In an earlier blog, I spotlighted the Teachers’ Domain website, with its collection of lesson plans and multimedia resources. The more I see of this, the better I appreciate it!
As I was searching for additional resources for SciLinks, I found another site that is a treasure of resources in science (and mathematics). Visionlearning is a collection of materials, organized into a library of science topics. Each topic has a “module” which includes text, graphics, and animations. Most topics have a quiz and an annotated list of links to related resources. The modules are peer-reviewed for accuracy. There is also a glossary that is cross-referenced to the modules.
There is an option for teachers to create “Learning Areas” to customize materials for their students. You can post assignments, notes, comments, and a list of modules for the students. Registration is required, but it is free. (The site was funded through the NSF).
The modules are heavy on text, but they present the concepts in a readable style, appropriate for students who are reading at a high school level (or for teachers who are interested in background information). The pages can be printed, a nice feature if you want to use them in class. There is a link to access just the animations that are in the modules. And another great feature – the entire site is available in Spanish.
Several of the modules are in SciLinks, but the entire site is worth a look.

On the playground two sisters collected rocks and set them on a bench where they grouped them by size. When I asked, “What kind of rock is that?” one said, “A triangle” referring to its outer shape. They also had a group based on material— small chunks of concrete were put together because “they have little pieces in them.”
Urban rock collecting is discussed on the Neighborhood Rocks webpage. View the identification pages with your class and ask them if they have seen any of the pictured types of rock before, and where did they see them?
In my east coast urban setting “real” rocks, or rocks naturally in place, are hard to find without excavating. Walking along a creek is one place to find rocks that have been moved there by natural forces, not by humans. Along the Potomac River and its minor tributaries are good places to touch water-worn rocks. (Be sure to wash hands afterwards.) You don’t have to know what type of rock it is, to appreciate that it is smooth and pinkish, or has sparkles, or has holes in it.
Label even the most non-descript rock with the location and date collected, and that single rock becomes the beginning of a scientific rock collection. Maybe a high school earth science teacher would be willing to view the collection and help with scientific names.
In the December 2006 Science and Children, The Early Years column discusses exploring sedimentary rock material with young children with an activity on making pretend rocks. Search the journal archives for “rock” find 22 more articles on teaching about rocks. Young children can experience melting ice, deforming playdough or clay, packing snow or sand into a ball, and the softening of hardened clay in water. In your experience, at what age do they typically understand the Rock Cycle?
Peggy