Dalton News

Dalton’s Fourth Graders Have a Rockin’ Good Time

Dalton’s 4th grade students just wrapped up their fourth Assignment: Minerals and Rocks.
Their study began by using digital handheld microscopes to make detailed observations of minerals. After observing their minerals, students completed a series of hands-on investigations to understand more about the unique properties of minerals (i.e. streak, hardness, luster, reaction to acid, etc.) and how scientists can use these properties to identify unknown minerals. 

The highlight of the Assignment was a trip to the American Museum of Natural History to complete a scavenger hunt in the recently renovated Hall of Gems and Minerals. At the museum, students explored the dazzling mineral displays and learned more about the atomic structure of minerals. They also investigated how these crystalline structures inform the properties that minerals exhibit that were able to test later in class. 

To finish the Assignment, students made models of the atomic structures of mineral crystals, learned about cobalt in modern batteries while dissecting Macbooks with New Lab, broke open geodes, examined various rock samples, and explored the rock cycle by completing both hands-on and virtual lab activities.

A special thanks to all of the Dalton faculty and staff who chaperoned the AMNH trips, museum liaison Kris Santos for helping organize the trips, as well as New Lab’s Arlo Klinger, Chesna Flora, and Harrison Priest for their insightful lesson about the use of cobalt in electronics and lithium-ion batteries! See here for the full photo album.

Submitted by Middle School Science Teachers Alicia Reid and Jake Henin
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