The Rock Detective Program guides K-12 class activities
through critical content components: Content Standard A - Science as Inquiry. Students discover a wide range of basic and unifying concepts (eg., plate tectonics, sea level change, and geologic time). There are Mysteries designed to challenge students at each of the K-4, 5-8, and 9-12 levels. Content Standard B - Physical Science Properties of earth materials (eg., magnetism, defining rocks and classifying fossils). Content Standard C - Life Science Organic processes such as evolution, extinction, and photosynthesis/ Content Standard D - Earth and Space Science The Earth as a dynamic environment (eg., plate movements with all the violent and rapid ramifications like earthquakes, landslides and volcanism) and the linking between global earth processes (eg., geochemical cycles). Content Standard E - The Technological Aspects of Science Mysteries in the Rock Detective program introduce one or more elements, such as, refining metal ores, prehistoric trade routes for Indian cultures, where to put radioactive waste. Content Standard F - Relating Science to Ourselves and Society This material is built in to every Mystery. For example, on an elementary grade level, the Mystery about Coal is first related to the student: "What am I? Hint: I keep people warm." Then during the Staff Meeting students are introduced to the notion that we are using energy stored 300 million years ago during the Pennsylvanian Geologic Period. That scientists are humans with all the frailties and fun-loving characteristics is also inherent in the program. In Becoming Rock Detectives the students identify with scientists, and our hope is that today's young Rock Detectives will become tomorrow's earth scientists! |
