Recommended Website:
ASU: Rock Around The World
Age Range: 5 and up (Fun for all ages!)
Scientists at the Mars Space Flight Facility at Arizona State University want you to send them your rocks! Find a rock, wash it, and send it in to the lab. The scientists will use their super-duper spectrometer to identify the rock – and then they’ll post a picture of your rock and information about it on their website!
But that’s not all. In addition to submitting a rock to help the Mars Scientists with their research, you can learn all about rocks at this website. Simply use the menu on the left side of the screen that includes:
- About the Program – Get the instructions for how to submit a rock.
- Follow the Rocks – Take a virtual tour of the lab and see what happens to rocks that are sent to the ASU Mars lab.
- See All Rocks – Examine the archive of rocks that have already been sent to the lab.
- Learn About Rocks – Find out why you should study rocks; learn the difference between rocks, minerals, and elements; find out about crystal structures.
- Meet the RATW Crew – Read the bios of the scientists who work at the ASU Mars Lab.
- Infrared Spectroscopy – Explore an amazing website dedicated to the science of infrared spectroscopy.
This is a great way to get kids interested in geology, space travel, and more! A big thank you to the ClickScholar who saw this website mentioned in this month’s issue of “Boy’s Life” magazine.
