Are rocks magical to you? I have a favorite rock; it is from a river in India and is smooth with a stripy swirl. I have had it in my pocket, purse or drawer for 13 years. I have a child who wanted a rock tumbler for Christmas more than anything else in his world. I enjoy sharing a love for rocks with him.
“It begins at home, with the stones in our house, garden and road;--Observations out of doors; Nature's tools for breaking up the rocks; how soil is made and what is going on beneath our feet; the origin of springs; the work of the sea, its floor and how built up; various rocks and how deposited; fossils and what they have to tell us; the work of glaciers and volcanoes. In short, how we learn the past history of our earth from the story of the rocks.” -Charlotte Mason
Geology
Helpful Links:
http://www.geology.com has rock identification tools
Look at John Muir Laws instructions on how to draw rocks. http://johnmuirlaws.com/art-and-draw
Books
Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman Chapter “Common Ground”
Handbook of Nature Study for reference for the mother p 743-775
A Rock is Lively by Diana Aston
Rocks in His Head by Carol Otis Hurst
Take Along Guide Rocks, Fossils and Arrowheads by Laura Evert
Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor
Rocks, Rivers and the Changing Earth by Herman Schneider (IP)
Secrets from the Rocks: Dinosaur Hunting with Roy Chapman Andrews by Albert Marrin
A Grain of Sand: Nature’s Secret Wonder by Gary Greenberg (Reference)
Giants of Geology: The Story of the Great Geologists by Carroll Lane Fenton
Concepts and Terms you can collect as you read: igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic, weathering, erosion, minerals, fossils, quartz crystals… Layers of the Earth, Rock Cycle, Landforms, Mountains, Volcanos, Landscapes.
Nature Journal
Everyday get outside even it is for just a few minutes. Once a week share a “Wow!” with your children of something beautiful. Daily help your children get into the habit of looking closer at something. Share a “look” once a day as you point out a color, texture, shape, smell, or detail that may be easy to miss.
You can share some aspects of local geography such as: “Where is north?” “Where is the sun, shadows and how long are the shadows?” “How tall, far or wide is something?” These questions aid in building a sense of place and awareness of our surroundings.
A suggestion is to write in your nature journal everyday filling a page every week. Parent and children should all have a journal. When you see something that catches your attention stick with it and let your mind start making connections. What does it remind you of? What is it like or not like? It's ALL ABOUT observing, not about the nature journal. The journal is a tool. Keep that perspective.
Geology Activities
Cycles:
Learn about the layers of the earth and the way rocks are formed, changed and reformed. Go and find examples of these different kinds of rocks nearby. Compare the three kinds of mountains and go out and see what kind are nearby. Investigate how Shiprock was formed by an ancient volcano.
Looking Back:
Talk about landforms in our area. Tell the geological history of your neighborhood and area. What creates them? What moves them? What did this area look like a long time ago? What evidences are there of ancient rivers, or forests? Talk about the information rocks give us in fossils.
Big Picture:
Consider a landscapito for your nature journal https://johnmuirlaws.com/art-and-dr Go out and see what kinds of variations in rocks are found naturally in your area. Add some actual drawings of real rocks to your nature journal. Make a sketch of a landscape that you have observed in your area. Label the names of the rocks you expect to find there.
Rock Collection:
Learn about different kinds of rocks. Add notes about different kinds of rocks to your nature journal. Try to find some rocks in your yard or area and identify the kind/type using a guide book or online. Sort according to what group they are in. Consider using a test kit to determine. Types of Rock http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/mse.
Consider buying geodes to open. Follow directions. Make sure to wear goggles! https://smile.amazon.com/GeoCentral
Describe quarts, felspar, mica, hornblende.
In our Home:
Consider all the variety of ways we use rock and mineral products in our homes. Things made from rocks might include: salt, glass jars, toothpaste, chalk, pencils, scissors, jewelry, aluminum foil, paper clips, pottery, bricks, cement, petroleum products such as plastic, lipstick, polyester clothes. http://www.mineralogy4kids.org/mine
Add some uses of minerals in your home and what rocks they came from to your nature journal. Read more about how we use minerals in our homes. http://www.funkidslive.com/learn/ge
Water:
Waterways and how they affect geological forms/rocks. Local water and its effects: Visit Rock formations along the river? What is a river? Draw a diagram of a river and mark its source, mouth, bed, banks and tributaries. Include things you might find in the river beds or riverbanks.
Building:
Consider the ways rocks are around us. Roads, exteriors of buildings, ores making metal and the qualities that make them strong. Build something with rocks. How is cement made? You could go to the Aztec ruins or any ruins and look at the durability and construction using rocks.
Tiny Pieces:
Investigate the elements of the periodic table and what elements are in what rocks. What different rocks have Carbon? What makes these different? Look at rocks with microscopes. Talk to someone who works in a mine and ask them about the process they are part of to get the ore. What minerals are local?
(Adapted from Marcia Mattern's resources and not for sale.)
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