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THE CHILDREN’S SCHOOL KINDERGARTEN!
MARCH/APRIL 2015
KINDERNEWS
Geology
Vivian hunts for rocks.
Felicity takes
a closer look
at a rock.
Rory, Andres, Lorelei and Taysahwn
are ready to become geologists.
Sally and Tayshawn
use the Zoomy
magnifying camera.
Sasha looks at her
rock collection.
!
Rocks and minerals are everywhere. You can see them when you look at
mountains, cliffs, and canyons. You see them at the seashore, along rivers and
streams, by the roadside and even in your backyard. In fact, everywhere you look,
you can see rocks and minerals. Rocks can be huge boulders, small stones, or tiny
grains of sand. They can be shiny or dull, rough or smooth, dark or light, round or
flat, hard or soft. The most interesting part is that every rock you find was once a
piece of the Earth. The planet Earth is mostly made of rock. The kindergarten
children quickly noticed the vast abundance of rocks in their
everyday lives. From the marble steps in the rotunda, to the
rocks that make up the sidewalks, they were amazed at what
they could notice when they simply took the time to stop
and look! The kindergarten friends spent the entire month
making new discoveries on a daily basis. The classroom was
filled with questions, connections and wonder. From the
formation of rocks, the elegant beauty of gemstones, and the
amazement of newly discovered fossils, the children couldn’t
wait to explore what at first seemed so ordinary.
Lena writes in
her geology book.
Important Notes
-Parent Teacher Conferences: April 17th and April 24th (No school both days)
!
-Kindergarten Graduation: May 15th at 10:00 AM
-Whole School Celebration Picnic: May 15th 11:00 AM to 1:00PM
PAGE 1
THE CHILDREN’S SCHOOL KINDERGARTEN!
MARCH/APRIL 2015
ROCK FORMATION
In the beginning of our unit, the kindergarten friends’ learned that there are three
main types of rocks: Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic. Each of these types of
rocks are formed in different ways and each type of rock can be changed into each of the
other types. Geologists call this process the Rock Cycle, essentially the process that
makes and recycles rocks. The children quickly discovered that rocks are constantly
changing, although it takes millions of years for a change to occur.
Igneous Rocks-Made by Fire
Rory makes an
The earth is about 4.6 billion years old. The oldest rocks that have been found were
Igneous rock.
created by volcanic eruptions over hundreds of millions of years. These rocks are still
being made very time a volcano erupts. They are called igneous rock, meaning “full of fire”. Inside the Earth, it is so
hot that rocks melt. The melted rock is called magma. When the magma cools and becomes hard, it forms igneous
rocks. Melted rock from inside the Earth sometimes pours out of a volcano as lava. When the streaming river of lava
cools, it forms new rocks. The most common rock that comes from volcanoes is basalt. Sometimes magma turns to
rock when it is still underground, forming granite. The
Cecilia creates
kindergartners replicated the formation of an igneous rock (hard to
sedimentary layers.
cool to hard again) by using chocolate bars (the molten rock),
simulating heat with the microwave, and the cooling process by
placing the melted chocolate onto cold ice cream.
Sedimentary Rocks-Made by Settling
Over the years, water and wind gradually wear down igneous rocks.
The rocks break up into small pieces, called sediments, which are
Sally makes a
carried down rivers into the sea. The pieces come to rest deep
sedimentary rock.
under the sea, along with soil, sand and plant or animal material,
forming sedimentary layers. There is enormous pressure from the weight of the water on
the sea bed. Under this pressure, the sediments lower down in the sandwich layers are compressed and harden into
new rocks, called sedimentary rocks, taking millions of years to form. Limestone, a sedimentary rock, is made from
seashells and tiny sea animals. The chalk you write with is another kind of limestone. As its name tells us, sandstone
is made from grains of sand. In cliffs and canyons, you can see layers of all the different colors. Shale is flat, gray rock
made of very fine grains of mud or clay. Shale often contains fossils of plants and animals that lived millions of years
ago. To replicate the formation of sedimentary rocks, the children mixed rice crispy cereal (representing sediments)
with heated marshmallows (representing mud and water). After placing the warm mixture on wax paper, the friends
added pressure using their hands to compress the layers and sediments together.
Metamorphic Rocks-Made by Changing
Asya makes a
metamorphic rock.
!
Another group of rocks is created when existing igneous and
sedimentary rocks are subjected to great heat and pressure. Such
rocks are called metamorphic rocks, because their mineral
ingredients have been changed. These altered rocks are usually
harder than the rocks they came from. Gneiss is a metamorphic
rock that was once granite. Quartzite was once sandstone, and
marble comes from limestone. Replicating metamorphic rocks
might have been the kindergarteners’ favorite activity of the unit!
Sally and Jane show
The friends first constructed sedimentary layers (using graham
the
changing of rocks.
crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows). In-between the layers,
the friends added gummy bears and gummy worms, representing plant and animal material that
are often found in a sedimentary rock. Next, the friends (with the assistance of a teacher)
heated the rock in the microwave, then added pressure (representing the chemical changes).
With the heat and pressure, the sedimentary rock was changed into a metamorphic rock.
PAGE 2
THE CHILDREN’S SCHOOL KINDERGARTEN!
MARCH/APRIL 2015
ROCK EXPLORATION
! The Science/Discovery Area continues to be an
active place in the kindergarten classroom! This month,
we focused our exploration on studying rocks,
integrating art, writing, science and math into our
investigation. The children began their exploration by
learning the importance of rocks and minerals. Rocks
are used in thousands of ways. Without rocks, there
would be no bricks, cement, glass, or coal. Rocks make
up much of our planet and are mined to provide many of Sally explores a friend’s
rock collection
the things around us, from cars to computers.
Natalie draws an
As the children's interest piqued, and they quickly discovered that rocks are
Obsidian rock.
truly everywhere, they were eager to know not just how rocks are formed, but
what makes each rock so unique. Did you know that no two rocks are alike? Rocks are made up of minerals.
Different amounts and types of minerals make up different rocks (though some rocks are made from just two
minerals). Minerals come in all different colors, can be found as beautiful, shimmering crystals and can help
determine the color of a rock. For example, if you look closely at granite, you can see pieces of three minerals:
white quartz, pink and gray feldspar and black mica. The environment determines a rock’s formation, and
depending on the elements, a mineral may be represented in an igneous rock differently than in a sedimentary
rock.
Throughout the month, the children have been collecting rocks from their surroundings and bringing them
into school to share with classmates. Each child created a rock collection box for safe keeping. With so many
rocks in the classroom, the kindergarteners wanted to explore their diversity. They began with their initial
observational drawings and what they noticed regarding shape, color, size and
texture. They then used an electronic balance scale to determine the rock’s
weight, string to measure the length and circumference,
along with a nail and porcelain tile to test the hardness.
Ruby uses a tile to
scratch test Marble.
Vivian draws a picture
of a sandstone rock.
Lorelei records the color and
hardness of a Basalt rock.
Rhiannon uses a
nail to scratch
test Schist.
Cecilia measures the
length of a limestone rock.
Mrs. Blizman uses the
Zoomy on the smart board.
!
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THE CHILDREN’S SCHOOL KINDERGARTEN!
MARCH/APRIL 2015
CRYSTALS, GEMSTONES AND MINERALS
!
After learning what makes rocks so unique, the children were
instantly fascinated with the beauty of crystals, gemstones and minerals.
The kindergartners already knew that rocks themselves are made of
clusters or mixtures of minerals. So it was an easy transition, understanding
how minerals form crystals and the most prized of them all, gemstones.
Uncut gems are fairly ordinary looking. It’s only when they are cut and
polished that they obtain the brilliance and luster that makes them so
valued. To be a gem, a mineral must be beautiful, rare, and durable.
Gemstones are minerals used in jewelry. The most valuable gems are
diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. When a gemstone is first dug out
of a rock, it usually looks dull. A gem cutter must clean, cut, and polish the
stone to make it into a wonderful, glittering jewel. Most rough gems are
crystals.
!
Thanks to the Natural History Museum and Mrs. Perovich, the
kindergarten friends were able to explore a wide variety of crystals and gems.
We examined geodes up close using our magnifying camera, experimented
with growing crystals using epsom salt and borax, painted our favorite
gemstones and even used a hammer to safely break open a geode, exposing
the crystal inside. At the end of the unit, we enjoyed a visit from a special
guest, Mineralogist Grandpa Pete (preschooler-Owen Landau’s, grandpa).
Andres explores
a geode.
Jane uses the Zoomy
to look at a crystal.
Topaz
Felicity paints a
gemstone.
Mrs. Perovich shows the
friends the appropriate safety
gear for a gemologist.
Lynn with her crystal.
Julia makes an epsom salt crystal.
!
Natalie, Emma and
Asya open geodes.
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THE CHILDREN’S SCHOOL KINDERGARTEN!
MARCH/APRIL 2015
A VISIT TO THE MUSEUM
!
As a culmination to our exploration of gems and minerals, we
took a quick trip to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. The
kindergarten children were happy to visit the Hillman Hall of
Minerals and Gems, an exhibit dedicated to gems, the crystals from
which they come, and jewelry comprised of these precious stones.
According to the museum, the
display unleashes, “A jewel box of
Sasha admires a
lush colors, wondrous forms, and
beautiful crystal,
striking contrasts, the hall
while Rory and Lynn
showcases more than 1,300
touch an igneous rock.
minerals and gems from all over the
world.” The class was eager to tour the collection,
although I think we all had difficulty picking just
Arnav, Asya and Julia smile by their one favorite gemstone and mineral.
favorite rainbow colored gem.
I AM A PALEONTOLOGIST
!
The kindergarten class was lucky to have a special visit from Lorelei’s mom,
Beth Myers. Mrs. Myers shared with the friends that she considered herself a “rock
hound”, a person who really enjoys learning about and collecting rocks. She explained
that a person who hunts for dinosaur bones and fossils is
called a paleontologist. Fossils are the shells, bones, remains
of plants, or imprints of creatures that lived long ago that
have, over long periods of time, been preserved in sediments
and then usually turned to stone. Some creatures also can be
preserved as fossils in tree sap, like insects in amber, or
preserved in ice, like ancient mammoths. These fossils and
impressions are like snapshots from another time.
Julia digs “fossils”
from her cookie.
Paleontologists, using fossils, can learn about the
environment and climate of the past, which gives us clues about
Felicity makes
the present. Mrs. Myers shared that there are four types of fossils; Trace, Mold, Cast and
a Mold fossil.
True Form. Trace fossils show evidence of activity, such as a footprint or nest. Mold
fossils show an impression of the animal or plant and are the most common fossils found. Cast fossils show a
positive image of the animal or plant protruding from the rock in 3D form. And a True Form fossil is when the
actual plant or animal becomes trapped in ice, tar or amber, keeping all original features intact. After learning
about the types of fossils, the children had the chance to replicate a Cast and Mold fossil using Plaster of Paris,
modeling clay and plastic dinosaurs and plants. Additionally, the friends simulated a paleontologist's job by
removing “fossils” from a chocolate chip cookie. We were also fortunate to have Mrs.
Emma examines a
Perovich’s family collection of
True Form fossil.
fossils, which we were eager to
explore with the Zoomy camera
and magnifying glasses .
!
Arnav, Sasha, Lynn and
Cecilia create fossil
impressions with Mrs. Myers.
Mold fossil
Cast fossil
PAGE 5
Lola sorts and
graphs gems.
THE CHILDREN’S SCHOOL KINDERGARTEN!
MARCH/APRIL 2015
HUNGRY CROCODILES AND GEMSTONE MATH
Cecilia adds
gemstones.
Elena stacks
rocks.
In the kindergarten classroom, we incorporated
concepts from our unit with our exploration of
data analysis, numbers + operations, and
patterning. The friends began by learning “greater
than/less than”, helping a hungry crocodile
compare which amount of rocks would be greater
to eat. Next, the friends used paper gemstones to
create, extend and identify patterns.
Tayshawn finds
We even challenged the friends to see
the missing gem.
if they could determine which
gemstone was missing in a pattern. The
children also began solving addition word problems, creating
their own story problem, using a dice, a treasure chest, and
paper gemstones. We also challenged the kindergartners to see
how high they could stack rocks based on a number card they
randomly selected.
Emma finds the
greater number.
Vivian paints a
moon rock.
UNIQUE ROCKS
Arnav makes a
gem pattern.
Sasha creates a
rock sculpture.
We concluded our Geology unit by learning about
different and unique types of rocks, including rocks
that come from space, rocks that balance using just gravity, and
rocks that we created using our imaginations. Rocks that come
from space are called meteorites. These types of rocks are
leftovers from when a planet forms. Sometimes meteorites can
crash down to Earth. A huge crater in Arizona was formed
when a gigantic meteorite smashed into Earth, leaving a giant
hole almost one mile wide-more than the length of 14 jumbo
jets. Next, the friends created their own Treasure Rock
(decorating a rock using paint and glitter). They then wrote
and illustrated a story describing the magic behind their rock.
Finally, the kindergartners created rock sculptures using only
gravity (and the help of glue). After learning about the process
of balancing stones by artist Michael Grab, the children were
inspired to create sculptures of their
own. Michael Grab uses the art form
of stone balancing to create his work,
suggesting that gravity is the only
“glue” that holds these structures in
equilibrium.
Kindergarten
Rock sculptures
Rory replicates the
process of making
craters using rocks.
!
Nika shares her Treasure
Rock story with the class.
A Gravity Glue sculpture
by Michael Grab
PAGE 6