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Blue John’s Cavern is a new book from the owner of Mini Me Geology. Mixed with adventure and a little science fiction, this new novel is perfect for young readers.

             BLUE JOHN’S CAVERN
A Crystal Cave Adventures Novel

Emma and Brody are two normal thirteen year old kids living in the small town of Diamond Falls, West Virginia. When Brody introduces Emma to Mr. M, a famous geologist who lives across the street, they have no idea that their lives are about to dramatically change. Mr. M is preparing his prized rock and mineral collection for display at the state museum. One night, he arrives home after dinner to find his house open and his samples destroyed. Eager to help restore the collection, Emma and Brody offer to find new samples for the aging geologist. Mr. M accepts their offer but little do they know that he is about to send them through a time portal in a crystal cave back to Castleton, Derbyshire, England in 1775, to recover the rare Blue John Fluorite. With the help of a young girl named Max, the kids have to get the fluorite samples without being seen by the gun-carrying soldiers that guard the cave and then find their way back to the present before they are imprisoned forever. This adventure will be a test of their courage and bravery, but also their mystery solving skills as they try to figure out a secret that entwines Mr. M and Max. Trust me when I say this though, it won’t be easy.

Filed under: Announcements, Books, Education, Geology / Earth Science, Minerals on May 10th, 2013 | No Comments »

Children of all ages love rocks and minerals. Mini Me Geology kits by Giverny, Inc are the perfect, educational products for anyone interested in science. The Professional Geologist designs each kit series for different age groups, settings, and interests in mind. The type of kit you choose for your child should be based on age, likes and dislikes, and their level of interest in geology.

Choose the Type of Kit First – Minerals, Igneous Rocks, Metamorphic Rocks, Sedimentary Rocks or a Combination

First decide what type of kit your child would like. You can choose from minerals, igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks, or sedimentary rocks. Each type is formed in a different setting.

Minerals – Minerals are the substances that make up rocks and tend to be colorful and have nice shapes. Many people use the term “crystals” when referring to minerals as well. The samples in the Crystal Geometry and Crystal Experiment Rock Detective kits are minerals. Mineral kits are our most popular. Examples include calcite, amethyst, and pyrite.

Igneous Rocks – Igneous rocks are made by volcanoes and have unique textures and forms. Our kits feature both intrusive rocks (formed below ground) and extrusive rocks (formed outside the volcano). Examples include basalt, granite, and obsidian.

Sedimentary Rocks – Sedimentary rocks form in deserts, rivers, or oceans. These rocks may have interesting patterns, textures, and fossil and shell traces. Examples include sandstone, limestone, and coquina.

Metamorphic Rocks – Metamorphic rocks were formerly igneous or sedimentary rocks or other metamorphic rocks that changed to a new rock from exposure to heat and/or pressure. The high heat and pressure that forms these rocks can create interesting appearances and minerals within the rock. Examples include garnet schist, gneiss, and slate.

My Rockin’ Collection Deluxe Kits

The My Rockin’ Collection series is Mini Me Geology’s deluxe line of rock and mineral kits. This series is perfect for anyone who loves geology between the ages of 6 and 106. These deluxe kits feature 10 or 15 (depending on the kit) large mineral and rock samples, a hand magnifier, and identification cards. The mineral kit also includes white and black streak plates for testing. The contents are housed in a sturdy storage box with foam padding and identification stickers below the foam so you can see if you properly identify the samples. The box closes with a snug fit so that every sample stays in its own section. These kits are good for classroom and home school lessons too. The Dig into Geology section of the Mini Me Geology website also has a dedicated area for each deluxe kit with information on how to use your kit and a downloadable flow chart that can be used to aid in sample identification.

My Rockin’ Collection Junior Kits

The My Rockin’ Collection Junior kits are a perfect introductory kit for beginning geologists, home school families, and school classrooms. Each kit comes with 10 samples and an identification flyer with details about each sample and a photo. The minerals and rocks included in these junior kits are also included in the My Rockin Collection Deluxe kits and the School Edition kits. The downloadable flow charts in the Dig into Geology section of our site are applicable to these kits. The My Rockin’ Collection Junior series is recommended for ages 6 to adult. Children should be able to read for maximum benefit.

Rock Detectives Kits

The Rock Detectives are the perfect mineral and rock kits for kids who are just starting out in geology. Kits include Mineral Mission, Igneous Investigation, Metamorphic Mystery, Sedimentary Sleuthing, Crystal Experiments, and Crystal Geometry. Each kit contains 6 rocks or minerals (one kit has 7), a hand magnifier, and a printable mini-CD with 30 pages of geological information, rock and mineral identification activities, puzzles, experiments, projects, coloring pages, creative writing exercises and fun! The Rock Detectives kits help children become involved in scientific exploration and learning. These kits are also popular for home school lessons for elementary age children. See these kits in action in this video about the Rock Detectives series. The Rock Detectives series is recommended for ages 6 to 12. Children should be able to read for maximum benefit. Adult supervision is required for some of the experiments.

The Rock Cycle Kit

Mini Me Geology’s Rock Cycle kit is a great collection for older students or home school families who have learned about the basics of rocks and minerals. This kit has 5 samples each of minerals, igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks and metamorphic rocks. The included CD is full of information and activities to help students learn about the rock cycle and its effects on our Earth.

Filed under: Education, Geology / Earth Science, Minerals, Rocks on April 11th, 2013 | No Comments »

Salt is a common mineral found worldwide called halite. Many people also call the mineral rock salt. The mineral is very soft in relation to other minerals and can form nice crystal shapes. The crystals can forms individually in crystalline masses. Rock salt forms as a common sedimentary deposit in areas of enclosed salt water. Salt is a versatile teaching tool because it has definite physical properties that are easy to recognize and you can perform in class and at home experiments as a demonstration.

What is Salt?

Rock salt is composed of the mineral halite, which gets its name from the Greek word for salt. Halite has the chemical formula NaCl, or sodium chloride. Samples are typically white to clear in color but can also be blue, pink, yellow, red and purple. A soft mineral, halite is only a two and one half of the Mohs Hardness Scale and is easily scratched by a penny or paperclip. Most salt crystals are white in color but can also be clear, yellow, pink, red, blue and purple. Halite forms good crystals with cubic cleavage and may forms as a mass of interwoven cubes in a singles deposit. The crystals have a glassy luster and a salty taste. Halite tastes salty!

Salt / Halite Formation and Locales

Halite forms from evaporation in beds. These beds are large areas that formerly contained salt water such as lakes or enclosed seawater. As the water evaporates, the salt precipitates out of solution forming layers of salt crystals. This photo is of the huge Salar de Uyuni Salt Flat in Bolivia. Evaporite beds may stay at the land surface or other rock layers may bury them over time. Buried salt beds may form underground salt domes over time. The salt beds are very malleable and lighter than most of the surrounding rocks. When a crack is present in the rock above a salt bed, the layer of salt will rise through the crack forming dome shape below ground.

Halite occurs in deposits worldwide. Some of the most notable locations are Antarctica, South America, Africa, Australia, Russia, Japan, China, Poland, Iran, Switzerland, Germany, UK, Ireland, Finland, Poland, Morocco and Canada. In the United States, thick rock salt beds are located in New York State and extend through Ontairo, Canada and into the Michigan Basin. Large deposits are also present in the Salina Formation beneath Cleveland, Ohio, and at locations in California, Arizona and New Mexico. Salt domes are commonly associated with oil deposits in the regions along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Texas as well as areas of Germany, Spain and Iran among others.

Uses for Halite / Salt

Halite is has many uses and is important to the chemical industry. The sodium and chloride in the rock salt are sources for the production of hydrochloric acid, chlorine, soaps, caustic soda, sodium hydroxide and ceramic glazes among other materials. Salt is also use as a seasoning in food for humans and animals. Rock salt is a good preservative for food and animal hides and is used to melt ice from roadways in the winter.

Teaching Geology with Salt

Salt is a great teaching tool to help children understand the properties of minerals and how to identify a sample. You can also do hands-on experiments to show children how salt crystals form from a solution. You can learn how to grow salt crystals at the Dig Into Geology section of the MiniMeGeology.com website. Another fun experiment to do show kids is that halite forms cube shapes and has good cubic cleavage that means that you can hit salt with a hammer and it will break into smaller cubes. Classrooms and homeschool can use halite samples from minerals kits, such as the kits from Mini Me Geology.

Filed under: Education, Geology / Earth Science, Minerals on April 4th, 2013 | No Comments »

What can be yummier than chocolate chip cookies?  Well, they are a cool metamorphic rock experiment too!  Baking cookies is a great way to observe what can happen when a rock is metamorphosed because of high heat (like contact metamorphism).

This experiment is an easy way to describe metamorphic change to children because they can see that the raw and baked dough are the same ingredients that are changed by heat. All you need is your favorite cookie recipe. Each ingredient is a “mineral” that is mixed together with other minerals to create a cookie rock. When you expose the cookie dough to high heat in the oven, the dough turns into a metamorphic rock cookie!

This experiment is included in our Metamorphic Mystery Rock Detectives Kit.

Filed under: Geology / Earth Science, Rocks on March 11th, 2013 | No Comments »

Are you fascinated with rocks and minerals? Do you want to start a collection for yourself or your kids but don’t know where to start and what types of samples to collect? I get lots of questions from people who want to start a collection but a daunted by the variety of rock and mineral types and the costs of some of these samples.

Collecting

Any time that you are starting a collection, I suggest starting with small pieces of your favorite rocks and minerals. As you learn more about the variety of sample types you can look for larger, well-formed specimens that carry a larger price tag.

Storage

You can use almost any type of box for your beginner collection. A fishing tackle box works really well for smaller samples because you can group them in sections or give each sample its own home. For small children, try an egg carton for their beginner collection. As they gather more samples, you might need to upgrade but this activity is a fun way for kids to express their creativity while making a great storage container.

You will need:

• Any My Rockin’ Collection! School Edition rock or mineral kit
• Egg carton for each student
• Paint
• Stickers
• Beads
• Any other decoration for cartons

Allow your kids to decorate their egg carton in any way they wish. Creativity with their storage box will help bring out their creativity with their collection.

Filed under: Geology / Earth Science, Minerals, Rocks on November 25th, 2012 | No Comments »

Happy Thanksgiving!

Filed under: Geology / Earth Science on November 22nd, 2012 | No Comments »

Caves are among the most interesting geological formations. Imagine a building size solid chunk of limestone rock that slowly dissolves over time into a formation resembling Swiss cheese. These formations house some of the most interesting geological features that you can see, but getting to them can be tricky. Often extending deep into the ground, caves are home for formation such as massive crystals, stalagmites and stalactites.

Stalagmites are formations that rise from the floor of the cave while stalactites are similar forms that hang from the ceiling. Both of these formations come from a buildup of minerals, usually calcium carbonate, derived from the limestone in the cave. Water that is rich in calcium carbonate drips from the ceiling of the cave and lands on the floor. The mineral comes out of solution and creates a buildup. As additional water drips, the stalagmite gets taller from the mineral accumulation. Stalactites form in the opposite manner. Calcium carbonate is deposited on the ceiling of the cave as the water drips. As more water drips the stalactite grows in size and extends further toward the floor.

Stalagmites and stalactites often look like fingers within the cave. This image from Carlsbad Cavern shows a large collection of stalagmites and stalactites that create a spectacular display for visitors.

Filed under: Education, Geology / Earth Science, Minerals, Rocks on November 21st, 2012 | No Comments »

Bring natural beauty into your home with the addition of rock and mineral home accents. Choose bookends, spheres, wind chimes, crystals and candle holders in a variety of colors and textures to liven up your space.

Rock and mineral home décor items make a great gift because each item is a one-of-a-kind and made by nature. Read More

Filed under: Jewelry & Home, Minerals, Rocks on August 7th, 2012 | No Comments »

What is an index fossil and why should we care about them? Well, index fossils are very important to geologists because they help to tell the tale of our Earth’s history. Geologists use these specific fossils to determine the relative age of rock layers and to correlate those rock layers worldwide. Sound far-fetched? It isn’t really. Read more…

Filed under: Geology / Earth Science, Paleontology & Fossils on July 14th, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Finally! You’ve reached the solid inner core and boy, is it hot! This interior core is roughly 3,200 miles deep!

The inner core is made of solid metal. This metal is iron with a little bit of nickel. The core is approximately 1516 miles in diameter and is hotter than the sun’s surface. Ouch!

Keep reading…

Filed under: Education, Geology / Earth Science on April 16th, 2012 | No Comments »