, and we will remove it promptly. Please note that we will never associate a child's full or last name with a photograph except in circumstances where special permission was explicitly provided. Thank you. Gary DeLeo.
Dr. DeLeo was thrilled by how much we already knew about rocks and minerals. He wasn’t sure whether it was because kids were smarter than they used to be or teachers were smarter than they used to be. It might be a little of both. Dr. DeLeo described the three kinds of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are formed when melted rock cools and hardens, either underground or on the surface. We learned that when the rock solidifies underground, it hardens so slowly that it has time to grow big mineral crystals. Granite is one of these types. On the other hand, if the melted rock cools quickly on the surface, you don’t get big crystals. So, the sizes of the crystals that make up a rock tell us the story of its formation: large crystals mean it formed underground, and small crystals mean it formed on the surface.
