Self-education and unit study prep...

I'm dabbling in geology, writing my own Rocks and Minerals unit study to do with the kids in another month or so. It's coming together nicely! I was inspired to get us going on Rocks after a family bike ride that took us across the Tolt River a few weeks ago. The four of us made our way out to a gravel bar that had formed, and spent close to an unplanned hour poking our way through all the fascinating rocks. We kept picking up new stones, exclaiming at their shapes and colors, and wondering what they were. I really want to go back with the kids and have some idea of what we're looking at, and how those rocks came to be. With the massive rainfall we've had since then, I'm not sure what we'll find next time we go. The river channel is in a constant state of flux out there in Carnation.

My knowledge of Geology is limited, to say the least. I never took "Rocks for Jocks" in college, never really having much more than a passing interest in earth science. I taught a Geology Hike back in my days working at the outdoor science school (BC "before children"), but remember very little. So what does one do when one wants to know more??? Well, first I went online and refreshed my memory on the Rock Cycle, which was also a great vocab refresher. I looked up a few course syllabi to see what the key features a survey of geology might include. Then I went to the library and checked out books about Igneous, Metamorphic, and Sedimentary rocks, as well as a book on experiments to do concerning rocks and the rock cycle. I've been reading, reading, reading, and paying special attention to the areas that always had me stumped before. Now I'm trying to piece it all together so I can teach the kids in a way that's structured enough to provide necessary information, and fluid enough that I won't try to resist the "rabbit trails" I know will pop up. Once it's done, I'll post it on the blog.

In the meantime - could you think sunny thoughts for us, so we can soon walk safely along the riverbank again without being washed away? We can't take much more of this liquid sunshine.