| Author | |
wamegomom
Forum Pro
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Kansas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 326
|
| Posted: April 09 2006 at 3:27pm | IP Logged
|
 |
|
Yesterday my 8 y.o. "Rockhound" dd Annie and I spent the loveliest day together with her 4-H Geology club members and their families hiking through wheat fields, up country rock roads surrounded by gambolling calves and their watchful mothers, and on rocky slopes over stream beds. The weather (after tornadoes two days before) was perfect--sunny, 70 degrees and for once, no Kansas south wind. Annie's first find on a rarely used rock road was not exactly geological. It was a 1918 Indian head buffalo nickel! She's excited about that. Along that road we also found an interesting form of limonite that I'd never seen before. In this particular area the limonite, though it looks like the mustardy yellow limonite I've seen in other places, forms hollow concretions, which are filled with colored clay or sand. You can shake them by your ear and they sound like gourds! Local lore is that Indians broke them open and used the contents in making paint. We also found petrified wood there, but the quality of the specimen is nowhere near as pretty as some in a friend's pasture which is streaked with quartz crystals.
At the second stop we hiked about a mile up a hill through a wheat field and found another specimen I'd never seen before. If you ever see it, it is pretty cool. In this particular farmer's field, at some point in geologic time, there was a deposit of halite (salt) which was removed by water. As the water dissolved the halite, it introduced quartz in place of the halite. The quartz took on the characteristics of the halite's crystal structure. Now you find cubic shaped quartz pseudomorph, which is so very interesting to see. Picture a rosy-beige cube with concentric cubes within it. Very, very cool.
At the third stop, I was just overcome with simple joy. About a dozen people were spread out on a rocky stream bank, surrounded by prairie pasture, with the warm sun shining, red-tailed hawks circling nearby. Quiet conversations started and stopped, and we just contendedly gently raked over the kimberlite (looks like gray-green granite) and found small dark red garnets and shiny black magnetite. Children ran to parents and project leaders (one dear lady is a grandmother who lends her expertise on these outings out of love for children and local geology) with their exciting discoveries, or asking "what's this, what's this?", sharing specimens if they were lucky enough to find several good ones and another club member did not, rejoicing with those who found special treasures, or comforting a younger sibling who fell. It was such happiness to be out on the prairie on a perfect spring day with my scientist daughter, sharing the joy of our finds with sweet people who found it all joy too. In a perfect unschooling way, people who ranged from age 5 to in their 70s just shared their day, their knowledge, their curiosity..... it was so hard to leave and end it! We can't wait to go fossil-hunting together on the 29th.
I can't recommend 4-H geology highly enough. It is such a family-oriented activity as well. My particular family can't entirely participate, as we have two members who use wheelchairs, but many families take everyone from Grandpa to the nursing baby in the sling, and everyone learns new things. We just love this project!!!
Mary Alice in Kansas
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
momwise
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 28 2005
Location: Colorado
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1914
|
| Posted: April 09 2006 at 5:22pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Loved your narrative Mary Alice. Growing up we always hunted rocks; mainly quartz and topaz in the 4-Corner states.
Our 4H club doesn't have many project leaders but we're hoping to join a new club next fall. I agree, a lot of 4H activities give families a great way to work together.
__________________
Gwen...wife for 30 years, mom of 7, grandma of 3.....
"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
lapazfarm
Forum All-Star
Joined: July 21 2005
Location: Alaska
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6082
|
| Posted: April 09 2006 at 5:27pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
That day sounds magnificent! I only wish we had such a club here.
__________________
Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: Joys of 4-H Geology
