As always, I am excited to be back for anotherSaturday Science. We have missed joining in the last few Science Saturdays as we worked hard on The Ultimate Guide to Baby’s First Year.If you are a regular here, you know how westudied rocks for some time awhile back. We have explored therock cycle,observed rocks, explored pressure and volcanoes through fizzy science experiments and even done aLego rock excavation. This week I am so excited to share our simple scratch testwe did to explorerock hardnessandthe properties of rocks and minerals.
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During our entire unit on Rocks, we had a basket of found and collected rocks on the kitchen table. We would leave them out as an invitation to explore, discover and ask questions. I found that having the rocks visible and accessible for the boys (6 and 8) encouraged them to continue to think about new ways to investigate.
As many of you know, I follow a project approach method, using child driven questioning and inquiry to drive our learning. While our rock study never turned into a full blown project, it was still driven by the boys’ interest and intrigue. This particular experiment was created after the boys started to notice that some rocks left a residue (dust/sand) behind, yet some did not.
They wanted to know why some rocks were dirtier than others and after learning that rocks can change shape, they were curious to learn about rock hardness.
After reading some of our favorite books about rocks, we learned that you can test a rock’s hardness by using 2 methods (the scratch test method and the vinegar method). Using both of these methods helps to identify the rocks you have in your collection.
Rock Investigation #1 | Marking on Paper
For the first investigation, we identified two categories we were looking for: rocks that leave a colored mark on paper and rocks that do not.
What you need:
Collection of Rocks
Black and White Construction Paper
Magnifying Glass (optional but very useful)
Instructions:
The boys made labels for their categories, then “drew” on paper with various rocks. Having black and white allows you to see the lighter and darker dust from the rocks. The boys discovered that none of the river rocks transferred to the paper, but the some of the rocks made really neat marks on the paper.
But they wanted more. They wanted to see why this happened.
Rock Investigation #2 | Scratch Test on Rocks
Once again, the boys made labels for each category. (I allow them to use inventive spelling and approximations since this is not the focus of this lesson. However, later in the day/week we worked on learning the “tch” digraph.)
{some adult supervision is needed for this test}
What you need:
Collection of Rocks
Nails (of various sizes)
Magnifying Glass (optional but very useful)
Instructions:
For this experiment, use a nail to attempt to make a mark on the rock. You will notice one of two things: a) the rock will scratch, leaving a line, a crack or dust OR b)the nail will rub off on the rock leaving a silver mark on the rock
If you see a scratch, a line, or dust, this means that your NAIL is HARDER than your ROCK.
If you see a silver line on your rock, this means that your ROCK is HARDER than your NAIL.
This is a baseline investigation. You could take this further by learning about the MOHS Scale of Hardness, conducting the acid test, and by identifying the rocks you have in your collection.
What is your favorite thing to do with rocks? Do your children have a question they want answered?
For MoreLearning Resources on Rocks and Minerals
Follow Dayna :: Lemon Lime Adventures’s board Everything Rocks and Minerals on Pinterest.
Rocks the Charlotte Mason Way | Jimmie’s Collage
Neighborhood Rocks | Salt the Sandbox
10 Fun Learning Activities Using Rocks | Carrots are Orange
Visit these great bloggers for more fun Saturday Science experiments too!
Colorful Magic Milk| P is for Preschooler
Centrifugal Force| Suzy Homeschooler
Space Ice Melt Science Sensory Play| Little Bins For Little Hands
Follow Science Experiments for Kids on Pinterest.
What is your favorite science activity? I would love to hear! connect withme onFacebook,Twitter,Google+,Pinterest,Instagramorsubscribe by email. I can’t wait to hear your ideas.
