“It’s currently 61 degrees and partly cloudy,” announced Class 6 science teacher Joanna Disini from the front of a yellow school bus. “Make sure to add that to your field notebook!”
A section of her Class 6 students dutifully scribbled down the information as they traveled to Umpire Rock in Central Park. (All sixth-grade students visited the park at varying times.)
In Class 6 science, students explore topics in three disciplines: earth science, life science and physical science. During the fall term, they’ve been diving into Geology – the study of how Earth came to be, how it evolved and developed into the planet it is today, and how it maintains conditions right for life. They’ve learned about the four spheres of matter (atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and geosphere), and geological time scale.
Their teacher has also explained the importance rocks play in examining our history. “They can tell a story of how Earth has changed over time.”
During a recent lab, students used modeling clay to perform a “core sampling.” This is a practice geologists undertake to extract samples from inside a rock without breaking it open. The students began by breaking different colored clay into tiny pieces and placing them inside a larger piece of Earth-toned clay. They also added sprinkles and pepper to represent inclusions. The students then rolled their clay into a ball to create a “rock” and passed it to a friend at a different table.
Using straws, toothpicks and magnifying glasses, the students mimicked the process of core sampling to unveil the rainbow of colors inside their friends’ rocks.
Today, they were headed to Central Park for supplemental field work. Umpire Rock, a metamorphic rock located in the southwest corner of the park, proves that millions of years ago, the place we now know as New York City was under water. “How can you determine this? What evidence can you gather?” prompted Ms. Disini. The bedrock, they discovered, is made from a metamorphic rock called Manhattan Schist, containing different minerals like quartz, feldspar, biotite and garnet.
“Look at these grooves here,” their teacher said, pointing. “This shows that the rock was formed before the last ice age.” Several students chimed in to share their own observations. “I can see folds, which are caused by extreme heat and pressure,” one commented.
After marking their initial observations in their field notebook, the students split off to investigate different areas of the massive rock. They were encouraged to record all kinds of findings from loose rocks, sun exposure to wildlife sightings. They also crafted geological sketches.
As their time came to an end, the students headed back to the bus, ready to continue their immersive scientific studies at 100 East End.
