Junior Rockhound: Making a Mineral Identification Kit

This month, we will learn how to properly identify minerals.  This includes creating your very own mineral ID kit!

Location: Monmouth Worship Center 37 Vanderburg Rd., Marlboro, NJ

Post Event Write-Up:

Board members: Will, Ryan and Julia there for set up at Monmouth Worship Center
Attendance sign in sheet showed: 13 children (3 boys, 10 girls), 7 families, 7 parents, 4 sibs < age 7

Jessica, Callie and Kayla Klockner were there early helping out. Email stated that families could arrive as early as 6:30pm but that we would start program at 7:00pm. Jessica stationed herself at the front of the worship center to direct families to the correct room. Will and Ryan gave lesson plan. Julia assisted with child set-ups, photos, handouts, minutes, reminders.

Tables configured in U shape for kids to sit and see white board. Fail on the nametags so Julia’s fix was to make sure child’s shoebox pointed toward speakers with the child’s name showing. Parents and siblings had a table in back with coloring pages and crayons. One sib sat at U table and received rock samples.

Mullin family arrived early since they missed October session and Will caught them up. Handed them boxes and folder pages.

Meeting beginning: Will had 2 UV flashlights for $10 each for sale. Follow up with families to see how many more need to be purchased.

Asked children to hold up a sedimentary/igneous/metamorphic rock

Ryan reminded them to think of a group name to call themselves. “Rock pups” was suggested

Announcements- Field trip to Sterling was cancelled. Saturday after Thanksgiving trip to Odessa MD for petrified wood is still on but dependent on farmers’ crop conditions.

Will- overview on last month: What is rock/mineral? the pancake analogy, how to apply conditions to cubic zirconia, showing mica, sedimentary layers, igneous, metamorphic characteristics

Ryan- paper handout “Common properties that help geologists identify a mineral are:” passed out and discussed: color, streak, hardness, cleavage, crystal structure, transparency, tenacity, magnetism, luster, odor, taste, specific gravity, fluorescence (13 properties)

Today focus on hardness (Mohs scale on bottom of handout)

Other handouts: 5 samples handed out, paper strip to match rocks on, tile streak plate,

Ziploc baggie filled with glass, nail, magnet, copper for testing

Will and Ryan: Time to use info and match samples to the strip

Showed longwave UV to fluoresce fluorite, shortwave doesn’t work (overhead lights out)

Calcite sample in kit fluoresces, Talc fluoresces yellow on shortwave

Will announced homework for next month: find something to put your samples in and identify them.

Showed examples of possible containers: egg carton, cardboard box with partitions, box with black spray paint for fluorescent minerals

Next meeting: Tuesday, December 5, 2023 back to Howell Library from 7pm to 8pm

Will to send email about Franklin rock stating what minerals are in it and a link. Also, need to include photos taken at meeting.

Reminders to families to always wash hands after touching rocks.

Martinez family shared frosted sugar cookies with candy rocks on top for snack.