Today I gave the Bumblebees a geode that we bought from Jerry's Rock and Gem last week. They were so excited!!! First, in our science journals I had them measure, weigh, draw and describe their rock. They were very inquisitive, asking questions like, "How did the crystals form?, Why is there black spots on mine?, Do they come in different colors?" In the scientific method we were asking questions, forming hypothesis, collecting data and observing with pictures and words. Afterwards, I gave each kid a hammer (and safety goggles and a safety speech) and we hammered away. After a few whacks the geodes opened and they compared the insides. They noticed that some had bigger crystals and some were different shades. We concluded (with help from Google) that geodes are formed from gas bubbles when igneous (volcanic) rocks cooled. The slower the cooling, the bigger the crystals. Check their backpacks for their geode crystals.
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| measuring with inches and centimeters |
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| making observations and recording data in science journals |
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| KF has broken apart the geode |
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| look what is inside |
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| comparing geodes |
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| more comparing |
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| science at work |
