Geology in Room 123

We have been observing, wondering and inferring about rocks and minerals this week.  Using the Museokit from Genbow Museum.  Students have been trying on their scientist lenses to expand their background knowledge and to answer the question:  Why are there rocks and minerals in our world?  


Geologists are scientist who study rocks.  The morphograph geo = earth and ist = the person who studies.

You have been enjoying working through the trays of rock and mineral specimens.  There are geodes and fossils, as well as carbon, copper, zinc and magnetite.  We are learning all about the history of these minerals and how our ancestors used them.

This afternoon we learned and the word grains which are:  small, hard crystals that make up rocks and minerals.  We looked at a metamorphic rock called marble and discovered that is changed (morphed) melted inside the earth.  It starts as limestone and then changes to marble.

Metamorphic rocks are ones that have been formed by the change of other rocks around them.  This change is caused by extreme heat and pressure.

Igneous = "born from fire".  The root word is ignite which means to set on fire.

Igneous rocks are formed (made) by the cooling of hot liquid magma.  

Magma = hot molten rock that comes the inside of the earth.

Some igneous rocks are formed inside which are called instrusive like granite, diorite and gabbro.

Other igneous rocks form from the lava and other material erupted from volcanoes.  These are called extrusive igneous rocks.  The lava cools so quickly in the open air that the rock hardens before there is time for grains to grow large.  Examples of these are obsidian and basalt.

Here are some photos of the exploration over the last two days.  We are using classroom 125 as our lab.

We are capturing our Observations, questions and Inferences as we explore

Hands on with specimens.  Zooming in to look at crystals and grains.