This doesn't invade the kids' privacy, so it's bloggable.
Last week we met up with a graduate student in geology at the park. He brought part of his own rock collection for the kids to peruse, and he patiently identified the rocks the kids picked up off the ground to show him. He helped them dig up rocks and break rocks. Then he took them to a creek and helped them find and identify fossils.
Perfect field trip. Cost effective, active, engaging. I have new love for the local university so abundant with graduate students in so many different fields.
13 comments:
Man finds 2.95 carat diamond in Arkansas
Heh. I heard about that. I've never been to the Crater of Diamonds.
To hunt for diamonds you will search atop a 37 1/2-acre plowed field, the eroded surface of an ancient, gem-bearing volcanic crater.
I picture it as a hot, flat field of mud.
I picture it as a hot, flat field of mud
No doubt, but occasionally some swine finds a pearl and that's what gets written up.
I recall from some atlas I had growing up which showed the origins of minerals, that the little diamond icon was in South Africa, India, somewhere in Russia, and in Arkansas.
Great lesson, Freeman. A favorite childhood memory is when I found some fossils the first time I went looking.
Also, here's an idea you might like. Instead of messing with finding and killing insects, my kids and I would keep our eyes peeled for dead bugs. One of them would write the common name and scientific name on a 3 by 5 card, and then we would glue the bug onto the card. Voila! No muss, no fuss.
That's a great idea!
A kid found a 5 carat diamond there on July 31st.
It's the kind of lesson kids will see as very cool.
Freeman/
One of my great treasures is a rock collection done by my favorite aunt when she was in in college circa 1912-1915. (iirc) I've been told it is museum quality, everything from corals to Tiger Eyes to fossils to unbelievable geodes. As a child it sure inspired me to take an interest in geology. (When I was in college and enrolled in geology/lab courses along with Geology Majors as a poli-sci guy they had to throw me off the curve because I earned my "A"'s the old fashioned way, i.e., scores of 93+ on exams, lol) so really appreciate your efforts. (PS: I can still identify thrust faults, reverse thrust faults and geosyncline formations while driving along interstate "cutouts" thru hillsides made for the hwy--in fact my eye is irrepressibly drawn to them when tooling thru the countryside wherever I go, lol)
PS to Freeman: If you ever get to London, be sure to take in the Museum of Practical Geology which has a fascinating collection of gemstones..
I would think this summer of heavy rain has helped the diamond hunt. Makes me want to take a trip!
One son and his then GF found an emerald up near Banner Elk, NC. He had it cut and mounted as an engagement ring for her. Sweet. And very special.
As for homeschooling -- what a great idea to utilize some grad students! How did you find him? Advertise? Call the department? Or is the local homeschool consortium the go between?
JAL said...
I would think this summer of heavy rain has helped the diamond hunt.
I wondered what might be the reason for two great finds so close together in time. Apparently diamonds, like cream, rise in the mud.
And that's just the surface. Think of all the potential just a few feet under.
On our old place there had been (a thousand years+ ago?) some sort of Indian campsite.
Especially if our little front field near where the creek ran had been plowed -- and it rained -- arrowheads and broken pottery would show up. Once a heavier piece -- perhaps a spear or tomahawk type head (not sure what it was, it went home with a collector friend) -- migrated to the surface.
So rain does help.
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