The Three Rivers Gem & Mineral Society
JUNIOR PROGRAM
Our Juniors have fun!
Junior members are the future of rockhounding. We strive to provide interesting and informative programs to teach juniors (18 and under) about rocks, minerals, fossils and related areas. "Hands-on" activities are used as much as possible.
SOME SPECIAL THINGS WE DO:
1. Give each junior a special Kids Korner Kurrency dollar for attendance and another one for participation. This "money" can be saved up or swapped for rocks, minerals or fossil specimens in the Kids Korner Swap box. Rock collecting equipment, books, and sometimes even a UV light may be purchased.
2. Provide a "take home" handout on a selected topic at each meeting.
3. Provide a specimen related to the meeting topic for each junior to take home.
4. Encourage juniors to study and write about minerals and fossils for publication in our club newsletter, The Strata Data.
5. Earn patches for various rock-related topics through the Future Rockhounds of America Merit Badge Program.
APRIL JUNIOR LESSON
We will be working on the ROCKS & MINERALS patch. Juniors should bring a notebook in which to store worksheets, and an egg carton (12 egg size) for their crystal system reference kit to be developed in the upcoming months. At this meeting, they will make a tetragonal crystal system model, learn about luster and how to grow crystals at home. Each will take home instructions and mineral powder to grow his/her own crystals and bring back to show at the May meeting.
Hands-on activities
Providing hands-on activities helps children learn.
Playing a game to learn the forms of life
Making a crinoid model as part of the lesson
Learning how to cut a rock
Playing a game to learn the forms of life
Lessons on many topics related to Earth Sciences
Juniors earn patches such as Rocks and Minerals, Gems & Gem Lore, Earth in Space, Fossils and more. Each junior should keep a folder to hold all his/her worksheets. We work on these patches together over several months.
A big model to teach about trilobites
Learning all about gold in history
Forms of Life lesson with types of fossils in Indiana
A big model to teach about trilobites
Other Activities
Most club field trips are open to juniors to find their own specimens. At each meeting, Juniors can exchange swap dollars earned in the meetings for specimens in the SWAP box. Juniors are encouraged to help at our annual show or write articles for the club newsletter.
I found my first trilobite!
A junior helping on School Day
Choices, choices, choices!
I found my first trilobite!
