Activities for Early Elementary
Grade level focus K-2
These kids learn best from hands-on activities combined with colorful information to take home. Image credit: A. Wietfeldt
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REMEMBER:
The resource items listed below are free to you and your club, but are not to be sold or included in any commercial endeavor. Any use outside your AFMS-affiliated rock club should only be done with the permission of the authors.
When downloading pdf documents from this page, DO NOT open in Google docs. Select the Download option.
Age and grade levels are suggestions only - use however you want for your group.
Early Elementary: Grades K - 2
Click on the links to download the pdfs. (Do NOT open in Google Docs. Go to Download)
My Rock Collection! - This is a fun starter record card for kids collecting rocks. Trying to remember what a specimen is called and where and when you acquire it is hard for any age, and teaching early to keep this record teaches skills in organizing, matching numbers, reading, writing, and spelling as well as science. (Print both sides of paper, flip on short edge.)
River Country Sedimentary Rock Project - Use to teach about sedimentary rock formation, including concepts like erosion, the depositing of sediments, and sedimentary rock identification.
Mapping My Collection - Use with kids old enough to be familiar with a United States map. This age will not comprehend the abstract concept of a map, but can still match their own rocks to the spaces named on the map visual. Eventually, this will have more meaning for them as they learn more about the states and collect while traveling.
Magnificent Minerals Activity page- (K-2) This Magnificent Minerals! activity for younger rockhounds goes along with a simple display and explanation by the leader. Instructions, answer sheet and student page are included in the pdf.
Borax Snowflakes - Many mineral crystals are formed when hot solutions containing dissolved minerals slowly cool. For this fun activity, each junior will make a borax crystal snowflake that demonstrates how such crystals are formed.
Volcano - Volcanoes can erupt with a violent explosion or with more gently flowing rivers of lava. Juniors can make this volcano that will demonstrate both types of eruptions.
Crystal Shapes - Gumdrops and Toothpicks make fun and simple crystal shapes!
About the image on this page
Fluorescent Sodalite in Syenite from Lake Michigan beaches fascinates these early learners as they learn to use longwave UV lights to view the rocks from the beach. Plain gray with subtle spots in normal light, this rock comes alive under UV, with the sodalite grains turning neon orange!
Image credit: A. Wietfeldt