Sometimes good things happen that we have nothing to do with and you can’t but feel lucky, humbled, and grateful. Last Friday I was emailed by geologist Josh Goodwin who was already scheduled to speak to the second graders about their content in earth science and was offering to spend some time with the fourth graders as well. I eagerly accepted and then went about making sure we would be able to, schedule and facility-wise. By weekend’s end everything was set and I excitedly began to await what would come.
Monday morning came and my enthusiasm didn't wane. Around 10am we entered the library where Mr. Goodwin was waiting. Around six tables were arrayed with various rock and mineral samples as well as accompanying signs, captions, and labels. The kids sat with a palpable sense of controlled interest.
Mr. Goodwin began his presentation giving background on what a geologist does, what he specifically has done, and gauging student’s prior knowledge of the subject intermittently. Then he began going over each of the tables, both reviewing the basics that students should already have been exposed to, and elaborating on models and samples of rocks. We got the chance to see igneous rocks such as basalt, pumice, and granite. We saw a unique sample of hardened lava with pahoehoe on one side and aa on the other. That is the spelling, you can look it up.
We were presented with sedimentary rocks such as limestone and conglomerate, but kids were really excited to see fossils of dragonflies, claws, fangs, and even dino poop. I was perhaps most excited to see some examples of metamorphic rocks, rocks formed from existing rocks that are exposed to extreme heat and pressure. My favorite was the metaconglomerate. Finally, Mr. Goodwin tied in examples of minerals that could be found in rocks of each of the three major categories. The time neared its end with an impressive number of questions from students (that surprisingly stayed on topic) and even one of the greatest compliments I’ve ever heard as a student said that the presentation has caused her to consider becoming a geologist.
The time ended with an opportunity for students to touch any of the samples (two fingers) and I made sure to take the chance for myself as well. I even brought in one of my own conglomerate rocks to find out a bit more to be able to share in class. The time was incredibly engaging, enjoyable, informative, and will undoubtedly provide a shared experience that we can all draw upon when discussing and learning more about rocks and minerals back in class.
Here are some thoughts from students about the experience:
Rebecca - “It was interesting that one of the rocks he brought in was actually dinosaur scat.”
Chase - “I thought he was pretty cool.”
Phoebe - “It was good. I learned that baby wipes come from minerals.”
Gwan - “It was pretty good. I liked the fossil that he brought.”
Meghana - “He taught me really nice things that I didn’t know like we use minerals in lots of stuff.”
Rylan - “I think he was very intelligent and I think he is well-known for his rocks. My favorite was gypsum.”
