[Rockhounds] children's rock kit

[Alan Goldstein]

I still recommend the Golden Guide to Fossils for the same reason. It is a 
much better book (in terms of ease to read and digest) than the Audubon 
Guide and its kin. I still have my Golden Guides from childhood.

Alan

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Pmodreski at aol.com>
To: <rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 12:08 AM
Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] children's rock kit


The kit sounds pretty good, Kitty.  You can't expect any one product  like
this to cover "everything".

I would suggest that for any young person... or beginner old person (or
anyone for that matter), a copy of the Golden Guide to Rocks and Minerals; 
there
are many, many other rock & mineral field guides, but I still think this is
about the best one for an introduction to the subject.

Pete



In a message dated 10/28/2008 5:46:54 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time,
kahako at hawaiiantel.net writes:

Hi to  those on the list who are teachers or especially interested in
inspiring  kids in our hobby:

I recently bought a Rocks & Minerals kit put  together by DK Eyewitness
Books.  I got it at Costco for $19.69 and  it contains a 72-page book
with lots of pictures and presents a multitude  of topics using only two
facing pages (double-page spread) for each  topic.  The kit also contains
a smaller 64-page book called "Expert  Files, a Hands-on Guide to Geology
As Explained by Professionals in the  Field," a Clip-art CD, a booklet of
tear-out profile cards, a wall chart,  a wall map of world geology and
plates, and a set of paper cut-outs to be  folded and glued to form some
basic crystal models.  These are all in  a fold-out box with pockets for
each item, and the box fits in an  impressive sleeve about 9" x 12" x 2".

My impressions is that this is a  pretty good introduction to kids ages 9
and up.  There are topics on  cutting and polishing, collecting, ores and
metals, fossils, as well as  many others.  I have a couple of mild
reservations:  for  example, the double-page spread on volcanic rocks
makes no mention of  pahoehoe and a'a, however in another spread on "What
are rocks and  minerals?" they show a picture and explain how "Pele's
hair" is  made.  There's nothing on fluorescence or other types of
luminescence.  And especially for kids, I think at least a page  should
be on the many uses of rocks and minerals in human daily life, from
cosmetics to bombs.  And I'm not enough of a scientist to know  whether
their technical stuff is correct or not.

I think that  before I give it to any of my young relations I'll keep it
to show to  friends -- young and adult -- to get their impressions.  I
tried to  find reviews on Amazon and elsewhere, but could only find
comments on the  book (Rocks & Minerals, DK Eyewitness Expert) not the
whole kit.   Any of you who have seen the kit, please let me know what
you  think.

Aloha,  Kitty




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