[meteorite-list] Meteorites and Kids
From: Walter Branch <waltbranch_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:53:59 2004 Message-ID: <000901c1abe9$e3e12f80$564ebfa8_at_cc516468a> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0006_01C1ABBF.FA188A20 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hello Everyone, I recently had the chance to talk about meteorites to six classes of = third grade students, something which I enjoy very much. If you have not = done this and you get the opportunity, I would encourage you to do so. = It is really a lot of fun. Let me share a few of my observations. Kids love the big heavy irons, bring at least one but make sure it is a = solid piece. They can pass it around but if it is a rust flaky Nantan, = for example, they will manage to peel off some lose rust spots and it is = kind of embarrassing to the presenter. Also do not let them handle a = Sikhote-Alin shrapnel piece. Some shrapnel have VERY sharp edges which = can easily cut small hands, which would also be embarrassing to the = presenter. I like to bring a large piece of quartz crystal with me to make a nice = contrast between a nice fusion crusted stone and terrestrial rocks and = minerals. Some kids, though, will be as interested if not more = interested in the quartz. The children were very much aware of the monetary value of meteorites. A = girl asked how much I would offer her if she found a meteorite from the = moon and I jokingly responded, "well, at least $10.00." The kids got the = joke because they knew it would be worth much more than that. A few kids = focused almost exclusively on the monetary value of meteorites ("how is = that one worth, etc."). I bring along several books with nice pictures of meteorites to augment = the presentation and my homemade "Magnet on a Stick" (actually, a big = dowel rod). My wife teaches third grade language arts and in her class, = a girl had brought in her rock collection for me to examine to determine = if any were meteorites. For now, lets call her the "Rock Girl." I talked about the properties of meteorites and I demonstrated they are = attracted to a magnet and earth rocks are not. There are some = terrestrial exceptions but I figured why complicate matters by pointing = out the rare exceptions. Rock girl brings a metallic looking rock = towards me, I hold the magnet on a stick out to her, she places it on = the magnet and low and behold, IT STICKS. Silence fell over the room and the little girl had a grin that stretched = from ear to ear. Simultaneously, my eyes open, my mouth drops and I = hurriedly bring the object closer for inspection. After years of working = with meteorites, I immediately knew what it was... Hematite :-( Okay, now I back peddle a little and explain that there ARE some earth = rocks that kinda look like meteorites and will stick to a magnet and = HEMATITE is one (you can see an example of this great meteorwrong on my = website). South Georgia is not known for large quantities of hematite = but I failed to ask her immediately where she obtained her sample. My = mistake. A little while latter I show the kids three large perfectly formed = tektites: a dumbbell, a disk, and a teardrop. I explain the differences = between meteorites and tektites, I let the kids hold them, and all of a = sudden the Rock Girl says, "I have one of those." She pulls a black = glassy object from a box on her desk and hands it to me. I look at the = top surface and recognize it immediately... It's a tektite! Now, you have to understand my excitement at this point. The Georgia = Tektite strewn field is about four or five counties west of the school. = As far as I know, no Georgia tektite has ever been found in Bryan = County, which is where the little girl lives. I looked over at my wife = and after seeing literally dozens of kg of tektites even she recognized = it as a probable tektite. I began thinking that the Georgia strewn field = has just now been greatly extended when I turned it over and my heart = sank. The other side was very smooth and concave, as if it were once part of = the interior of a larger object and was part of a gas bubble. It was a Chinese tektite. Exactly like my presentation pieces and = exactly like the dozens of kg I have sold in the past. I then asked the = girl how she obtained her rock collection and she showed me her = collection box with nice glossy printed cards. The tektite (and = hematite) were part of a set that her father had purchased. = Unfortunately, there were no meteorites in the set but she did have the = beginnings of a very nice rock collection. This reminded me that about four years ago, one boy brought me a glassy = object that looked like it might be a tektite. I sent it to Bill Glass = but the microprobe analysis showed that it was not.=20 I showed a large slice of Allende and I casually asked if anyone could = tell me waht the large white spots were. After only a few hints, a = teacher correctly guessed calcium (as wel as other elements). Her = students were very impressed! Again, if you get the chance to present to kids, please consider doing = so. It's a lot of fun and the kids are really interested in the stories = with some meteorites such as El Hammami, Beaver, Canyon Diablo, Claxton, = Peekskill, Cape York, etc. Best wishes, -Walter=20 ----------------------------------------------- Walter Branch, Ph.D. Branch Meteorites 322 Stephenson Ave., Suite B Savannah, GA 31405 USA www.branchmeteorites.com ------=_NextPart_000_0006_01C1ABBF.FA188A20 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Diso-8859-1"> <META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2712.300" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> <P>Hello Everyone,</P> <P>I recently had the chance to talk about meteorites to six classes of = third=20 grade students, something which I enjoy very much. If you have not done = this and=20 you get the opportunity, I would encourage you to do so. It is really a = lot of=20 fun. Let me share a few of my observations.</P> <P>Kids love the big heavy irons, bring at least one but make sure it is = a solid=20 piece. They can pass it around but if it is a rust flaky Nantan, for = example,=20 they will manage to peel off some lose rust spots and it is kind of = embarrassing=20 to the presenter. Also do not let them handle a Sikhote-Alin shrapnel = piece.=20 Some shrapnel have VERY sharp edges which can easily cut small hands, = which=20 would also be embarrassing to the presenter.</P> <P>I like to bring a large piece of quartz crystal with me to make a = nice=20 contrast between a nice fusion crusted stone and terrestrial rocks and=20 minerals. Some kids, though, will be as interested if not more = interested=20 in the quartz.</P> <P>The children were very much aware of the monetary value of = meteorites. A girl=20 asked how much I would offer her if she found a meteorite from the moon = and I=20 jokingly responded, "well, at least $10.00." The kids got the joke = because they=20 knew it would be worth much more than that. A few kids focused almost=20 exclusively on the monetary value of meteorites ("how is that one worth, = etc.").</P> <P>I bring along several books with nice pictures of meteorites to = augment the=20 presentation and my homemade "Magnet on a Stick" (actually, a big dowel = rod). My=20 wife teaches third grade language arts and in her class, a girl had = brought in=20 her rock collection for me to examine to determine if any were = meteorites. For=20 now, lets call her the "Rock Girl."</P> <P>I talked about the properties of meteorites and I demonstrated they = are=20 attracted to a magnet and earth rocks are not. There are some = terrestrial=20 exceptions but I figured why complicate matters by pointing out the rare = exceptions. Rock girl brings a metallic looking rock towards me, I hold = the=20 magnet on a stick out to her, she places it on the magnet and low and = behold, IT=20 STICKS.</P> <P>Silence fell over the room and the little girl had a grin that = stretched from=20 ear to ear. Simultaneously, my eyes open, my mouth drops and I hurriedly = bring=20 the object closer for inspection. After years of working with = meteorites, I=20 immediately knew what it was...</P> <P>Hematite :-(</P> <P>Okay, now I back peddle a little and explain that there ARE some = earth rocks=20 that kinda look like meteorites and will stick to a magnet and HEMATITE = is one=20 (you can see an example of this great meteorwrong on my website). South = Georgia=20 is not known for large quantities of hematite but I failed to ask her=20 immediately where she obtained her sample. My mistake.</P> <P>A little while latter I show the kids three large perfectly formed = tektites:=20 a dumbbell, a disk, and a teardrop. I explain the differences between = meteorites=20 and tektites, I let the kids hold them, and all of a sudden the Rock = Girl says,=20 "I have one of those." She pulls a black glassy object from a box on her = desk=20 and hands it to me. I look at the top surface and recognize it=20 immediately...</P> <P>It's a tektite!</P> <P>Now, you have to understand my excitement at this point. The Georgia = Tektite=20 strewn field is about four or five counties west of the school. As far = as I=20 know, no Georgia tektite has ever been found in Bryan County, which is = where the=20 little girl lives. I looked over at my wife and after seeing literally = dozens of=20 kg of tektites even she recognized it as a probable tektite. I began = thinking=20 that the Georgia strewn field has just now been greatly extended when I = turned=20 it over and my heart sank.</P> <P>The other side was very smooth and concave, as if it were once part = of the=20 interior of a larger object and was part of a gas bubble.</P> <P>It was a Chinese tektite. Exactly like my presentation pieces and = exactly=20 like the dozens of kg I have sold in the past. I then asked the girl how = she=20 obtained her rock collection and she showed me her collection box with = nice=20 glossy printed cards. The tektite (and hematite) were part of a set that = her=20 father had purchased. Unfortunately, there were no meteorites in the set = but she=20 did have the beginnings of a very nice rock collection.</P> <P>This reminded me that about four years ago, one boy brought me a = glassy=20 object that looked like it might be a tektite. I sent it to Bill Glass = but the=20 microprobe analysis showed that it was not. </P> <P>I showed a large slice of Allende and I casually asked if anyone = could tell=20 me waht the large white spots were. After only a few hints, a = teacher=20 correctly guessed calcium (as wel as other elements). Her students = were=20 very impressed!</P> <P>Again, if you get the chance to present to kids, please consider = doing so.=20 It's a lot of fun and the kids are really interested in the stories with = some=20 meteorites such as El Hammami, Beaver, Canyon Diablo, Claxton, = Peekskill, Cape=20 York, etc.</P> <P>Best wishes,</P> <P>-Walter </P></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2><BR>-----------------------------------------------<BR>Walter = Branch,=20 Ph.D.<BR>Branch Meteorites<BR>322 Stephenson Ave., Suite B<BR>Savannah, = GA =20 31405 USA<BR><A=20 href=3D"http://www.branchmeteorites.com">www.branchmeteorites.com</A></FO= NT></DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0006_01C1ABBF.FA188A20-- Received on Sat 02 Feb 2002 08:02:36 AM PST |
 StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit Yahoo MyWeb
|