Rocks, Gems, and Minerals

I teach a science class with the boys and some of their friends. This year we studied Space and Earth Science. This month we finished up our study of rocks and minerals.

We started the month by attending the Ventura Gem and Mineral Show as a family. The timing of the show and our studies was perfect. We enjoyed checking out the booths, exploring the displays, and playing the games in the kids' area. Here the boys are identifying the minerals from their grab bag:

Our last science class was action-packed with the study of the types of rocks and the rock cycle. Here we are making "igneous rock" by first making "magma" by melting "rocks" (chocolate chips and marshmallows, in butter and sugar), then we poured the melted "magma" into a pan to cool into "igneous rock" (fudge). It was a fun, educational, and yummy experiment.

Then we studied the difference between how sedimentary rocks and metamorphic rocks are make with a crayon experiment. We also looked at examples of the different types of metamorphic, sedimentary, and igneous rocks. Lastly, the kids made their own "sedimentary rock" jars. They got to let their creative juices flow and also have something special to take home.

Before

After

I've had fun studying science with the boys and their friends since September. We will continue studying as a family, but will take a break from the group until the Fall. We have Shakespeare shows and vacations coming up that we'll be busy doing. We will restart our Science Club in the Fall with the study of Chemistry, which should be lots of fun. Ian has been eagerly awaiting the study of chemistry.