OVERVIEW OF THE OTHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS ...Rocks and Sediments Kit, and Introduction to Fluorescent...
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The Rock Discovery Center at the Sterling Hill Mining Museum: Sending 20,000 K-12 Students into the Field Each Year by James O. Brown, Ph.D., Assistant Education Director, SHMM ([email protected]) and Earl R. Verbeek, Ph.D., Education Director and Resident Geologist, SHMM ([email protected]) Abstract – Since 1989 the Sterling Hill Mining Museum (SHMM) has been involved with various education programs for both students and teachers with regard to geology, mining, and the history of New Jersey. Beginning in 1996 an option for schoolchildren is to participate in the Rock Discovery Center (RDC) at a slightly higher fee than the regular tour. The RDC introduces students to geology by having each student collect six rock specimens (basalt, garnet gneiss, marble, slate, coal and sandstone). In particular, these rock specimens represent the three major rock groups and introduce students to the many uses of rocks in our society. An “economic geology” emphasis during the RDC experience is that the collected rocks are quarried in the northeastern United States because they have practical and commercial value. This popular activity allows students to do “field work” by locating, identifying, and collecting their own specimens. It also empowers the teacher with having hands-on materials for each student when they return to the classroom. The most fundamental educational program at SHMM is a guided tour of the mine and associated exhibit halls as part of a school trip for grades 3 through 12. These tours are also open to the general public and college students. SHMM now offers schools the option of follow-up programs to the tour and RDC through classroom visits, where either a geologist goes to the school or a videoconference is held. SHMM is in the preliminary stages of offering the virtual classroom experience on a national level, where classroom supplies of the field materials would be sent to the school. Other programs in various stages of development that can be taught either at SHMM or in the classroom include the Fossil Discovery Center, the New Jersey Rocks and Sediments Kit, and Introduction to Fluorescent Minerals and Materials. All of these activities have hands-on materials that can be sent to the classroom in preparation for a real or virtual visit. Examples of materials used by SHMM are available for inspection. Additional information can be found at SHMM’s website: www.sterlinghill.org. PHASE 2 STUDENTS ARE SENT “OUT INTO THE FIELD” TO COLLECT THEIR SPECIMENS PRACTICAL LOGISTICS: THE ROCK DISCOVERY CENTER IS FENCED IN SO THAT STUDENTS CANNOT WANDER OFF. DEPENDING ON TIME CONSTRAINTS, AGE GROUP, SPECIAL NEEDS AND CLASS SIZE, THE TOUR GUIDE MAY “LEAD” THE CLASS TO A PARTICULAR LOCATION WHERE A SPECIFIC ROCK IS FOUND OVERVIEW OF THE ROCK DISCOVERY CENTER Each Field Trip has three basic phases: OTHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES OFFERED BY STERLING HILL CLASSROOM VISITS IN THIS EXAMPLE, STUDENTS ARE TAKEN ON A DINOSAUR DIG PHASE 1 STUDENTS ARE INTRODUCED TO THE SIX DIFFERENT ROCKS, INCLUDING EMPHASIS ON PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS, GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION, AND PRACTICAL USE. PRACTICAL LOGISTICS: BEFORE BEING LET LOOSE TO COLLECT, BASIC RULES ARE EXPLAINED, INCLUDING NO THROWING ROCKS OR RUNNING; THAT EACH STUDENT IS ALLOWED ONLY ONE SPECIMEN OF EACH OF THE SIX DIFFERENT ROCKS; AND THAT EACH SPECIMEN MUST FIT INTO THE STUDENT’S PERSONAL COLLECTOR’S BOX TEACHER’S WORKSHOP SHMM OFFERS VARIOUS ON-SITE AND OFF-SITE WORKSHOPS RESULTS TEACHERS ARE ASKED TO LEARN BY DOING SOME OF THE SAME WORK THAT A PRACTICING GEOLOGIST, HYDROLOGIST, PALEONTOLOGIST, MINING ENGINEER, OR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST WOULD DO. IN THIS WAY TEACHERS ARE EXPOSED TO THE ACTUAL SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGIES, AND MATHEMATICS INVOLVED IN THESE PURSUITS. THOMAS S. WARREN MUSEUM EXHIBIT SHOWING THE DIVERSITY OF FLUORESCENCE IN MINERALS TOURS A 1.5 TO 2 HOUR TOUR OF AN UNDERGROUND ZINC MINE AND ITS INDUSTRIAL MILLING COMPLEX. RESULTS EXPOSES STUDENTS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO THE IMPORTANCE OF GEOLOGY, NOTABLY IN TERMS OF NATURAL RESOURCE EXTRACTION TO OUR EVERYDAY LIVES. HANDS-ON EDUCATION PROJECTS: EXAMPLE STUDENT COLLECTING FLUORESCENT MINERAL SPECIMENS TELECONFERENCE FROM SHMM STUDIO IN THE FIELD AT ROCK DISCOVERY CENTER SANDSTONE: FROM NORTHERN NJ BASALT: FROM NJ, NY, CT AND PA SLATE: FROM PA AND NJ GARNET GNEISS: FROM UPSTATE NY MARBLE: FROM NORTHERN NJ COAL: FROM PA PHASE 3 A TOUR GUIDE INSPECTS EACH KIT FOR ACCURACY PRACTICAL LOGISTICS: THIS INSPECTION GIVES EACH STUDENT A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT. THE TOUR GUIDE WILL POINT OUT AN AREA IN THE ROCK DISCOVERY CENTER TO LOOK FOR A SPECIFIC ROCK WHEN A STUDENT IS INITIALLY UNSUCCESSFUL IN FINDING A PARTICULAR SPECIMEN. IN ADDITION TO ACCURACY, THE INSPECTION ALSO ASSURES THAT THE PROPER NUMBER OF SPECIMENS IS COLLECTED HANDS-ON EDUCATION PROJECTS: EXAMPLE IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THOMAS EDISON, STUDENTS PERFORM MAGNETIC SEPARATION OF IRON ORE MINERALS FOSSIL DISCOVERY CENTER: SIMILAR SET-UP AS ROCK DISCOVERY WHERE STUDENTS COLLECT FOSSILS “ore”
Transcript of OVERVIEW OF THE OTHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS ...Rocks and Sediments Kit, and Introduction to Fluorescent...
The Rock Discovery Center
at the Sterling Hill Mining Museum:
Sending 20,000 K-12 Students into the Field
Each Year
by
James O. Brown, Ph.D.,
Assistant Education Director, SHMM ([email protected])
and
Earl R. Verbeek, Ph.D.,
Education Director and Resident Geologist, SHMM ([email protected])
Abstract – Since 1989 the Sterling Hill Mining Museum (SHMM) has been involved
with various education programs for both students and teachers with regard to
geology, mining, and the history of New Jersey. Beginning in 1996 an option for
schoolchildren is to participate in the Rock Discovery Center (RDC) at a slightly
higher fee than the regular tour. The RDC introduces students to geology by having
each student collect six rock specimens (basalt, garnet gneiss, marble, slate, coal
and sandstone). In particular, these rock specimens represent the three major rock
groups and introduce students to the many uses of rocks in our society. An
“economic geology” emphasis during the RDC experience is that the collected
rocks are quarried in the northeastern United States because they have practical
and commercial value. This popular activity allows students to do “field work” by
locating, identifying, and collecting their own specimens. It also empowers the
teacher with having hands-on materials for each student when they return to the
classroom.
The most fundamental educational program at SHMM is a guided tour of the mine
and associated exhibit halls as part of a school trip for grades 3 through 12. These
tours are also open to the general public and college students. SHMM now offers
schools the option of follow-up programs to the tour and RDC through classroom
visits, where either a geologist goes to the school or a videoconference is held.
SHMM is in the preliminary stages of offering the virtual classroom experience on a
national level, where classroom supplies of the field materials would be sent to the
school.
Other programs in various stages of development that can be taught either at
SHMM or in the classroom include the Fossil Discovery Center, the New Jersey
Rocks and Sediments Kit, and Introduction to Fluorescent Minerals and Materials.
All of these activities have hands-on materials that can be sent to the classroom in
preparation for a real or virtual visit. Examples of materials used by SHMM are
available for inspection. Additional information can be found at SHMM’s website:
www.sterlinghill.org.
PHASE 2STUDENTS ARE SENT “OUT INTO THE FIELD” TO COLLECT THEIR SPECIMENS
PRACTICAL LOGISTICS:
THE ROCK DISCOVERY CENTER IS FENCED IN SO THAT STUDENTS CANNOT WANDER OFF.
DEPENDING ON TIME CONSTRAINTS, AGE GROUP, SPECIAL NEEDS AND CLASS SIZE, THE TOUR GUIDE
MAY “LEAD” THE CLASS TO A PARTICULAR LOCATION WHERE A SPECIFIC ROCK IS FOUND
OVERVIEW OF THE
ROCK DISCOVERY CENTER
Each Field Trip has three basic phases:
OTHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES
OFFERED BY STERLING HILL
CLASSROOM VISITS
IN THIS EXAMPLE,
STUDENTS ARE TAKEN ON A DINOSAUR DIG
PHASE 1
STUDENTS ARE INTRODUCED TO THE SIX DIFFERENT ROCKS, INCLUDING EMPHASIS ON PHYSICAL
CHARACTERISTICS, GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION, AND PRACTICAL USE.
PRACTICAL LOGISTICS:
BEFORE BEING LET LOOSE TO COLLECT, BASIC RULES ARE EXPLAINED, INCLUDING NO THROWING
ROCKS OR RUNNING; THAT EACH STUDENT IS ALLOWED ONLY ONE SPECIMEN OF EACH OF THE SIX
DIFFERENT ROCKS; AND THAT EACH SPECIMEN MUST FIT INTO THE STUDENT’S PERSONAL COLLECTOR’S
BOX
TEACHER’S WORKSHOP
SHMM OFFERS VARIOUS ON-SITE AND OFF-SITE WORKSHOPS
RESULTS
TEACHERS ARE ASKED TO LEARN BY DOING SOME OF THE SAME WORK THAT A PRACTICING
GEOLOGIST, HYDROLOGIST, PALEONTOLOGIST, MINING ENGINEER, OR ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENTIST WOULD DO. IN THIS WAY TEACHERS ARE EXPOSED TO THE ACTUAL SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGIES, AND MATHEMATICS INVOLVED IN THESE PURSUITS.
THOMAS S. WARREN MUSEUM
EXHIBIT SHOWING THE DIVERSITY
OF FLUORESCENCE IN MINERALS
TOURS
A 1.5 TO 2 HOUR TOUR
OF AN UNDERGROUND ZINC MINE AND ITS INDUSTRIAL MILLING COMPLEX.
RESULTS
EXPOSES STUDENTS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO THE IMPORTANCE OF GEOLOGY,
NOTABLY IN TERMS OF NATURAL RESOURCE EXTRACTION TO OUR EVERYDAY LIVES.
HANDS-ON EDUCATION PROJECTS:
EXAMPLE STUDENT COLLECTING
FLUORESCENT MINERAL SPECIMENS
TELECONFERENCE FROM SHMM STUDIO
IN THE FIELD AT ROCK DISCOVERY CENTER
SANDSTONE: FROM NORTHERN NJ
BASALT: FROM NJ, NY, CT AND PA
SLATE: FROM PA AND NJ
GARNET GNEISS: FROM UPSTATE NYMARBLE: FROM NORTHERN NJ
COAL: FROM PA
PHASE 3A TOUR GUIDE INSPECTS EACH KIT FOR ACCURACY
PRACTICAL LOGISTICS:
THIS INSPECTION GIVES EACH STUDENT A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT.
THE TOUR GUIDE WILL POINT OUT AN AREA IN THE ROCK DISCOVERY CENTER TO LOOK FOR A SPECIFIC ROCK
WHEN A STUDENT IS INITIALLY UNSUCCESSFUL IN FINDING A PARTICULAR SPECIMEN.
IN ADDITION TO ACCURACY, THE INSPECTION ALSO ASSURES THAT THE PROPER NUMBER OF SPECIMENS IS
COLLECTEDHANDS-ON EDUCATION PROJECTS:
EXAMPLE IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF
THOMAS EDISON, STUDENTS PERFORM
MAGNETIC SEPARATION OF IRON ORE
MINERALS
FOSSIL DISCOVERY CENTER:
SIMILAR SET-UP AS ROCK DISCOVERY WHERE
STUDENTS COLLECT FOSSILS
“ore”
