[Rockhounds] Help request

[Ted Kowalski]

Neal:
Welcome to the Forum.

The Boy Scouts have specific requirements that need to be met for merit
badges. http://www.boyscouttrail.com/boy-scouts/meritbadges/geologymb.asp
Also, be aware that Scout leaders are all volunteers and often have more
ideas than they can effectively follow up on. Just pick a local Scout
organization (They may be one associated with your religious organization or
local school and visit them. Willing adult leaders and merit badge
counselors are always welcome. (Merit badge counselors actually sign up to
teach any requesting scout in the local council).

Please be aware that many of the more current merit badges require, shall we
say, less effort and attention on the part of the scouts. Geology is one of
the merit badges developed earlier in the Boy Scout history when the lads
were expected to do some to substantial work for a merit badge.

I'm sure other forum members will have better suggestions regarding
curriculum for groups of kids. We can sure use all the geology outreach
volunteers can muster.

Good Luck!
Ted Kowalski
Fredericksburg, VA USA

-----Original Message-----
From: rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com
[mailto:rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of Neal Hazen
Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2008 12:19 AM
To: rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com
Subject: [Rockhounds] Help request

Hi,
 
I'm Neal Hazen, and I belong to the same Rock, Gem and Mineral club as Glenn
Wimpee. I have been a listmember for quite some time, but as I'm not a
mineralogist all I've done is read and learn. And I have learned! Thanks to
you folks, my interest in mineralogy has increased dramatically.  
Week before last, I ran across an article on the Web about granite
countertops, and if one's countertop was really made of granite. This lead
to a discussion of the feldspars, and other igneous rocks. Well, my memory
is far from what it used to be, so I'm having to re-read most of this
material to get it to sink in, and stay. But I have good reason to make the
effort. At out last gem show, a guest asked me if I would give a geology
presentation to his Cub Scouts, to help them on their merit badges. I
agreed, but he hasn't called since. Even so, I am a retired school teacher,
and the request reawakened the "bug" in me. I would like to put together a
teaching set of rocks and minerals to use in giving presentations to the
local school science classes. One of the reasons for this, of course, is to
get more young people interested in geology and mineralogy. Another reason
is to promote awareness of, and appreciation for, the beautiful and useful
rocks and
 minerals around us. Along with the rock samples, I'd like to acquire images
of the formations these specimens most often occur in.  I am anticipating
that the students will be best served if the specimens are about fist-sized,
and if there are enough of each type to emphasize the variability some rocks
and minerals display. I already have some small examples of gem variety
materials that I can use. In such cases, I would cut a cabochon to go with
the rough specimen.
I live on a fixed income, so any advice as to cheap/free sources would be
most helpful. Please reply offlist to batsondebelfry at yahoo.com. 
I am especially interested in: andesite, gabbro, basalt, diorite, porphyry,
amphibole, granodiorite, anorthosite, pyroxenite, syenite, gneiss, schist,
monzonite, syenogranite, monzogranite, and dacite.
I have a lot to learn, myself, before attempting to teach, but consider this
- one salient reason few students go into the geology and mineralogy fields
is they have no exposure to it. Here in the south, most of the rocks are
covered with large deposits of sand and clay. Kids with ability take classes
in either biology, chemistry or physics. The less able students have a very
small exposure in their general science classes. Very few science teachers
have either the knowledge, or the experience, to make these units enjoyable.
I also intend to include examples of different products that contain mined
components.
Again, any ideas or info you care to share will be most appreciated.

Yours truly,
 
Neal Hazen 
 
"Some people learn through reading. A few others learn by observation. Most
of us have to pee on the electric fence for ourselves."
Will Rogers


 
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