Tag: Mica

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Outdoor Hour Challenge -Mica Rock Study

This week is a great indoor nature study opportunity if you’re experiencing some winter weather like we are in Central Oregon. After reading the lesson in the Handbook of Nature Study, use the links in the original challenge to learn even more about mica.

If you don’t have mica to observe, you can do an alternate rock study for any rock you may have on hand. Use a field guide or a book from the library to learn more about your rock. Look in your Member’s library for an abundance of rock study alternative ideas like printables, notebook pages, and newsletters.

Rock Study Mica @handbookofnaturestudy

Use this link to the challenges in the archives:

Outdoor Hour Challenge – Mica Rock Study (from the Autumn Nature Study Continues ebook)

OHC Autumn Nature Study Continues Cover Button

This challenge is found in the Autumn Nature Study Continues ebook found in the Ultimate and Journey level memberships here on the Handbook of Nature Study. You can print the notebooking pages and the coloring page included in the ebook to supplement your nature study this week.

Join Us Ultimate Naturalist November 2019

If you don’t have a membership yet, you can click the graphic above and join today for immediate access to the 23 ebooks and so much more!

 

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Family Rock Study – Looking for Mica

Mica has been our rock seeking list for the past two years. Remember when I was trying to find, collect, and journal about all the rocks in the book Rocks, Fossils & Arrowheads ?

This was part of my Nature Study Goals in 2013.

Rock study book journal list

I wasn’t completely successful in 2013 and now in 2014 I finally pushed us to get out and find some mica close to home. It is actually muscovite which is abundant in California and in the county where I live. I can’t believe how much time I have spent looking into this rock. I am just not a confident rockhound.

Here is a glimpse into our mica rock study.

mica

So some sources said we have muscovite mica and some say mica schist. I am not completely sure what the difference is between the two (if any). I will just call it mica.

winter cattails

We visited our cattail site and took a look at the changes to the plants during the past few months.  You may wish to start or continue your own year-long cattail study. Make sure to mark your weekly planner for a date coming up soon.

bracket fungi 1

We were able to spy some cool bracket fungi.. a little late for our official bracket fungi study but still so very interesting.

bracket fungi 2

There was water collected in the top that was shaped like a cup.

Well, that was our mica rock walk and study. I am still trying to come up with a better way to identify rocks without taking hours and hours. Any suggestions are appreciated!

 

Just a note to all my faithful readers.

I will be sharing how my Nature Study Goals for 2014 turned out and posting my 2015 goals soon. Look for a printable for your to use to record you nature study goals here on the blog soon.

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Outdoor Hour Challenge – Rock Study Mica

Rock Study Mica @handbookofnaturestudy

Inside Preparation Work:

  • Read about mica in the Handbook of Nature Study on pages 758-759 (Lesson 215). There is not a lot of information in the book so use the links below to learn more and mica, what it looks like, its uses, and where to find it.
  • You can read all about mica here: Rocks for Kids.
  • For more detailed information about mica’s properties: Rocks and Minerals-Mica.
  • Video of Mica Rock.
  • Advanced Study: Rocks vs. Minerals study. You can read the explanation in this article and view the diagram to really understand the differences.

Two Kinds of Mica:

Outdoor Hour Time:

  • Time for a rock hunt. If you can go outdoors, look for some mica or any rock you have on hand. (You can purchase mica for this challenge here: Biotite sample from MiniMe or Muscovite sample from MiniMe. Or you can buy a bundle of 30 pieces from ScienceBob.)
  • You can use the printable activity in the ebook to make your rock hunt a little more fun. Print the page and use the grid to observe some rocks. If you have cold weather, you can use rocks from your rock collection indoors if you need to. If you don’t have the ebook, you can use the printable found at this link: Rock Observation.

Follow-Up Activity:

  • Use your follow-up time to create nature journal pages for mica or any rocks you have on hand. Use the information in the links above to create a description of mica, biotite, and/or muscovite. There are two notebook pages included in the ebook for you to choose from.
  • Advanced Study: Use the notebook page provided in the ebook to do a careful study of a mica sample.

Free Notebooking Pages Sampler
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