Second grade scientists have launched their fall term study of rocks and minerals. After collecting samples around campus, students practiced their observation skills, learning to distinguish rocks from minerals and exploring the properties that make certain specimens unique. This hands-on work is laying the groundwork for independent research projects later this fall. 

Like geologists examining a site, students began by taking a rock walk on campus to observe the kinds of rocks that are common in their immediate environment. They worked in teams, collecting stones of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Unusual discoveries, such as “rocks within rocks” and specimens with smooth, colorful surfaces, sparked curiosity and raised questions. Back in the classroom, students spread their treasures across their desks. During a “museum walk,” they explored each other’s collections, sharing observations and comparing their discoveries.

Students delved deeper into the distinction between rocks and minerals, discovering that a mineral is a single, specific substance. In contrast, a rock is typically a mixture of several minerals and other materials. They examined a variety of specimens, recording their observations about them, and used a Venn diagram to categorize them based on shared characteristics, placing samples in the middle if they fit both categories. Students applied their observational skills to classify each specimen as either a rock or a mineral. They are learning what it means to describe the properties of minerals, beginning with the color. In the coming weeks, they will expand their investigations to include other defining properties such as streak, luster, magnetism, transparency, and hardness. "In studying rocks and minerals, students learn to identify and compare the properties of materials," says second grade teacher Willa Gustavson. "For example, though two minerals have the same color, they may differ in their luster or hardness." 

Later this fall, students will bring this knowledge together in an independent research project. Each student will study one mineral, such as quartz, muscovite, or fluorite, and use library resources to research its properties, uses, where it is found, and how it has been used throughout history. "Through this unit, students learn about the building blocks of our world," says Willa, "and how humans use rocks and minerals in our daily lives."