Garret Romaine - Little Learning Labs: Geology for Kids, abridged paperback edition: 26 Projects to Explore Rocks, Gems, Geodes, Crystals, Fossils, and Other Wonders of the Earths Surface; Activities for STEAM

Geology is the science of the Earth and learning to describe what you see so that someone else can understand. Once you get good at talking about the world around you, its not hard to take that to the next level and figure out what happened to the Earth in the past, even if you cant see it happening today. Nobody has ever traveled to the middle of the Earth, but by making models based on places we have been, we think we know whats going on there. Thats sciencemake a prediction, see if you can prove it, and then apply it to bigger questions.

In this book, you will learn a lot about the way things happen and why. Youll be introduced to the science behind processes you see all around you, and youll learn to think about the Earth in new and exciting ways. Some of the most important parts of geology come down to very simple conceptsgravity, friction, heat, and water. Some things you'll learn about are:

How to make your own crystals. Learn how crystals form and how to tell them apart. All rocks contain crystals, so this is a perfect place to begin.

The differences between major rock types. Learn how the three main groups of rocks form. Youll discover the forces behind igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks.

Identification and prospecting. See how scientists tell gems from ordinary crystals and how they learn to look for valuable rocks. Once you learn how to tell one mineral from another, you can start to identify the rocks you find all around you.

How things break down (entropy). See how Earths forces take fresh, young lava flows and turn them into sand at the beach. The sun plays a part, too, and so do plants. Entropy is the idea that everything breaks down eventually. Steel will rust, and mountains will crumble.

Fossils are the clues of life. Our planet has an amazing fossil record to discover. Learn how scientists uncover clues about what Earth was like millions of years ago.

Why space rocks are important. Learn how comets and meteorites can rearrange the Earths surface.

Rocks can be more than just rocks. Now that you know whats going on inside a rock or crystal, youll see what you can do with rocks and minerals in work and play. There are lots of ways to display your treasures and use them to create art or everyday objects. Early humans used the materials around them for tools and you can, too.

Geology uses a set of vocabulary words. Many of the words are ancient, dating back to the earliest times. Many foreign languages have found their way into geology as well. For example, the German words schist (pronounced shist) and gneiss (pronounced nice) both describe certain metamorphic rocks. Two Hawaiian wordsaa (pronounced ah-ah) and pahoehoe (pronounced pa-hoy-hoy)are used to describe lava flows, as there is so much volcanic activity on the Hawaiian islands. Aa lava is jagged and blocky, while pahoehoe lava is ropy and runny. These are just some of many examples.

Geology is based on observations and predictions that are part of the scientific model. Fortunately, the Earth works in a way we can understand, so if we can make the right model, we can use what we see in that model to predict other forces. We can measure things at a small scale, and we can make models to teach others. Even simple, fun projects can show the larger world at work. The labs and projects in this book will help you understand how much fun it is to learn about the world around you.

The best part is that most of these labs dont require a lot of expensive materials; many of them are easy to complete with items you find in your parents kitchen or garage. But if you want to get super serious about understanding the world around you, this book will help you with that, too. Some of the materials will take a little more searching to find, and you may want to get help ordering items online that you cant easily track down. That can be part of the fun, tooyou may get to go to thrift stores or second-hand stores to find used pots and pans, for example. You should also expect to visit a craft store to find some of the items youll need.

And finally, be sure to visit a local rock and gem shop to find samples, books, tools, and advice on how to begin your own collection.

Over the years, I have spent countless hours working with kids just like you in lectures, at demonstrations, and even as a merit badge counselor, helping them understand the world around them. Many of the labs here are time-tested, having been around for years. But some are completely new or bring a new twist to an old idea. Well start with simple concepts and then connect the dots to bigger ideas. In that way, these labs are like building blocks: start small and keep building. At some point, youll probably find that you are learning how more and more pieces of the puzzle fit together. Thats always been the most enjoyable for me, showing others how all the different things they already know can apply. Its always a lot of fun to go to the beach and pick up a few rocks, but when you know how to identify the rocks and explain how they got there, you feel like a detective solving a big riddle. Some of you may even go on to careers in the Earth sciences or become planetary scientists who travel to distant locales. I hope thats the case!

Lets get started. And remember: No one likes a messy lab partner!

Rocks and minerals are the building blocks of the Earth. Minerals have a chemical formula, with an exact number of atoms of different elements. For example, calcite is CaCO3it has one calcium atom, one carbon atom, and three oxygen atoms. Minerals can be identified with tests for streak, hardness, crystal angle, and density, which you will learn in these labs. Rocks are made up of different minerals, in lots of combinations, and they can be glued, pressed, or melted together in many ways. To identify rocks, you need to know what minerals are in them, how they are held together, and how they formed. You will also learn about the three families of rocks: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic.

Shown here are many of the most common minerals that you can find, plus a few that are rare and valuable. Most of the rocks listed here are very common. If you can learn to identify them, you can start to explain the world around you.

Minerals

Calcite