Post by elementary on Jun 4, 2010 2:28:00 GMT -5
Well, my initial 6th grade year is ending and I'm looking forward to its completion.
One of the things I do for my students is give them extra credit points for doing certain things over the year. These points can be cashed in for cheap toys ($1 Target items), school supplies, etc. But they can also be used to purchase polished stones and rock boxes.
I currently have a display case in my room (with the majority of specimens supplied by Mel) of 70 agate types. These are now labeled. Each type is presented with a rough and tumbled piece.
On the wall behind the cabinet are tiny bags filled with 6-7 tumbled stones each. These correspond with the rocks down below. During the school year the students are able to 'purchase' polished stones for 100 extra credit points. They also earn get them for their birthday, for reading books, attendance, and other reasons. By the end of the year, it is expected that those bags on the wall will be empty - everything given away. With 70 bags times 6 rocks, that's over 420 polished stones that are given away each year to the kids.
Here are some images from a few years ago:
![](http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/3lementary/PICT0018-3.jpg)
![](http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/3lementary/PICT0012-4.jpg)
![](http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/3lementary/PICT0009-10.jpg)
Rock boxes are Bead Boxes I pick up from Michael's Art/Craft Stores for under $2. They have 17 small compartments. For 750 points, students can buy one of these from me with 17 labeled rock samples. This year I waited until the end of the year and decided to provide more polished pieces than in the past. This year the boxes include:
Selenite
Quartz crystal
Fire Agate Rough from Mexico (unpolished but shows fire)
Moqui Ball
Desert Rose from Turtle Mountains
Four polished stones chosen from wall and special items not on display
Geode from Hauser Beds
And the polished pieces:
Petrified Limb
![](http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/3lementary/PICT0022-3.jpg)
Howlite
![](http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/3lementary/PICT0014-3.jpg)
Travertine from N. Edwards
![](http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/3lementary/PICT0020-1.jpg)
Jasper from off I-40 past Barstow
![](http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/3lementary/PICT0015-4.jpg)
Fluorite from N. Cady Mountains
![](http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/3lementary/PICT0005-4.jpg)
Petosky Stone
![](http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/3lementary/PICT0006-7.jpg)
Seam Agate from N. Cady Mountains
![](http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/3lementary/PICT0009-9.jpg)
I enjoy making the rock boxes. I hand them out to neighborhood kids, donate them to my club kid's booth at the shows, give them as presents to people at church and school (both my last two principals received one for their child.)
Anyway, thought I'd share.
Can't wait for summer for me to have my time...
Lowell
One of the things I do for my students is give them extra credit points for doing certain things over the year. These points can be cashed in for cheap toys ($1 Target items), school supplies, etc. But they can also be used to purchase polished stones and rock boxes.
I currently have a display case in my room (with the majority of specimens supplied by Mel) of 70 agate types. These are now labeled. Each type is presented with a rough and tumbled piece.
On the wall behind the cabinet are tiny bags filled with 6-7 tumbled stones each. These correspond with the rocks down below. During the school year the students are able to 'purchase' polished stones for 100 extra credit points. They also earn get them for their birthday, for reading books, attendance, and other reasons. By the end of the year, it is expected that those bags on the wall will be empty - everything given away. With 70 bags times 6 rocks, that's over 420 polished stones that are given away each year to the kids.
Here are some images from a few years ago:
![](http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/3lementary/PICT0018-3.jpg)
![](http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/3lementary/PICT0012-4.jpg)
![](http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/3lementary/PICT0009-10.jpg)
Rock boxes are Bead Boxes I pick up from Michael's Art/Craft Stores for under $2. They have 17 small compartments. For 750 points, students can buy one of these from me with 17 labeled rock samples. This year I waited until the end of the year and decided to provide more polished pieces than in the past. This year the boxes include:
Selenite
Quartz crystal
Fire Agate Rough from Mexico (unpolished but shows fire)
Moqui Ball
Desert Rose from Turtle Mountains
Four polished stones chosen from wall and special items not on display
Geode from Hauser Beds
And the polished pieces:
Petrified Limb
![](http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/3lementary/PICT0022-3.jpg)
Howlite
![](http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/3lementary/PICT0014-3.jpg)
Travertine from N. Edwards
![](http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/3lementary/PICT0020-1.jpg)
Jasper from off I-40 past Barstow
![](http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/3lementary/PICT0015-4.jpg)
Fluorite from N. Cady Mountains
![](http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/3lementary/PICT0005-4.jpg)
Petosky Stone
![](http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/3lementary/PICT0006-7.jpg)
Seam Agate from N. Cady Mountains
![](http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/3lementary/PICT0009-9.jpg)
I enjoy making the rock boxes. I hand them out to neighborhood kids, donate them to my club kid's booth at the shows, give them as presents to people at church and school (both my last two principals received one for their child.)
Anyway, thought I'd share.
Can't wait for summer for me to have my time...
Lowell