Mini Me Geology Blog » geology education

Deluxe Rock and Mineral Kits

tracyb — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:13:52 +0000

Our original kits are still a best seller. These deluxe My Rockin’ Collection rock and mineral kits are available in minerals, igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks and sedimentary rocks. Each kit has 10 or 15 samples, and hand magnifier and identification cards. The mineral kit also includes a white and black streak plate for sample testing.

You can purchase each kit individually or save $10 when you purchase a full set. Prices for individual kits range from $34.99 to $39.99. Ages 6 through adult.

Rock Detectives kits are fun for elementary kids

tracyb — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:12:01 +0000

The Rock Detectives are the perfect mineral and rock kits for elementary age geologists. Each kit contains 6 or 7 rocks or minerals or rocks, 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! Shop today for these fun little kits.

Choose from:

Mineral Mission
Igneous Investigation
Metamorphic Mystery
Sedimentary Sleuthing
Crystal Experiments
Crystal Geometry

Our Rock Cycle Kit is Fun and Educational

tracyb — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:06:01 +0000

The Rock Cycle Kit™ is our newest kit. It has has 20 samples of rocks and minerals including five minerals, five igneous rocks, five metamorphic rocks and five sedimentary rocks. The kit also includes a CD PDF eBook with over 30 pages of information and activities about minerals, rocks and how the rock cycle affects our Earth.

This kit is great for classrooms, home school and kids who are starting out in geology.
The kit includes:

· Calcite    · Granite · Marble     · Limestone
· Quartz       · Basalt          · Gneiss           · Sandstone
· Feldspar · Gabbro         · Amphibolite    · Shale
· Pyroxene · Rhyolite       · Quartzite    · Arkose
· Mica           · Syenite       · Slate              · Conglomerate

You will have hours of fun with our Rock Cycle kit samples and eBook! The kit is appropriate for children of any age who can read. Get yours today.

Rock & Mineral Identification Charts

tracyb — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:51:26 +0000

You can have fun learning about rocks and minerals with this colorful set of rock and mineral identification flyers. These are the same flyers included in our Junior and School kit and are an inexpensive way to introduce rocks and minerals to new geologists. Each flyer features 10 of the most common samples found in nature. Each set of flyers includes one each of minerals, igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks and sedimentary rocks.

The mineral flyer includes augite, calcite, fluorite, gypsum, halite, kyanite, magnetite, olivine, amethyst, and sodalite.

The igneous rock flyer includes basalt, granite, monzonite, obsidian, pegmatite, pumice, rhyolite, syenite, trachyte and volcanic breccia.

The metamorphic rock flyer includes amphibolite, gneiss, hornfels, pink marble, phyllite, quartzite, schist, slate, garnet schist, and anthracite coal.

The sedimentary rock flyer includes arkose, bituminous coal, conglomerate, coquina, loess, fine-grained limestone, banded sandstone, shale, siltstone, and oolitic limestone.

Get your set of rock and mineral flyers now.

11 Tips to Encourage Your Kids to Learn About and Love Science

tracyb — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:19:35 +0000

Engage children with a hands-on introduction to science when they are in pre-school and elementary school, which is a naturally curious age.
Provide children with simple science kits, experiments and toys that you can do together. Make sure that you choose products geared toward the appropriate age group to keep their interest.
Look for projects that will coordinate with school science projects and topics.
Make learning science fun by showing children how science relates to their daily activities.
Talk with children on their level about science both at home and on outings, such as a trip to the beach, museum or park.
Give children plenty of time to explore the world and ask questions to encourage their curiosity.
Show your children the importance of science through your own behavior, such as caring for a garden, feeding the birds, collecting interesting rocks and recycling.
Observe your children to see what they are most interested in and expand on this by providing them more opportunities to learn.
Play games with your children during a nature walk at the beach or in the woods. See how many varieties of rocks, plants and animals you can find and identify.
Collect or draw a picture of the items you find and research more about them at home.
Instill a sense of wonder in your children by showing them your own fascination with science and the world.

We have free information and experiment ideas at www.MiniMeGeology.com where you can Dig Into Geology for fun learning. Our Rock Detectives kits, Deluxe Kits, Junior Kits and GeoBytes are designed to get kids interested in science and learning. If you need help deciding what items are appropriate for your budding scientist, just ask!

Why is science education important for kids?

tracyb — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:00:21 +0000

Science education sometimes takes a back seat these days with the push of reading and math being so strong. But, science is a part of our daily life. Everything we do and deal with in life is science from cooking, playing ball, growing a garden and understanding how technologies work to watching a rain storm. Understanding science helps kids appreciate and relate to the world around them.

Elementary school is the perfect time to get kids interested in science when they are naturally curious. Science education fuels that curiosity and provides children with valuable ideas, skills, and potential future career choices. For example, scientists are an important part of the future of our world. Without them, we would not be able to predict the weather or earthquakes, understand global warming, cure illnesses and take care of the sick, or have many of the products that enhance our lifestyles today.

Geology education teaches children about earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides and tsunamis arming them with knowledge and Earth processes that can protect their health and safety throughout their lives. Children with a basic understanding of rocks and minerals are able to translate that knowledge to a wide variety of activities and potential careers such as gardening, groundwater recovery, pollution control and clean-up, engineering, environmental research, oil and gas exploration and recovery, road construction, mining, energy production and jewelry manufacturing.

Mini Me Geology can be a valuable resource for parents and teachers who are interested in promoting science education with their children and students. Our rock and mineral kits give kids hands on experience with the samples and help to teach the reasoning and identification skills while they identify the samples. Our free geology education information, word puzzles, project ideas and experiments are designed to give children a better understanding of geology, while having a little fun too. Please visit our website www.MiniMeGeology.com for more information about our products and services.

What does a geologist need to know?

tracyb — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:14:39 +0000

Children ask me this question over and over.

The answer is based on the type of work that the geologist is involved with in their career. You may be surprised to learn of all of the different types of jobs that a geologist can perform. Geologists can work in many areas including:

Classic geology where you may work for the United States Geological Survey or state agencies or private companies evaluating earthquakes, volcanoes, or mapping areas to determine the types of rocks and formations.

Environmental geology where you may work for Federal or State agencies (like the US EPA) or private consulting firms and evaluate the quality of the soil and groundwater of an area. If you find that the soil or groundwater quality is bad you may clean it up to make it safer for the people, animals and plants that live there. Some studies focus on how to preserve our natural resources such as groundwater.

Petroleum geology where you may work for an oil and gas company exploring oil and gas underground.

Paleontology. Geology is the basis for a paleontologist who studies fossils. Paleontologists combine their knowledge of rocks, minerals and how the Earth was created with the fossils found in various areas to determine the types of animals and plants that were alive when the rocks were formed and what the Earth was like at that time.

Teaching. The United States is in need of great teachers who are trained in science at all age groups including elementary, middle and high school as well as college.

Regulatory. Geologist are often employed by state or federal governments to develop and implement laws that apply to the health of citizens or the environment.

If you are interested in being a professional geologist get a basic geology degree and see what type of work you may be interested in doing. Your general geology degree will be a great base for any of these jobs. Later, you will figure out if you need more training at a graduate school or if you can learn everything else you need to know on the job.

Why is science education important for kids?

tracyb — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 02:58:38 +0000

Science education sometimes takes a back seat with the push of reading and math being so strong. But, science is a part of our daily life. Everything we do and deal with in life is science from cooking, playing ball, growing a garden and understanding how technologies work to watching a rain storm. Understanding science helps kids appreciate and relate to the world around them.

Elementary school is the perfect time to get kids interested in science when they are naturally curious. Science education fuels that curiosity and provides children with valuable ideas, skills, and potential future career choices. For example, scientists are an important part of the future of our world. Without them we would not be able to predict the weather or earthquakes, understand global warming, cure illnesses and take care of the sick, or have many of the products that enhance our lifestyles today.

Geology education teaches children about earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and tsunamis arming them with knowledge and Earth processes that can protect their health and safety throughout their lives. Children with a basic understanding of rocks and minerals are able to translate that knowledge to a wide variety of activities and potential careers such as gardening, groundwater recovery, pollution control and clean-up, engineering, environmental research, oil and gas exploration and recovery, road construction, mining, energy production and jewelry manufacturing.

Mini Me Geology can be a valuable resource for parents and teachers who are interested in promoting science education with their children and students. Our rock and minerals kits give kids hands-on experience with the samples and help to teach reasoning and identification skills as they identify the samples. Our free geology education information, word puzzles, project ideas and experiments are designed to give children a better understanding of geology, while having a little fun too. Please visit our website www.MiniMeGeology.com for more information.