NOT JUST A ROCK

SCIENCE ROCKS!  This is never truer than during the first five minutes of Mrs. Reichley’s fifth period class on a Friday morning.

Mineral identification has a long and wonderful history at Penn View Christian School.  I think fondly (while wincing a bit) when I recall the days our now-retired and beloved middle school science teacher Mr. A directed his students in rock-licking as part of the mineral identification process. Though we can all appreciate the advantages of lifelong recall from recognizing the flavor of salt in a lump of halite, you’ll be relieved to know that in the interest of health over science (and because Harry hated to see me cry) this practice was discontinued.

But our teachers are still sneaky, finding ways to encourage minds and stretch imaginations.  I paid a little visit to a middle school science classroom one day last week.  To say Mrs. Reichley’s seventh grade honors class was enthusiastic to start their weekly tradition of mineral identification would be an extreme understatement.  In fact, before the bell rang, there was one boy standing with the chattering assembly of students around Mrs. Reichley and her little striped box who didn't even BELONG in that class! (She spotted him and shooed him out lickety-split.)  

In preparation for the MINERAL OF THE WEEK, Mrs. Reichley gives her class one fact each school day about the mystery rock which will be featured on Friday. Facts taught include things like the rock's assigned mineral grouping, characteristics, and designated rating on Mohs scale of mineral hardness. Because the students are practically falling over themselves to have a shot at answering the questions, this process necessitates the pulling of a number from a box. How naïve was I, assuming this number-pulling sort of excitement was reserved for things like Christmas Pollyanna gift exchanges and cellophane-wrapped raffle baskets….

Miguel was effectively disqualified from the competition because he is so mineral-wise and number-lucky, he’s already won specimens TWICE during the first quarter of the year. 

Providential number twelve belonged this particular week to Elizabeth.  The drawing of #12 gave her exclusive dibs on answering each of the teacher’s questions from the facts shared earlier in the week.  Elizabeth's efforts were practically Herculean.  Her answers were swift and sure, those smooth mineral facts rolling off her tongue like Shakespeare’s Hamlet, winning her the coveted mineral of the week.  The little nugget selected for identification this particular Friday was a silicate called tree agate (known by lesser scholars like the school nurse as a“little green rock.”)

Elizabeth joins Miguel in the elite club of students excelling not once, but twice at mineral identification; winning pocket-sized samples of sought-after inorganic material.  

A suitable science trophy, indeed. 

Miguel and Elizabeth smiling for the camera. The rock in the photo is NOT ACTUAL SIZE for the Mineral of the
Week but rather a lovely random rock I fortuitously discovered in Mrs. Reichley's science room.  Makes a nice prop, right?