We will, we will, ROCK you!! (and they'll be some minerals too)!

I was going to name this post "Sex, Drugs, and Rocks & Minerals," but then I thought maybe not for 4th graders... so good thing this post is for my fellow graduate students!

This week we were assigned our science unit and my teaching partner Tracey and I were given the subject Rocks and Minerals, yippee!

So, where could 2 lovely prospective teachers brush up on their Earth and Space Science concepts before they get down to the business of teaching it to 4th grade students? Well, first I checked out my partner Tracey's awesome post on the subject- she's a regular Googlista when it comes to compiling relevant sites! What a gem!

Next, I checked out what my old pals Tim & Moby at BRAINPOP had to say on the subject. After watching their mineral identification video, you could determine if that bling on your finger is the real deal or if it's time to get a new boyfriend! Hmmmm... should we give Rana's ring the scratch test?

Then I thought I might take a trip to one of the museums that I remember visiting as a kid and learning about rocks and minerals (or at least take a virtual trip anyway). The Museum of Natural History's Hall of Gems is brilliant! And the Harvard Museum of Science has a dazzling exhibit on Minerals, Gems, and Meteorites!


I also went on PBS' Teacher's website and checked out mineralogist Elizabeth Arredondo's Real Scientist Clip to learn more about how multifaceted a career in minerals can be. Her job rocks!

Now I'm ready to facilitate my 4th graders exploration of rocks and minerals, and hopefully my lesson won't be so rocky! At least now I know the Mohs Scale has nothing to do with the Three Stooges, nice cleavage is not just a compliment- it's a mineral property and streaking can actually be a good thing to do in a classroom! YAY Rocks & Minerals unit, rock on!