Sedimentary Rock

This week I was inspired by my nieces and nephew to create some kind of edible earth science.  With a little bit of research, I came across a recipe that allowed my "students" to measure and create layers of minerals that will melt and produce one solid rock.  The model encouraged my students to use their math skills and measure each ingredient.  They discussed what they think would happen to the minerals, one thought was that it was going to completely melt and become one solid color.  Once all the minerals were added, I place the rock into the oven.  After the rock came out of the oven and cooled, we cut into it.  My students realized that the minerals were still visible.  The layers were a little hard to see, but it was visible that this was an example of a sedimentary rock. 

Natural Disasters

I teach in Southfield, Michigan which is a suburb of Detroit.  Many of my students live in Detroit, but commute to Southfield.  Detroit is only 16 miles from Southfield.  Many of my students find it amusing when we have to practice a tornado drill.  I then have to remind them about the tornado that hit Hamtramck and Highland Park in 1997.  There were 13 tornadoes that hit Southeastern Michigan, which Southfield is apart. 

Many of my students receive free or reduce lunch (90%).  This means that I teach many students that are considered to be living in poverty.  Because of the high percentage of poverty that I teach, some of my students have trouble grasping concepts that are not currently happening to them.

Even though we recently haven’t had tornadoes rip through Southeast Michigan, there have been many storms that contributed to power outages and electrical fires.  When a storm like this occurs, it could potential put people out of their homes.  I think a great agency for students and parents to become involved with is Habitat for Humanity. 

            Ultimately, if a family or students can volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, their current situation doesn’t seem as much as a loss.  When a person feels like they are helping out, they start feeling better and are more willing to seek ways to get out of a current situation that could be bringing them down.

Resources

1997 Southeast Michigan Tornado outbreak.  (2011). Retrieved from

            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_Southeast_Michigan_tornado_outbreak

Habitat for Humanity http://www.habitat.org/getinv/volunteer_programs.aspx