Early
Learning Center (pre-school) – fun
with minerals
Kutztown University has an
experimental school related to the College of Education called the
Early Learning Center (ELC). The ELC is a fantastic place for
kids to learn - the people running that program really have things
thought out and have created a marvelous learning environment for the
kids.
The ELC takes kids on fieldtrips
to all kinds of places ranging from
local laboratories here at Kutztown University, to nearby experimental
farms, and even the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City!
One of their fieldtrips was to visit me in my mineralogy lab where we
learned about the ways scientists test different kinds of minerals.
We studied minerals under the
microscopes and learned that geologists
look at very, very thin slices of rocks. Imagine a slice of rock
that is less than one-tenth as thick as your fingernail! The
rocks look like kaleidoscopes, though, if you cut them just right!
We also learned that some minerals
are magnetic, but others are not. The black mineral called
magnetite was most strongly attracted to a magnet.
We learned that some minerals are harder, and others are very
soft. Some minerals have a bubbly chemical reaction with acid,
but most do not react with acid at all. Knowing the properties of
minerals makes it possible for geologists to identify minerals in the
field.
About a week after they visited my lab, the whole ELC class marched
single-file right into my mineralogy lecture and presented me with a
wonderful poster with these photos and thank you notes from all of the
students. They're great kids and I'm really glad we had the
chance to visit!
