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Hard Rock Café
Related Resources

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Web Links

Science Clips, by the BBC, offers interactive science animations that can be manipulated by students in order to learn science content. Check out the "Rocks and Soils" science clip that relates to this inquiry.

 

Click here to visit the site.

BrainPOP.com, an award-winning site, offers original animated movies that answer kids' questions about health, science, and technology. The site provides an interactive quiz while movies load. Visit the site and watch one of the following rock-related movies:

Note: This is a subscription site, but selected movies are available without a subscription.

A Rock is Born is an excellent game to teach about the three types of rock and how they change from one type to another. Click on the icon to view the game.

What on Earth Is Going on Here? by Veronica Rodriguez is a PowerPoint presentation which introduces the following concepts:

  • Earth Make-up
  • Continental Drift
  • Weathering (Mechanical and Chemical)
  • Erosion and Deposition

Veronica is a fifth grade teacher at Holt Crossing Intermediate School in Grove City, Ohio. Her presentation will work on any computer that has Microsoft PowerPoint. Note: Allow 10 minutes to download on a dial-up modem.

 

Rock Hounds is a wonderful website for teachers and students that introduces rock collecting safety, types of rocks, and much more, including online quizzes and puzzles.

Bob's Rock Shop is a comprehensive website for rockhounds. Contained in this site are a Rock Identification Key and a Mineral Identification Key. These dichotomous keys can be used online or printed for offline use.

The United States Geological Survey has a wealth of geological information. Contained in this site is Ask a Geologist, where teachers and students can e-mail a USGS geologist with their rock and mineral questions.


The BBC's Bitesize Revision has information about the different categories of rocks as well as the rock cycle.

Beyond Books: The Rock Cycle has content pages for teachers or students with graphics, colorful tables, and interactive applets.

The U.S. Department of Education website contains a wealth of information, including simple directions for making crystals at home or school.

The Distribution of Igneous, Metamorphic, and Sedimentary Rocks in the Continental United States can be used to illustrate the differing rock types in various regions of the U.S.

Online Teaching Degrees has a helpful page of links for Teaching Geology.

Books

The Pebble in My Pocket: A History of our Earth by Meredith Hooper uses a pebble to tell the story of the past 480 million years of the Earth's history. A wonderful read-aloud for the upper elementary or middle school classroom. A nice combination of pictures and factual information. ISBN 0-670-86259-2

 

Earthsteps: A Rock's Journey through Time by Diane Nelson Spickert uses colorful drawings and clear text to illustrate how a rock can change forms over millions of years. A wonderful read-aloud or student shelf book for the elementary classroom. ISBN 1-55591-986-3

 

Let's Go Rock Collecting by Roma Gans is an excellent introduction to rock collecting and the three types of rocks (igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary). A quality read-aloud for the classroom. ISBN 0-06-027283-X

 

Everybody Needs A Rock by Byrd Baylor is an excellent read-aloud to encourage rock collecting among your students. ISBN 0-689-71051-8

 

Rocks in His Head by Carol Otis Hurst uses wonderful text and illustrations to tell the story of a true rockhound (the author's father) and how his love of rocks shaped his life. An excellent read-aloud for all ages. ISBN 0-06-029404-3

 

The Big Rock by Bruce Hiscock tells the story of a big rock and how over time it came to rest in a wooded section of the Adirondack Mountains in New York. An excellent read-aloud for all ages. ISBN 0-689-31402-7

 

How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World by Faith McNulty is a wonderfully funny read aloud for teaching about the Earth's layers. ISBN 0-06-443218-1

 

How Mountains Are Made by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld uses colorful illustrations to tell the story of mountain formation. ISBN 0-06-024510-7

 

The Magic School Bus: Inside the Earth by Joanna Cole takes students on a journey with "The Friz" to learn about the rock cycle, layers of the Earth, and more. An excellent read aloud for the elementary classroom. ISBN 0-590-40759-7

 

Rocks by Roy A. Gallant uses clear text and a variety of photos and images to introduce readers to rocks, the rock cycle, rock uses and more. An excellent nonfiction student shelf or teacher information book for the upper elementary classroom. ISBN 0-7614-1042-2

 

Exploring the World of Geology by George Burns includes photographs, drawings, activities, and text to illustrate soil, rock types, erosion, Earth layers and more. An excellent student or teacher reference book. ISBN 0-531-20121-X

 

Eyewitness Books: Rocks and Minerals is an excellent resource for rock and mineral photos and information.

 

National Audubon Society Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals is a wonderful reference resource for teachers and students which includes hundreds of rock and mineral photos with detailed information. ISBN 0-394-50269-8

 

Science Is... by Susan Bosak is a "must-have" teacher and homeschool resource with a variety of quality activities for classrooms in all areas of science. ISBN 0-590-74070-9

 

Geology Rocks: 50 Hands-On Activities to Explore the Earth by Cindy Blobaum is an excellent activities resource for teachers, parents, and children. ISBN 1-885593-29-5

 

Geology Crafts for Kids: 50 Nifty Projects to Explore the Marvels of Planet Earth by Alan Anderson, Gwen Diehn, and Terry Krautwurst is an excellent activities resource for teachers, parents, and children. ISBN 0-8069-8156-3

 

Hands-On Nature: Information and Activities for Exploring the Environment with Children by The Vermont Institute of Natural Science is a wonderful teacher resource which contains hundreds of activities, including outdoor investigations, puppet shows, and more. The Erosion and the Pebbles and Rocks puppet shows are especially appropriate for a rocks and minerals unit. Assign small groups of students to create props and conduct this puppet show for your class or other classes. This is a great life science resource for the elementary classroom. Copies can be ordered at 1-800-421-1561. ISBN 1-58465-078-8