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The Rocky Road to Science

Like most little boys, my son has always been fascinated with rocks. I'll never forget the time we visited San Francisco when he was about 2 years old. We took him to the Palace of Fine Arts, a vast, impressive garden with a large lake, geese, and a huge classical Roman rotunda. As we strolled the grounds on a sunny fall day, nothing interested him more than the piles of gravel beneath our feet. My husband and I stood by while our toddler remained enthralled with the tiny rocks for what seemed an eternity. "We could have a saved a lot of money on airfare," my husband joked, "if we just had a pile of gravel delivered to our backyard."

It wasn't until my son's sixth birthday, when he received a Young Scientists Minerals, Crystals and Fossils Kit, that I began to appreciate and even share his fascination. After all, not only are they colorful, sparkly, and fun to find, each rock carries clues that can unlock the secrets of the Earth.

How are rocks formed? You probably remember from your own school days the three types of rocks--igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic--but do you recall the difference? Igneous rocks are formed in the intense heat of the Earth's core, hardening as they cool into light, porous pumice; sparkly crystal pegmatite; spotted granite; smooth, dark obsidian; and myriad other specimens. Sedimentary rocks are formed when layers or bits of sediment become stuck together to form sandstone, limestone, shale and others. Metamorphic rocks have changed from one type to another, usually through intense heat and pressure. The right conditions, for example, can change limestone into marble, sandstone into quartzite, and shale into slate. Next time you and your kids find a particularly interesting rock, talk about how rocks are formed and try to determine what type of rock you're holding.

What stories do rocks tell? While rocks are clearly inanimate, they often reveal stories of the Earth's living history. When we find pumice or obsidian, for example, it could be a clue that a volcano once erupted nearby. The crystals in igneous rocks tell us how quickly the melted rock, or magma, cooled. (Smaller crystals mean the magma cooled quickly, while larger crystals had more time to grow.) With my son's birthday kit, we were able to grow our own crystals, watching as they expanded and grew to fill the space allotted. To further illustrate the properties of crystals, the kit included a geode which my son dubbed "nature's pinata" because, like the popular party game, the geode was difficult to break open, but once we cracked it, we were rewarded with a magnificent treasure inside. Rocks also give us a glimpse into the fascinating world of prehistoric animals and plants through fossils hidden within. Our Young Scientists kit allowed us to create our own fossils using both mold and cast methods. Some day my son hopes to explore a space rock, fallen to Earth from the Moon or a neighboring asteroid. Just imagine the stories they could tell, if only we learn how to listen!

What do we get from rocks? People have relied on rocks throughout history and continue to do so today. Ancient peoples turned small rocks into useful tools, and humans have used granite, slate and other solid rocks to create buildings for thousands of years. Today we extract minerals such as gold, copper and silver from some rocks and process others into numerous other metals. Ultimately, rocks are used to produce any number of useful items including coins, jewelry, computer chips, buildings, roads and so much more. With the Young Scientists kit, we learned how scientists identify the minerals contained in rocks by using a streak test and a hardness test on five different specimens. We determined which of the minerals were magnetic and which reacted with vinegar to form gaseous bubbles.

Can I get a job exploring rocks? How could I know my son's early fascination with gravel might have been his first step on the road to a fulfilling career? Many types of geoscientists study the structure of the Earth and the processes that affect it, specializing in fields as varied as minerals, volcanoes, space rocks, fossils, and more. A geoscientist can focus on history, economics, energy, public safety, or countless other areas, making rock exploration a fruitful pursuit when it comes to future employment opportunities.

How can we learn more? For kids who are already fascinated by rocks, I highly recommend the Young Scientists Minerals, Crystals and Fossils Kit. It's a wonderful introduction to the scientific study of all those specimens they've been collecting, and it comes with an instructional guide for parents! You also get engaging activities, stories and explanations for kids as well as pretty much everything you need to perform a number of experiments.

For rock newbies, why not take a stroll around your neighborhood and start a collection of your own? Try to identify the type of rocks in your collection simply by looking at them or by comparing them to pictures you find online or in books. (A great online resource for identifying rocks can be found at Salt the Sandbox.) Try to figure out how your rocks were formed, why some are rough and others smooth, and why they're different colors.

You can explore rocks and minerals with other science kits, too, like the Rocks and Minerals Kit and My First Geology Kit. If your kids are really interested, consider attending a meeting of your local Mineralogical Association (find your local group at the American Federation of Mineralogical Associations www.amfed.com/club.htm). You'll meet other rock enthusiasts of all ages, and most local organizations host rock hunting trips and gem and mineral shows.

At Discover This, we know you're never too old to play with rocks! That's why we offer a wealth of earth science kits to help you and your kids explore the world of rocks and minerals, dinosaurs and fossils, volcanoes and more. We've even got rock polishing kits and crystal growing sets to bring out the beauty in every earthy find.

Here are a few of our favorites:

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