Mini Me Geology Blog » Geology / Earth Science

The Fascinating Bay of Fundy

tracyb — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:25 +0000

The Bay of Fundy is a geologically fascinating location in North America. I visited the bay in summer 1990 with my college geology department from Furman University. The Bay of Fundy is located along the eastern coast of North America in the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in Canada and on the northern side of the Gulf of Maine. You can go here to see a map of the Bay on Google. I visited the Bay of Fundy during a college field trip and found the formation of the area fascinating. The bay is along the Atlantic Ocean and is subject to dramatic tidal changes. The photo at left shows an area of the Bay of Fundy at low tide. You can see people walking along the low area. Keep Reading

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

Igneous Rocks

tracyb — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:45:53 +0000

Igneous rocks form from hot liquid magma beneath the Earth’s surface. The magma either erupts from a volcano, cools and hardens into extrusive igneous rocks, or forms intrusive igneous rock when the hot magma is trapped beneath the earth’s surface, cools and hardens.

Extrusive igneous rocks typically have no or very small crystals such as pumice or obsidian. Intrusive rocks usually have visible grains such as granite or monzonite.

Igneous rocks make great stocking stuffers for geology fans. Shop today for your favorites.

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.

What Would You Do With A Limestone Rock?

tracyb — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 14:41:46 +0000

Limestone is another very popular rock here at Mini Me Geology. We have several different varieties of limestone for your projects and collections such as fine-grained, oolitic, coquina and fossiliferous. Limestone also has many uses in your home and garden. Do you know what they are? Read more…

What Would You Do With A Sandstone Rock?

tracyb — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:31:08 +0000

Sandstone is one of the most popular rocks here at Mini Me Geology. We have several different colors of sandstone for your projects and collections. Sandstone also has many uses in your home and garden. Do you know what they are? Read more…

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.

The Earth’s Biggest Dinosaurs

tracyb — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:44:33 +0000

Dinosaurs include some of the largest land animals ever to roam the Earth. The Age of Dinosaurs began approximately 245 million years ago. A mass extinction 65 million years ago ended the reign of these creatures.

Some dinosaurs were as small as today’s dogs and chickens, while others stood over five stories tall. Scientists believe that these dinosaurs were able be reach their large sizes due to a huge metabolism.
Read more.