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Minerals, Rocks, and Planet Earth
Thomas Jefferson Elementary
School, Academic Year 2009-2010
Grade 4 |
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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 four. Everyone in the class got to set up a large magnifier on their desk. Then, each group of four 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. Thomas Jefferson School gets to keep the kits forever. They were made especially for us. The rocks are labeled on the inside cover.
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Dr. DeLeo painted every piece of galena with two coats of fingernail polish so we wouldn’t come in contact with lead. Galena is a lead-containing ore, that’s why it is so heavy. 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.
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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 then examined the minerals with our magnifiers.
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| One of the students was so far ahead of Dr. DeLeo that he asked her to teach part of the program. She did as well as Dr. DeLeo, maybe even better! |
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We had to study the rocks and minerals carefully because Dr. DeLeo said he had invited a reporter to come into the classroom and interview us. Here are some photos of us examining rocks and minerals. |
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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! As he asked us questions about the minerals and rocks, he took movies of us. Dr. DeLeo showed us these movies.
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| If you would like to see some videos, click the play buttons on the pictures on the right.
It was really fun – and a little embarrassing to see ourselves on the big screen. Below are some pictures of what we looked like when we saw ourselves on the big projection screen. |
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 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.
The kits also contain sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, and we looked at some of these. 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.
Below are photos of one of the minerals (galena), one of the ignous rocks (granite), and one of the sedimentary rocks (shell limestone) that we examined.
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At the end of the program, Dr. DeLeo gave each of us a placemat with pictures and information about rocks and minerals. We had lots of fun! |
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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. |
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