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Rocks and Dirt
Author Ellen McHenry is known for her straightforward approach to science topics. Everything (except lab supplies) between two covers. This reproducible book is great for classrooms, homeschoolers, and coops. Chapter content builds conceptually elements first; then minerals and silicates (comprised of elements); rocks (made of minerals and silicate); a whole chapter is devoted to limestone for its abundance and importance; soil; earth's structure; and lastly, ideas or theories about the past and the earth's age. Something you don't often see in Science books, this text presents ideas or theories about dating the age of rocks, fossils, the earth, and tectonics, but never endorses one over the other. The author discusses the difference between observable facts and inference, focusing on the facts.
Each chapter begins with the textual information and is followed by different types of activities comprehension check (short answer), videos to watch, matching pictures, crosswords, etc.
This curriculum is a good introduction to rocks, with age-appropriate explanations, some colorful graphics, hands-on activities, and the familiar Ellen McHenry fingerprint characters and cartoons. A weighty resource with 130+ student pages, answer key, bibliography that includes helpful website links, and teacher's section (full of games crafts, labs, and activities to pick and choose those that best fit you and your learner). 300+ pgs, pb. ~ Donna
