DUBOIS – Both sections of fourth grade science at DuBois Central Catholic Elementary recently worked in small groups to explore the properties of rocks, creating a learner-centered activity that bolstered cooperation and teamwork.
In the photo, students take turns testing the hardness of their sample before recording their findings.
Instructor Deborah Vandervort also had the groups of students check the luster of each sample along with the color.
Using ceramic tiles, the students performed the streak test to decipher any differences in color, and for the hardness test, students used a penny, their own fingernail and a paper clip to determine the hardness on the Mohs Scale.
Vandervort concludes, “All 44 students had to visit each of the seven rock stations before completing the activity and discovering each specimen’s name.”
