[meteorite-list] Meteorites and Kids
From: Greg Redfern <gredfern_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:53:59 2004 Message-ID: <NBBBJPGEPBMHMOJGKPFFOEJHCDAA.gredfern_at_earthlink.net> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0005_01C1ABCC.313DDB20 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit To follow up on Walter's fine work....When you add an astronomical spin to the audience and throw in meteorites at the end, WOW!. I have given hundreds of astronomy presentations to young and old. I show them pictures of the Moon, Sun, planets, comets, asteroids, eclipses. But now, as a great enhancer, at the very end, I pull out a piece of the Moon, NWA 482, and Mars, DAG 476 (with a pix of Mars from HST), and they REALLY get interested. Share your knowledge and collection with the future hunters and admirers...you won't regret it. GR -----Original Message----- From: meteorite-list-admin_at_meteoritecentral.com [mailto:meteorite-list-admin_at_meteoritecentral.com]On Behalf Of Walter Branch Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2002 8:03 AM To: Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com Subject: [meteorite-list] Meteorites and Kids Hello Everyone, I recently had the chance to talk about meteorites to six classes of third grade students, something which I enjoy very much. If you have not done this and you get the opportunity, I would encourage you to do so. It is really a lot of fun. Let me share a few of my observations. Kids love the big heavy irons, bring at least one but make sure it is a solid piece. They can pass it around but if it is a rust flaky Nantan, for example, they will manage to peel off some lose rust spots and it is kind of embarrassing to the presenter. Also do not let them handle a Sikhote-Alin shrapnel piece. Some shrapnel have VERY sharp edges which can easily cut small hands, which would also be embarrassing to the presenter. I like to bring a large piece of quartz crystal with me to make a nice contrast between a nice fusion crusted stone and terrestrial rocks and minerals. Some kids, though, will be as interested if not more interested in the quartz. The children were very much aware of the monetary value of meteorites. A girl asked how much I would offer her if she found a meteorite from the moon and I jokingly responded, "well, at least $10.00." The kids got the joke because they knew it would be worth much more than that. A few kids focused almost exclusively on the monetary value of meteorites ("how is that one worth, etc."). I bring along several books with nice pictures of meteorites to augment the presentation and my homemade "Magnet on a Stick" (actually, a big dowel rod). My wife teaches third grade language arts and in her class, a girl had brought in her rock collection for me to examine to determine if any were meteorites. For now, lets call her the "Rock Girl." I talked about the properties of meteorites and I demonstrated they are attracted to a magnet and earth rocks are not. There are some terrestrial exceptions but I figured why complicate matters by pointing out the rare exceptions. Rock girl brings a metallic looking rock towards me, I hold the magnet on a stick out to her, she places it on the magnet and low and behold, IT STICKS. Silence fell over the room and the little girl had a grin that stretched from ear to ear. Simultaneously, my eyes open, my mouth drops and I hurriedly bring the object closer for inspection. After years of working with meteorites, I immediately knew what it was... Hematite :-( Okay, now I back peddle a little and explain that there ARE some earth rocks that kinda look like meteorites and will stick to a magnet and HEMATITE is one (you can see an example of this great meteorwrong on my website). South Georgia is not known for large quantities of hematite but I failed to ask her immediately where she obtained her sample. My mistake. A little while latter I show the kids three large perfectly formed tektites: a dumbbell, a disk, and a teardrop. I explain the differences between meteorites and tektites, I let the kids hold them, and all of a sudden the Rock Girl says, "I have one of those." She pulls a black glassy object from a box on her desk and hands it to me. I look at the top surface and recognize it immediately... It's a tektite! Now, you have to understand my excitement at this point. The Georgia Tektite strewn field is about four or five counties west of the school. As far as I know, no Georgia tektite has ever been found in Bryan County, which is where the little girl lives. I looked over at my wife and after seeing literally dozens of kg of tektites even she recognized it as a probable tektite. I began thinking that the Georgia strewn field has just now been greatly extended when I turned it over and my heart sank. The other side was very smooth and concave, as if it were once part of the interior of a larger object and was part of a gas bubble. It was a Chinese tektite. Exactly like my presentation pieces and exactly like the dozens of kg I have sold in the past. I then asked the girl how she obtained her rock collection and she showed me her collection box with nice glossy printed cards. The tektite (and hematite) were part of a set that her father had purchased. Unfortunately, there were no meteorites in the set but she did have the beginnings of a very nice rock collection. This reminded me that about four years ago, one boy brought me a glassy object that looked like it might be a tektite. I sent it to Bill Glass but the microprobe analysis showed that it was not. I showed a large slice of Allende and I casually asked if anyone could tell me waht the large white spots were. After only a few hints, a teacher correctly guessed calcium (as wel as other elements). Her students were very impressed! Again, if you get the chance to present to kids, please consider doing so. It's a lot of fun and the kids are really interested in the stories with some meteorites such as El Hammami, Beaver, Canyon Diablo, Claxton, Peekskill, Cape York, etc. Best wishes, -Walter ----------------------------------------------- Walter Branch, Ph.D. Branch Meteorites 322 Stephenson Ave., Suite B Savannah, GA 31405 USA www.branchmeteorites.com ------=_NextPart_000_0005_01C1ABCC.313DDB20 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Diso-8859-1"> <META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><SPAN class=3D150112314-02022002><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>To=20 follow up on Walter's fine work....When you add an = astronomical spin to=20 the audience and throw in meteorites at the end, WOW!. I have = given=20 hundreds of astronomy presentations to young and old. I show them = pictures of=20 the Moon, Sun, planets, comets, asteroids, eclipses. But now, as a great = enhancer, at the very end, I pull out a piece of the Moon, NWA 482, and = Mars,=20 DAG 476 (with a pix of Mars from HST), and they REALLY get=20 interested.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D150112314-02022002><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D150112314-02022002><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2> Share your knowledge and collection with the = future hunters=20 and admirers...you won't regret it.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D150112314-02022002><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=3D150112314-02022002><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff = size=3D2>GR</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr style=3D"MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><FONT = face=3DTahoma=20 size=3D2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>=20 meteorite-list-admin_at_meteoritecentral.com=20 [mailto:meteorite-list-admin_at_meteoritecentral.com]<B>On Behalf Of = </B>Walter=20 Branch<BR><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, February 02, 2002 8:03 = AM<BR><B>To:</B>=20 Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com<BR><B>Subject:</B> = [meteorite-list]=20 Meteorites and Kids<BR><BR></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> <P>Hello Everyone,</P> <P>I recently had the chance to talk about meteorites to six classes = of third=20 grade students, something which I enjoy very much. If you have not = done this=20 and you get the opportunity, I would encourage you to do so. It is = really a=20 lot of fun. Let me share a few of my observations.</P> <P>Kids love the big heavy irons, bring at least one but make sure it = is a=20 solid piece. They can pass it around but if it is a rust flaky Nantan, = for=20 example, they will manage to peel off some lose rust spots and it is = kind of=20 embarrassing to the presenter. Also do not let them handle a = Sikhote-Alin=20 shrapnel piece. Some shrapnel have VERY sharp edges which can easily = cut small=20 hands, which would also be embarrassing to the presenter.</P> <P>I like to bring a large piece of quartz crystal with me to make a = nice=20 contrast between a nice fusion crusted stone and terrestrial rocks and = minerals. Some kids, though, will be as interested if not more=20 interested in the quartz.</P> <P>The children were very much aware of the monetary value of = meteorites. A=20 girl asked how much I would offer her if she found a meteorite from = the moon=20 and I jokingly responded, "well, at least $10.00." The kids got the = joke=20 because they knew it would be worth much more than that. A few kids = focused=20 almost exclusively on the monetary value of meteorites ("how is that = one=20 worth, etc.").</P> <P>I bring along several books with nice pictures of meteorites to = augment the=20 presentation and my homemade "Magnet on a Stick" (actually, a big = dowel rod).=20 My wife teaches third grade language arts and in her class, a girl had = brought=20 in her rock collection for me to examine to determine if any were = meteorites.=20 For now, lets call her the "Rock Girl."</P> <P>I talked about the properties of meteorites and I demonstrated they = are=20 attracted to a magnet and earth rocks are not. There are some = terrestrial=20 exceptions but I figured why complicate matters by pointing out the = rare=20 exceptions. Rock girl brings a metallic looking rock towards me, I = hold the=20 magnet on a stick out to her, she places it on the magnet and low and = behold,=20 IT STICKS.</P> <P>Silence fell over the room and the little girl had a grin that = stretched=20 from ear to ear. Simultaneously, my eyes open, my mouth drops and I = hurriedly=20 bring the object closer for inspection. After years of working with=20 meteorites, I immediately knew what it was...</P> <P>Hematite :-(</P> <P>Okay, now I back peddle a little and explain that there ARE some = earth=20 rocks that kinda look like meteorites and will stick to a magnet and = HEMATITE=20 is one (you can see an example of this great meteorwrong on my = website). South=20 Georgia is not known for large quantities of hematite but I failed to = ask her=20 immediately where she obtained her sample. My mistake.</P> <P>A little while latter I show the kids three large perfectly formed=20 tektites: a dumbbell, a disk, and a teardrop. I explain the = differences=20 between meteorites and tektites, I let the kids hold them, and all of = a sudden=20 the Rock Girl says, "I have one of those." She pulls a black glassy = object=20 from a box on her desk and hands it to me. I look at the top surface = and=20 recognize it immediately...</P> <P>It's a tektite!</P> <P>Now, you have to understand my excitement at this point. The = Georgia=20 Tektite strewn field is about four or five counties west of the = school. As far=20 as I know, no Georgia tektite has ever been found in Bryan County, = which is=20 where the little girl lives. I looked over at my wife and after seeing = literally dozens of kg of tektites even she recognized it as a = probable=20 tektite. I began thinking that the Georgia strewn field has just now = been=20 greatly extended when I turned it over and my heart sank.</P> <P>The other side was very smooth and concave, as if it were once part = of the=20 interior of a larger object and was part of a gas bubble.</P> <P>It was a Chinese tektite. Exactly like my presentation pieces and = exactly=20 like the dozens of kg I have sold in the past. I then asked the girl = how she=20 obtained her rock collection and she showed me her collection box with = nice=20 glossy printed cards. The tektite (and hematite) were part of a set = that her=20 father had purchased. Unfortunately, there were no meteorites in the = set but=20 she did have the beginnings of a very nice rock collection.</P> <P>This reminded me that about four years ago, one boy brought me a = glassy=20 object that looked like it might be a tektite. I sent it to Bill Glass = but the=20 microprobe analysis showed that it was not. </P> <P>I showed a large slice of Allende and I casually asked if anyone = could tell=20 me waht the large white spots were. After only a few hints, a = teacher=20 correctly guessed calcium (as wel as other elements). Her = students were=20 very impressed!</P> <P>Again, if you get the chance to present to kids, please consider = doing so.=20 It's a lot of fun and the kids are really interested in the stories = with some=20 meteorites such as El Hammami, Beaver, Canyon Diablo, Claxton, = Peekskill, Cape=20 York, etc.</P> <P>Best wishes,</P> <P>-Walter </P></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial=20 size=3D2><BR>-----------------------------------------------<BR>Walter = Branch,=20 Ph.D.<BR>Branch Meteorites<BR>322 Stephenson Ave., Suite = B<BR>Savannah,=20 GA 31405 USA<BR><A=20 = href=3D"http://www.branchmeteorites.com">www.branchmeteorites.com</A></FO= NT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0005_01C1ABCC.313DDB20-- Received on Sat 02 Feb 2002 09:30:03 AM PST |
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