Rocks Homeschool Nature Study – Feldspar Rock Study

This week, using the links in the challenge, you’ll be introduced to feldspar. This isn’t a common nature study topic, but feldspar is a rather common rock-forming mineral that we can learn a little about using the Handbook of Nature Study.

You may decide this is a study that perhaps your older or more advanced students may wish to complete. If you have younger students or don’t have a specimen of feldspar to observe, see the alternate activity linked below for a more general rock nature study.

Here’s a quick overview of feldspar:

• Feldspar, which means field stone, names a group of minerals that are much alike.
• Feldspar is always a part of granite and other igneous rocks.
• The most common colors are white or gray, pale pink or pale yellow, but feldspar may also be olive green or brown.
• All feldspars are made of aluminum, silicon and oxygen.

I would love for you to be encouraged in your rock study by this entry written a few years ago: Teaching the “Hard” Nature Study Subjects – Rock Study. In my experience, I find this to be one of the more challenging nature subjects. But, the ability to take it slow and learn alongside your children can make this less intimidating.

What You Will Need For This Challenge

We are moving away from our autumn curriculum and into our, ‘Winter Continues’ curriculum. You will find this in your membership area. There are some lovely notebooking pages for you to print out and use in this study. These may be found on pages 18 – 20 of the curriculum.

Inside Preparation Work:

• Read pages 755 and 758 in the Handbook of Nature Study (Lesson #214).
• View some images of feldspar so you know what you are looking for during your outdoor time.
• You may wish to purchase a piece of feldspar to observe in person and then use your outdoor time to look for any rocks you can find in your local area this season.  You can find them in most rock shops or online in rock collections.
• Common feldspar minerals: Amazonite and Labradorite and Opal.
• Advanced Study: Complete some research on the uses of feldspar before your outdoor time this week. What is Feldspar? 

Outdoor Hour Time:

• Go exploring for rocks. Bring along a collecting box or bag and see if you can find some rocks, particularly granite that may have some feldspar in it that you can see.
• Collect some samples to bring inside to look at closely.
• Note: If your weather or local conditions do not allow you to collect rocks this week, plan on spending even just a few minutes outdoors this week observing anything interesting you have at hand. Save the rock observations for a time that is more convenient.

Follow-Up Activity:

• Choose one of the rocks you collected outdoors and look at it closely using a hand lens. If you collected some granite, can you distinguish the various components? Record your observations in your nature journal.
• Use the Rocks Up Close activity to take a closer look at any rocks you have on hand.
• Advanced study: Use a rock identification key to identify any rocks you did collect this week.
• Advanced study: Create a nature journal page for feldspar or any of the feldspar minerals. Use a rock field guide from your personal or public library.

Share Your OHC Time with Us!

Did you enjoy this Outdoor Hour Challenge? Be sure to tag us on Instagram @outdoorhourchallenge and use the hashtag #outdoorhourchallenge so we can see and comment!