Tag: newton news

NewTV features Local Artists – The Small Stage: Still Life, Part II

Who even knew that NewTV had a art gallery? I certainly didn’t. But they do – just outside the offices -and showcase many talented local artists (previously featured artists include Marian Dioguardi and Coleman Rogers) and save the date for the Gallery Reception of The Small Stage: Still Life, Part II on July 18th, 7-9 pm.

Featuring Local Artists – Sharon Schindler, Emily Sper, Jeffrey Hayes, Amy Kaufman, Jeanne Gugino, Jessamyn Martin, Douglas Weisman, and Myra Abelson.

This is a great way to see these artists in a casual setting. You can also see Sharon Schindler’s work in the lobby of the Newton North High School (there is a beautiful photo of the old Newton North printed on birch wood just outside the main office) and some gorgeous photos of Israel at Temple Reyim on Washington Street, Newton.

Save the Date!

Please join us for a wine and cheese reception at NewTV as we celebrate our newest exhibit, The Small Stage: Still Life, Part II. Presented by Newton Open Studios, and curated by Ellen Fisher. Eight artists from Newton Open Studios explore the still life format, presenting a varied and delightful sampling that challenges preconceived notions of the genre. These still lifes often peer into unusual places, occasionally verge on abstraction, and tackle both conventional and unexpected subjects. Exhibit runs through August 20.

From the website:

At the NewTV Art Gallery, we offer a moment to reflect upon a photo, painting, collage, or any frameable medium. We encourage local, emerging and established artists to submit work for one of our quarterly group or solo exhibits, art openings, and on-line exposure. Work is for sale, with pricing established by the individual artists. Please support our state of the Arts!

NewTV | 23 Needham St | Newton Highlands MA 02461

Telephone: 617.965.7200

Fax: 617.965.5677

Email: newtv@newtv.org

As I explored the website I learned of the many class offerings – what a tremendous resource. Classes include Animation Workshops, Studio, Field and Post Production classes and even a Screenwriting class. and Any Newton resident, non-profit organization or business can join NewTV for a small, annual membership fee. Once you’ve signed up, you are eligible to take any classes or workshops offered by NewTV, use any of NewTV’s equipment and book the Conference Room or Studio, all free of charge with your membership.

NewTV is also running a NewTVSummer Raffle

EXCLUSIVE TO NEWTV MEMBERS!

Spread the word about NewTV’s fantastic membership opportunities to your friends and you can enter our Summer Raffle. It’s easy! All you have to do is refer a friend for a NewTV membership. Once they sign up, you are automatically entered in the raffle, with the opportunity to win one of three great prizes!

Grand Prize is a brand new iPad 2

Second prize is a 32 GB iPod Touch

Third prize is a $100 iTunes gift card

An individual membership referral will give you 1 raffle ticket, a family membership referral will give you 5 and a non-profit will give you 10.

Please email Member Services Coordinator Michael Crossen-Sills at michaelcs@newtv.org with your referrals so we can enter you into the drawing.

Deadline is August 31, 2012

July 6, 2012
Cappella Clausura’s Spring Concert: Outside The Walls

Cappella’s music has recently been described by the Boston Globe as “personal and inviting, extravagant and intimate…eavesdrop on paradise.”

Concert Dates/Locations:

Saturday, May 12, 8PM, Parish of the Messiah, 1900 Commonwealth Av., Newton

Saturday, May 19, at 8PM, University Lutheran, 66 Winthrop St., Cambridge

Sunday, May 20, 4PM, First Church in Jamaica Plain, 6 Eliot St., Jamaica Plain

Contact:

Director Amelia LeClair 617-964-6609 or manager@clausura.org

Tickets:

$15 – $25. Purchase online at www.clausura.org or at the door

Cappella Clausura presents Outside the Walls, an imagining of an Italian 17th century salon-like performance where the music, religious in nature, would have been sung by men and women in mixed company, yet written by nuns behind the convent walls.

Originally written for female voices, to be sung within the cloister, this music was then arranged by the nuns for mixed voices, to appeal to a wider public. Although scholars don’t know how the music reached the major regional publishing houses of their day (many in Venice), they do know the music existed, was lost for centuries and only rediscovered through the writings of past music aficionados, music-lovers who traveled to hear these

works and circulated their reviews.

Clausura presents this passionate, harmonically rich choral music as it might have been performed by men and women or possibly men and boys in homes and churches. Director Amelia LeClair worked from original manuscipts and modern editions, arranging tempi, dynamics and instrumental parts from what she calls a

spare, “blueprint” score. Beginning with a chant by 9th century Greek composer Kassia, the concert moves on to works by the mistresses of Early Baroque composition: Chiara Cozzolani, Raffaella Aleotti, Bianca Maria Meda, Lucretia Vizzana, Caterina Assandra, and Sulpitia Cesis. The works range from duets to 8-part pieces for voice and instruments: harpsichord, organ, gamba and theorbo.

Cappella Clausura brings to light works written by women from the 8th century to the present day: twelve centuries of “new” music. While this ensemble of sopranos, altos, and period instruments performs music solely by women composers, and champions living composers, it concentrates on repertoire by women in the cloister – clausura – during the Italian baroque period. During this extraordinary time, women were allowed to express themselves spiritually and artistically, and to publish their own music. Clausura’s intention is to dispel the notion that there are not now nor have there ever been gifted women composers. History has been blind and

deaf to these remarkable works; Cappella Clausura brings vision and voice to them.

May 3, 2012
Newton News: Newton Developing into Russian Enclave, and Special Education Trend in MA
Some interesting links on Newton:

Mass. suburb develops into a Russian enclave. The Mass. suburb that the Boston.com article refers to is Newton!

Russian immigrants have become part of the character of the Boston suburb of Newton. More than 9% of people in the town report Russian ancestry, according to the U.S. Census, and residents say it is common to hear Russian spoken there. Newton’s Russian community also has set up schools and community centers to preserve its language and culture.

Report finds more low-income students in Mass. special education. Newton is not a low-income school district but special education is expensive so this is an interesting twist.

Students from low-income school districts in Massachusetts are about twice as likely to be placed in special education than those in more affluent districts in the state, a new report shows. The study’s findings are counter to the belief by some that more affluent families are driving a push for more accommodations and services for students. The study recommends districts work to prevent the over-identification of students for special education and strive to educate more students with disabilities in inclusive settings.
- Seventeen percent of Massachusetts students are in special education programs — the second-highest rate in the nation.
- … many kids are identified as special needs students because they don’t get the help they need early on.
April 30, 2012
BSO: New Sheriff in Town for Youth & Family Concerts, Family Concert April 21

Boston Symphony Orchestra’s New Sheriff

What do you get if you cross Bill Cosby with Pastor Archibold Epps and teach them to conduct a first rate orchestra? Why, Thomas Wilkins, the new permanent Boston Symphony Orchestra Youth Concert Conductor.

Technically, he’s the Germeshausen Youth and Family Concerts Conductor. He makes classical music fun and accessible to kids and families while also relating the program to big ideas like perseverance, dreams and goals. And, all the while, he’s scampering up and down the aisles making everyone laugh. He’s truly a charismatic and entertaining performer!

The next Family Concert is “Notes in Bloom” is on April 21 at Noon. This is the final concert of the season. Go here to purchase tickets.

Thomas Wilkins, Music Director

Thomas Wilkins is the music director of the Omaha Symphony, a position he has held since 2005. Additionally, he is principal guest conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and was recently appointed the youth and family concerts conductor for the Boston Symphony Orchestra.Past positions have included resident conductor of the Detroit Symphony, as well as the Florida Orchestra (Tampa Bay), and associate conductor of the Richmond Symphony (Virginia). He served on the music faculties of North Park University (Chicago), the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga and Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

Committed to promoting a life-long enthusiasm for music, Thomas brings energy and commitment to audiences of all ages. For his significant contribution to the children of Tampa Bay, the Pinellas County Music Educators Association named him 1998 Friend of the Arts and the Hillsborough County Elementary Music Educators recognized him as 1998 Music Educator of the Year.

During his conducting career, Thomas has been featured with orchestras throughout the United States, including the Dallas Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic, Houston Symphony and the National Symphony in Washington, D.C. He is also a frequent guest conductor of the Baltimore Symphony, the New Jersey Symphony, the Indianapolis Symphony and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Recently he debuted with the Utah Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Rochester (NY) and Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestras.

Thomas serves as a director at large for the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, and has served on the board of directors of such organizations as the Center Against Spouse Abuse in Tampa Bay, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Academy Preparatory Center for Education, both in St. Petersburg. Currently, he serves as chairman of the board for the Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund.

A native of Norfolk, Va., Thomas earned his bachelor of music education degree from the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music in 1978. In 1982, he was awarded the master of music degree in orchestral conducting from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Thomas and his wife, Sheri-Lee, reside in Omaha with their twin daughters, Erica and Nicole.

April 16, 2012
Boston Celtic Center Greg Steimsma Fundraiser for Young Audiences of MA!

Please save Wednesday, April 25th, 7-9pm for what promises to be a memorable evening benefitting Young Audiences of MA!

Held at one of the hottest restaurants today, Lydia Shire and Jasper White’s Towne Stove and Spirits (named one of America’s Best New Restaurants of 2011 by Esquire Magazine), this social fundraising event is hosted by Boston Celtic Center Greg Steimsma, who will also perform as celebrity bartender for the evening.

image CBS Boston

Sip, snack and shake it up with one of Boston’s newest favorite athletes in Towne’s luxurious Back Bay Room. Sports aficionados, philanthropists, socialites – and everyone in between – will be treated to complimentary wine and beer selections; hors d’oeuvres prepared by Culinary Director Lydia Shire; and many one-of-a-kind auction items and prizes.

Mr. Stiemsma’s dedication to community causes is one that has graciously traveled with him from Wisconsin to Boston, and we are proud to partner with him and Towne for this unforgettable night-with-a-cause.

Tickets are only $50, and are available at:

http://www.estoreboston.com/towne-boston/towne-boston-events/towne-bartender-stiemsma.html.

Buy them today, as they are selling quickly, and attendance is limited. Tickets will not be available at the door.

All proceeds from this event support Young Audiences of Massachusetts and its mission of initiating a life-long involvement in the arts by making the

April 13, 2012
Missing BC Student, Franco Garcia’s Body Found in Reservoir, No Sign of Foul Play

Yesterday, Franco Garcia’s body was found yesterday in the Chestnut Hill reservoir near Boston College and the bar where Franco was last seen.

The 21-year-old, who was studying chemistry and played clarinet in the symphony band, disappeared Feb. 22 after leaving a bar in Boston popular with college students. from CBS News

Garcia, 21, was last seen on Feb. 22 at approximately 12:15 a.m., inside Mary Ann’s bar on Beacon Street in Brighton, Mass. from Huffington Post

The reservoir is between the neighborhood the bar is in and the Boston College campus, where García planned to stay in a friend’s dorm the night he went missing. from Fox news

Maryann’s by Cleveland Circle. The Chestnut Hill Reservoir is to the left (see blue area).

Directions

Franco Garcia Update: Body of missing Boston College student found in reservoir, family says CBS News

View Larger Map

According to a message from my middle school principal where Garcia’s younger brother attends 6th grade with my daughter, there was no foul play suspected. Divers searched the reservoir for a week when Franco first went missing on February 22nd but unsuccessfully.

Body Believed to be that of BC Student Boston.com

Boston College Student Found in Reservoir Fox News

April 12, 2012
April Vacation Week Activities at Acton Discovery Museums!

Calendar of Events April 12 – 22

Mixing in Math, April 12 & 17

Celebrate National Robotics Week with Robots and Brain Bots, Inc.!

April 12

Good Vibrations: Musical Instrument Exploration with Olin College, April 14

Write Your Own iPhone/iPad App! April 15

Spring Tree Walk, April 17

SMART Gals: Lost in Lexicon: An Adventure in Words and Numbers,

April 18

Suncatchers, April 19

Engineers’ Exchange with the Acton-Boxborough Robotics Team, April 19

Capillary-Action Butterflies, April 20

Music and Movement with Miss Carolyn, April 21

Tree Rubbings, April 22

Patriot’s Day/Public School Vacation Week

Both Museums OPEN 9 AM – 4:30 PM Monday, April 16 – Friday, April 20

All programs are free with admission except when noted otherwise.

Thursday, April 12

Mixing in Math: Pictures on a Page

10 a.m. Children’s Discovery Museum

Practice your counting skills as we read Eric Carle’s The Hungry Caterpillar and then create a collage using pictures of the objects you counted in the story. © 2008 TERC.

Thursday’s Tales

11 a.m. Children’s Discovery Museum

Join us for our weekly story time. We’ll bring the books; you bring your imagination!

Celebrate National Robotics Week with Robots and Brain Bots, Inc.!

Drop-in 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Science Discovery Museum
Meet Robots and Brain Bots Inc., the high school robotics team from Gann Academy in Waltham, winners of the 2011 FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship Inspire Award. The team will demonstrate their robot that flips crates, loads racquetballs, and lifts the crates in the air using a scissor lift. The Inspire Award is the most prestigious award given to a team that competes well on the field, has an innovative robot design, documents well in the engineering notebook, and does extensive community outreach.

Friday, April 13

FETCH!™ Rescue Mission

10 a.m. Children’s Discovery Museum

Listen to Eric Carle’s 10 Little Rubber Ducks and then design a hook to rescue the rubber ducks that have gone adrift. A preschool-level adaptation of this popular FETCH!™ activity. Sponsored by Middlesex Savings Bank, with additional support from Red Hat, Inc. © 2011 WGBH Educational Foundation.

FETCH!™ What’s the Buzz?

Drop-in 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Science Discovery Museum

What’s the Buzz? Make your own kazoo and try it out in our SoundLab exhibit! Sponsored by Middlesex Savings Bank, with additional support from Red Hat, Inc. © 2011 WGBH Educational Foundation.

Saturday, April 14

Build It!

All Day Children’s Discovery Museum

LEGO building for toddlers! Bring your imagination to build, stack, and sort using our enormous collection of DUPLOS. Construct your own architectural wonder or work together to build a museum-community sculpture.

Good Vibrations: Musical Instrument Exploration with Olin College

Drop-in 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Science Discovery Museum

Experiment with vibration, waves, and frequencies to learn how musical instruments generate an amazing range of sounds. The dynamic Olin College Engineering Discovery Team will lead this energetic music workshop!

Sunday, April 15

Face Painting

10 a.m. Children’s Discovery Museum

Use your face or hand as a canvas for a colorful spring-inspired painting.

Write Your Own iPhone/iPad App!

Pre-registration workshop: 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Science Discovery Museum

Would you or your child like to learn how to write a cool game or application for the iPhone or iPad? Learn the basics of iOS programming from a local 12-year-old who taught himself and has a published app in the App Store used by thousands of students, teachers and educators around the world! This workshop will provide a good overview of iOS programming and will walk you through the steps involved in writing and publishing a simple app. Ages 10+.

Fee: $5 per person, a maximum of 2 children must be accompanied by an adult (this is not a drop-off program). Pre-registration and payment required by April 12^th; please register and pay online at http://tinyurl.com/iOS-programming. Registration will close automatically once maximum capacity is reached; please email tdicureia@discoverymuseums.org if you are interested to be placed on a waitlist for a second class at 3pm on the same date.

Monday, April 16

Dinosaur Discoveries

10 a.m. Children’s Discovery Museum

Join the paleontology dig in our giant outdoor sandbox filled with sand, tools, and dinosaurs.

Tuesday, April 17

Mixing in Math: Treasure Hunt

10 a.m. Children’s Discovery Museum

Practice you’re directional skills as you use movement shapes to guide your family to the location of the buried treasure: our giant sandbox filled with gold coins. © 2008 TERC.

Spring Tree Walk

1 p.m. Science Discovery Museum

Spring brings buds and new leaves to all plants including trees. Find out about these massive plants on a walk around the grounds with beloved science teacher Frank Meehan. See the variation in bud shapes, sizes, and colors, and learn how to identify trees in your own backyard. Rain or shine; dress appropriately. Note: the walk is not handicap accessible.

Wednesday, April 18

Messy Masterpiece: Nature’s Paintbrush

10 a.m. Children’s Discovery Museum

Use a flower as a paintbrush to create a unique work of art.

SMART Gals: Lost in Lexicon: An Adventure in Words and Numbers

Pre-registration class

1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Science Discovery Museum

In this Lexicon Villages event, children and parents work together through a series of interactive stations representing math and language concepts from this award-winning book that combines learning and adventure. Feed synonyms to a thesaurus, create sentences out of flower petals, discover pi, measure the museum in paces, make up your own words using Greek and Latin roots, try your hand at puzzling Tangrams, do a maze in a mirror, and more!

Meet the book’s author and get a sneak peak of the second book in the series, The Ice Castle, coming to stores August 2012, and leave with an autographed copy of Lost in Lexicon and a packet of even more activities to try at home. The SMART (Science-Math-Art) Gals Series is sponsored by The Ramsey McCluskey Family Foundation.

Instructor: Penny Noyce

Ages: 8 to 12

Fee: $10 for members; $12 for non-members

Pre-registration required by April 16; please register and pay online at http://tinyurl.com/LexiconVillages-April2012.

Thursday, April 19

Suncatchers

10 a.m. Children’s Discovery Museum

Collect an assortment of natural materials from the Museum grounds to create a dazzling collage to hang in a window at your home.

FETCH!™ Rescue Mission

Drop-in 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Science Discovery Museum

Can you meet Ruff Ruffman’s challenge? Design hooks that can grab different capsules out of the water. Sponsored by Middlesex Savings Bank, with additional support from Red Hat, Inc. © 2011 WGBH Educational Foundation.

Engineers’ Exchange with the Acton-Boxborough Robotics Team

Drop-in 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Science Discovery Museum
Meet a FIRST Tech Challenge robot and its designers from the Acton-Boxborough Robotics Team. Watch the robot maneuver, learn about the design process and competition, and participate in an engineering activity.

Friday, April 20

Capillary-Action Butterflies

10 a.m. Children’s Discovery Museum

Beautiful butterflies made by you! Decorate your butterfly’s wings, add water, and watch as the water mixes the colors (using capillary action) creating your own specially designed butterfly.

Saturday, April 21

Music and Movement with Miss Carolyn

1 p.m. Children’s Discovery Museum

Explore sound through singing and playing. Move, make music, listen, learn, and get a multi-sensory workout! Music improves your child’s memory, cognitive development, learning skills, and ability to express emotion. Plus, it’s fun! Miss Carolyn is a professional musician, serves as a faculty member at Indian Hill Music School, and has been a licensed Kindermusik Educator for 5+ years.

Sunday, April 22

Tree Rubbings

10 a.m. Children’s Discovery Museum

Explore the variety of trees in a section of woods adjacent to the Museum perfectly sized for young children. Use your fingers to feel the different textures of tree bark and create rubbings to capture the differences on paper.

FETCH!™ Toy Chemistry

Drop-in 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Science Discovery Museum

Stretchy and slimy toys are the best says Ruff Ruffman! See and feel everyday materials change as you combine them to create polymers! Sponsored by Middlesex Savings Bank, with additional support from Red Hat, Inc. © 2011 WGBH Educational Foundation.

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About The Discovery Museums

The Discovery Museums are the children’s and science museums of Metrowest Boston, paired on a single campus in Acton, MA. The Museums—the Science Discovery Museum and the Children’s Discovery Museum—serve families and schools from towns throughout the region, with a commitment to informal education that enhances classroom learning. The hands-on, playful exhibits, developed by professional educators, inspire curiosity, exploration, experimentation and imagination. The Discovery Museums combine manageable scale, convenient location and free parking to provide a fun and engaging experience where children and adults can discover their world together.

Hours and Admission

The Discovery Museums are located at 177 Main Street Acton, MA 01720. Tel 978-264-4200. All programs are free with admission: $11.00 adults & children, $10.00 seniors 60+, free for children under 1 and Members. Teachers are always free.

School Year hours

Children’s Discovery Museum: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tues – Sun

Science Discovery Museum: 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tues – Fri, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sat & Sun

Both Museums closed on Mondays.

For more information, please visit www.discoverymuseums.org.

April 11, 2012
Book and Author Luncheon with Dennis Lehane and Mitchell Zuckoff

The Friends of the Newton Free Library is hosting a book and author luncheon benefit event.

When: Friday, May 11, 2012 with a cash bar (wine) 11:00 am. Luncheon 12:00 pm. Speakers and Book Signing will follow the luncheon.

Where: Ballroom, Newton Marriott Hotel, 2345 Commonwealth Avenue at Route 128, Newton, MA

Dennis Lehare Mitchell Zuckoff

Who: Featured Speakers are Dennis Lehane, author of Moonlight Mile and The Given Day and Mitchell Zuckoff, author of Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II

Checks for $40 per person should be payable to

Friends of the Newton Free Library

Please mail your check(s) with the enclosed reservation form and a Self-Addressed, Stamped Envelope to

Book and Author Luncheon

PO Box 600533

Newtonville, MA 02460

Tickets and table assignments will be mailed 7 days before the event. Seating is limited; early reservations are recommended. Reservations received after May 4 will be held at the door. No tables or seats will be held without payment.

For more information, please email bookandauthor@newtonfreelibrary.net or call 617-213-0428.

To view any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.

April 9, 2012
L’Aroma Cafe is Now Serving Brunch!

Brunch is now served every Sundays from 9 am to 2 pm at L’Aroma Cafe and Bakery located in Newton at 15 Spencer Street, behind the West Newton Cinema.

Spinach Florentine Bake, $9

3 Buttermilk Pancakes with berry compote and creme fraiche, $7

Greek yogurt with Granola, Honey and Berries, $7

Farmer’s Omelet, American style omelet with beef bacon, mushrooms, peas and red potatoes, $12

BLTE on sourdough with mayo, beef bacon, lettuce and tomato, $9

Egg & Cheddar Sandwich on sourdough, $7

Buttery Brioche Grilled Cheese with tangy tomato bisque, $10

2 Delicate Crepes, choose up to 2 of the following toppings: strawberries, bananas, powdered sugar, chocolate, nutella, $9

Homemade Oatmeal with Berries and Cream, $6

Savory Miso Oatmeal with a poached egg and scallions, $6

April 6, 2012
Rocks and Minerals Science Study Guide for 4th Grade
The Rock Cycle via video for Igneous Rock, Sedimentary Rock and Metamorphic Rock

These are the concepts that my kids find confusing, so I’ve added some extra information from sites to help kids understand the differences. This great information is from Mr.SciGuy.

Erosion versus Weathering

This is from Compare Anything.

Weathering and erosion are geological processes that act together to shape the surface of the Earth.

Erosion is displacement of solids (soil, mud, rock and other particles) usually by the agents of currents such as, wind, water, or ice by downward or down-slope movement in response to gravity or by living organisms.

Weathering is the decomposition of rocks, soils and their minerals through direct contact with the Earth’s atmosphere.

This video shows weathering verus erosion through some great demonstrations. It’s 9 minutes long.

This is a confusing concept, so here’s more:

What’s the difference between weathering and erosion?

Weathering involves two processes that often work in concert to decompose rocks. Both processes occur in place. No movement is involved in weathering. Chemical weathering involves a chemical change in at least some of the minerals within a rock. Mechanical weathering involves physically breaking rocks into fragments without changing the chemical make-up of the minerals within it. It’s important to keep in mind that weathering is a surface or near-surface process. As you know, metamorphism also produces chemical changes in rocks, but metamorphic chemical changes occur at depth where either the temperature and/or pressure are significantly higher than conditions found on the Earth’s surface.
As soon as a rock particle (loosened by one of the two weathering processes) moves, we call it erosion or mass wasting. Mass wasting is simply movement down slope due to gravity. Rock falls, slumps, and debris flows are all examples of mass wasting. We call it erosion if the rock particle is moved by some flowing agent such as air, water or ice.
So, here it is: if a particle is loosened, chemically or mechanically, but stays put, call it weathering. Once the particle starts moving, call it erosion.

This is from The National Park Service.

Here’s a fun video from Scholastic:

—————–

Rock versus Minerals

The Museum of Science does a great school classroom presentation called Rock Detectives. One great example they gave of rocks versus minerals is this:

Chocolate Chip Cookie

What ingredients are used to make a chocolate chip cookie? Kids will answer with things like: flour, butter, sugar and chocolate chips.

The chocolate chip cookie is LIKE A ROCK made up of ingredients. Ingredients are LIKE MINERALS.

What happens if instead of baking, you fry it instead? You get … chocolate chip pancakes. So, depending on what happens to the mix of minerals (for example, different pressures and/or heat), there are different outcomes. JUST LIKE minerals and rocks.

Rocks

A rock is a mixture of one or more minerals. They are classified by the way that they are made.

A mineral is
- Naturally occurring
- Inorganic
- Definite chemical composition & crystalline structure
- Solid
Mineral Identification Tests

The Color Test- easiest test to do but not always reliable

The Streak Test

The color of the powdered mineral.

Performed by rubbing the unknown mineral on an unglazed tile.

The Luster Test

the way a mineral shines or doesn’t shine

the only way to really learn the different lusters is to see them for yourself.

Types of Luster

Metallic– looks like shiney metal

Non-metallic– all the other ways that a mineral can shine

Glassy/vitreous– shines like a piece of broken glass (most common non-metallic)

Dull/earthy– no shine at all

Resinous/waxy- looks like a piece of plastic or dried glue

Pearly– looks oily it may have a slight rainbow like an oil slick on water. Also looks like the inside of some clam shells

Adamantine– brilliant, sparkling shine like a diamond

Hardness– a minerals resistance to scratching. This should not be confused with brittleness. A diamond is very hard and will scratch a hammer but a hammer will smash a diamond. Likewise, talc, one of the softest minerals, is not squishy. It will still put a serious hurting on you if you get hit in the head with it.

This awesome chart is for sale here. Includes all 6 crystal classes and presents the physical properties: hardness, habit, luster, cleavage, specific gravity, color, fluorescence, and streak.

——————–

Types of Rocks
Igneous Rocks

“Fire Formed”– melted rock material cools and solidifies (“freezing”)
- Intrusive– rock formed inside the Earth
- Extrusive– rock formed on the surface
- Texture– the size of the crystals- NOT HOW IT FEELS
Sedimentary Rocks

Made from sediments or rock material that has been broken down in some way.
- Sedimentary rocks are usually formed in a watery environment.
- Often layered
- Are the only rocks that normally contain fossils
Metamorphic Rocks
changed from a pre-existing rock

caused by extreme heat and/or pressure
—————–

Cleavage versus Fracture

Cleavage -To break along flat surfaces.

Examples of Cleavage (these examples are not on the test but I think they are helpful to illustrate cleavage visually).
- Cubic– To break into cubes
- Rhombihedral– to break into “pushed over cubes”
- Basal– to split into thin sheets
Fracture -The way a mineral without cleavage breaks.

Examples of Fracture (This is not on the test, but it might help your child get a visual sense of a fracture — think bowl shape, needs, or sharp edges).
- conchoidal– to break in a scooped out bowl shape- like a conch (sea snail)
- hackly fracture– to have irregular sharp edges
- splintery– to break into long, thin needles
—————-

This is not on the test, but here are more details on rocks versus minerals to help your child solidify this concept. This is from Rocks For Kids.

ROCKS
All rocks are made of 2 or more minerals, but minerals are not made of rocks.

Rock Words: There are many common names for rocks and the usually give you an idea of how big the rock is. Here are a few:
- mountain – huge, giant hunk of rock that is still attached to the earth’s crust, doesn’t move, tall
- boulder – large, taller than a person
- rock – large, you could get your arms around it or a bit smaller but it is usually jagged,
  broken off a bigger piece of rock
- river rock – round rocks that are along the edge & at the bottom of fast-flowing rivers
- stone – medium, you could hold it in two hands
- pebble – small, you can hold it with two fingers, could get stuck in your shoe, usually rounded
- sand – made up of tiny pieces of rock, grains of sand
- grain – tiny, like a grain of rice or smaller, often found on a beach
- dust – really fine powder that is mixed in with sand or soil
- speck – as in a speck of dirt
MINERALS
- A mineral is the same all the way through. That is one reason we speak of
  a sample or a specimen rather than a rock.
- There are about 3000 known minerals on earth.
- All rocks are made up of 2 or more of these minerals.
Finally, here is a video of rocks versus minerals by kids.
April 4, 2012