Rocks are formed from one or more minerals. Minerals are solid forms of one or more chemical elements that occur naturally on Earth. Sodium and chlorine form the most important rock that humans need to ingest to maintain life - salt. Yes you eat that rock! We look at the process of creating rock salt with a sodium solution on a piece of granite. At the water is evaporated away, the sodium chloride crystals form on the granite. Children can recreate this experiment at home by filling a jar with a highly salted water solution and suspending a string in it so the crystals can attach as they dry.
Rocks are used in everyday life. Ms. Ginger shows a granite piece that is used for making our counter tops. A marble rock piece from Spain is the example for marble floors. An actual rock core sample from an oil well shows the children how we drill through rock and Geologists study the rock to know where to drill to find oil.
Coal is a soft rock that is used for our bbq pits. Real arrowheads show the children how Indians used rocks as tools. Rocks form bricks in the buildings we live in today. And of course salt was actually used like money in trade hundreds of years ago because it was such an important life-sustaining rock. Beautiful rocks like diamonds and sapphires are used in jewelry and are rare and valuable.
We will attempt to make homemade pretzels and sprinkle rock salt liberally on them for good taste!!
We will make treasure boxes to take home and go on a rock hunt on the playground to start our own collection.
Books: If You Find a Rock by Peggy Christian, Let's Go Rock Collecting by Roma Gans
Monday, February 20, 2012
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