BECOME A ROCK BECOME A ROCK DETECTIVEDETECTIVE

AN EARTH SCIENCE TEACHING PROGRAM BASED

ON THE IDEA THAT

WE LEARN BEST WHAT WE DISCOVER FOR WE LEARN BEST WHAT WE DISCOVER FOR OURSELVESOURSELVES

Rock Detective Geoscience EducationRock Detective Geoscience EducationPresents

ABOUT USABOUT US Rock Detective Geoscience Education is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization formed in 1996.

Our mission is to provide carefully designed programs to help K-12 students and teachers who may have little or no background in Earth Science. The programs are customized for students from preschool to college, and we find that they are very popular with students of middle school age (10 years to 14 years old). The programs are based on a unique, hands-on teaching approach that gives students a chance to discover exciting Earth processes. Our goal is to inspire students to learn more.

All of our materials are distributed at cost.

Since 1996 we have provided an estimated 80,000 samples of rocks, fossils and minerals to over 2000 schools and educators. The program has been exported to European, Asian, and Mid-Eastern countries, and is used in every state in the US. We estimate that Rock Detective programs have reached over one million students from 6 years old to over 20 years old.

A generous selection of program activities, called Mysteries and the Instruction and Resource Notebook have been translated into Spanish for simultaneously teaching both Earth Science and English.

BECOME A ROCK DETECTIVEBECOME A ROCK DETECTIVE IS IS AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS (AND THEIR TEACHERS)AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS (AND THEIR TEACHERS)

IN SEVERAL WAYSIN SEVERAL WAYS

• CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONSCLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS• VIDEO CONFERENCEVIDEO CONFERENCE• COMPLETE TEACHING KiT IN A COMPLETE TEACHING KiT IN A BUCKETBUCKET

All Become a Rock Detective programs consist of rock, fossil and mineral specimens, each with Mystery Questions for kids to solve and Answer Sheets for teachers. By handling and examining the specimens and thinking about the Mystery Questions, students begin to discover basic earth science concepts on their own -- they get the "Oh, Wow!" of science.

At a "Staff Meeting" described on the Answer Sheet, all students gather to share their ideas and help solve the mysteries. Together, students and teachers discover Earth Science.

To help explain the program we’ll take you on a quick tour of a typical To help explain the program we’ll take you on a quick tour of a typical teaching kit.teaching kit.

To To Become Rock DetectivesBecome Rock Detectives, , you and your students can you and your students can solve the Mysteries in this kit solve the Mysteries in this kit and will discover how the Earth and will discover how the Earth works.works.

THE MYSTERIES ARE THE MYSTERIES ARE CAREFULLY STRUCTUREDCAREFULLY STRUCTURED

• To explain important and exciting To explain important and exciting Earth Earth concepts, which we concepts, which we

call, call, Oh, WowsOh, Wows! !

• To lead students to discover the To lead students to discover the

Oh, WowsOh, Wows!!

SOMESOME EXAMPLES EXAMPLES OF MYSTERIESOF MYSTERIES

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The MysteryThe MysteryThe The SampleSample

The Oh, Wow!The Oh, Wow!Volcanoes of Alaska result from the subduction of the huge Pacific Tectonic Plate. The plate melts and molten magma rises to erupt as an arc of volcanoes. Mt Spurr, which erupted in 1992 is part of the Aleutian Island Arc.

Map showing the Aleutian Islands Volcanic arc, Alaska

The The MysteryMystery

The SampleThe Sample

The Oh, Wow!The Oh, Wow!

HaliteHaliteA rock made of saltA rock made of salt

Jurassic AgeJurassic Age

An OCEAN must evaporate to produce thick layers of rock salt. This sample tells us that 180 million years ago during the Jurassic Period of geologic history, a shallow ocean was evaporating on the North American continent. Today this area is a desert.

The The MysteryMystery

The SamplesThe Samples

The Oh, Wow!The Oh, Wow!

Core, Mantle, Ocean CrustCore, Mantle, Ocean Crust and Continentsand Continents

Continents made of granitic rocks FLOAT on the slightly heavier gabbroic rocks of the mantle. This is why ocean crust slides under the continents, and why when two continents collide (like India and Asia) they rise upward into huge mountains like the Himalayas.

CONTINENTCONTINENT

Melted MANTLE Melted MANTLE rises uprises up

under theunder theocean crustocean crust

CONTINENTCONTINENT

OCEAN OCEAN CRUSTCRUST

GraniteGranite

GabbroGabbro

MANTLEMANTLE

CORECORE

EACH MYSTERY INCLUDES AN ANSWER EACH MYSTERY INCLUDES AN ANSWER SHEETSHEET

• Description of the sampleDescription of the sample

• Teaching ObjectivesTeaching Objectives

• AnswersAnswers

• Teaching TechniquesTeaching Techniques

Geologic Time ScaleGeologic Time Scale

Each kit contains a notebook with Each kit contains a notebook with instructions and resourcesinstructions and resources

Testing ResultsTesting Results

InstructionsInstructions

What is a Mineral - Element - AtomWhat is a Mineral - Element - AtomMohs Mineral Mohs Mineral Hardness ScaleHardness Scale

Each Bucket is a CompleteEach Bucket is a Complete

Teaching Unit Containing:Teaching Unit Containing:

• 25 - 3x/6x magnifying glasses

• Five - white streak plates, 5 cm x 5 cm x 6 mm

• Five - glass plates, Mohs hardness = 5.5

• 10 - magnets

• One plastic inflatable globe approximately 35 cm in diameter showing oceans, and continents with mountains and deserts.

• 25 mysteries for dozens of Earth Science concepts• 35 or more, rock, fossil, and mineral samples• A notebook with Mystery Q&A sheets, teaching instructions,

and helpful resources• One each of the following: 3x/6x magnifying glass, streak plate,

magnet, and glass plate

Recommended Additional Accessories and ConsumablesRecommended Additional Accessories and Consumables

To contact Rock Detective Executive Director:Executive Director: Ruth Deike

Business OfficeBusiness Office:: 14655 Betz Lane Red Bluff, California 96080 USA

Phone: 530-529-4890 Cell: 530-526-0858 Fax: 530-529-6441 Email: kidsrx@rockdetective.org

www.rockdetective.orgwww.rockdetective.org

The Founder, Executive Director, and ongoing creator of Mysteries for Rock Detective Geoscience Education is geologist, Ruth Deike. She holds a Master of Science Degree in Geology and Mineralogy from George Washington University, and developed the original program from a rich background gleaned from 30 years as a research earth scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Her research focus has been geologic and chemical relationships between water and rocks in many natural environments. In designing the Rock Detective program, Ruth was motivated by a desire to share the excitement of research with K-18 teachers and students. Her energetic educational work includes several videos for teachers on earth science in urban environments and the seashore, and over nearly two decades she has taught the program, 'Become a Rock Detective', to thousands of eager students. In 2001 the Maine Science Teachers Association presented her the Philip Marcoux Award for having a significant impact on science education in Maine. Details of her scientific publications can be found on her website: http://www.ruthdeike.org.

The comments of a 2nd grader after a The comments of a 2nd grader after a Rock Detective classroom presentationRock Detective classroom presentation