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Holy Family students have rocky experiment
Photo
Neighbors | Submitted.Holy Family School sixth-grade students Gia Diorio (left) and Caitlie Palusak examined their rocks during their class' experiment to describe the properties of rocks to identify the rocks as either sedimentary, igenous or metamorphic.
By TIM CLEVELAND
As a first-year, sixth-grade science teacher at Holy Family School, Renee Abbattista, had the 38 students in two classes do an experiment on Oct. 3 to describe properties of rocks so that those rocks could be identified as sedimentary, igneous or metamorphic.
“Hands-on is always a great way to learn,” she said.
The children each collected five rocks from home and brought them to school. The materials they used for the experiment were sheets of paper, masking tape, a marker, a magnet, a compass, a beaker, vinegar, a dropper, paper towels, a hand lens, a metric ruler, a balance scale and a penny. On five pieces of masking tape, they marked numbers 1-5. They then numbered their sheets of paper from 1-5, leaving about five spaces between each number. They examined each rock by observing and recording the following: size, color, shape, crystals, weight, smoothness, roughness, sand grains, hardness, magnetic property, layers, bands of colors and testing for limestone.
They then assigned each rock to its appropriate category and labeled the type of rock for each number.
“The kids enjoyed it and got involved observing carefully,” Abbattista said. “I most likely will allow more time next year for more detailed observations.
“The students were able to determine the hardness level and classification of each of their rocks. They did this based on many different properties tested and observed.”
Students Nick LaPlante and Anna Hughes both said they enjoyed the project.
“It was fun,” LaPlante said. “I liked testing for limestone.”
“I liked trying to figure out each rock’s hardness on the scale,” Hughes said.
Abbattista said the students got a good lesson in the various types of rocks.
“The students really enjoyed the experiment and got to learn first hand about the various types of rocks by examining each one carefully,” she said.