Geology Project

What is it All About?

Did you find a rock at the park and don’t know what kind it is? What about fossils? If you would like to learn more about rocks, minerals and fossils, then dive into the geology project! Discover the types of minerals, rocks and fossils that can be found where you live.

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Grow in Your Project

Beginning

Learn how the earth was formed and its three main parts
Learn the difference between a rock and a fossil
Collect, clean, identify and label rocks, minerals and fossils found in Kansas
Learn the types and impacts of erosion.

Intermediate

Use different tests to identify minerals by hardness and color
Learn how to identify fossils
Learn to display and evaluate geology exhibits
Learn how mountains are formed
Discover the impact of glaciers

Advanced

Learn to measure specific gravity
Read and use a topographic map
Measure formation thickness
Test to determine chemical properties of minerals
Locate sites on a plat map
How to prepare for geology

Click Here for Geology Project Member Resources

Resources for All Levels

Kansas 4-H Geology Project Leader Notebook

Take Your Project Further!

Take a field trip with a purpose. Look for hills, canyons, cliffs, valleys, lakes, rocks, soils, or other natural resources
Visit a lapidary (rock) shop in your area
Read an article, story, or a chapter from a book about rocks, minerals, or geology
Visit the University of Wyoming Geological Museum on campus in Madison
Look for fossils around your house or visit southwest Wisconsin which has a rich history in fossil collection including Devil’s Lake State Park
Do a home search to find the minerals and metals that are used in your home
Find out more about the Wisconsin State gemstone and where it is found
Make your own rock tumbler

Applying Project Skills to Life

Enhance Your Communication Skills

Give a presentation about a field trip you took in Wisconsin to study geology
Give a talk to your club about different types of birthstones and where they are found

Get Involved in Citizenship and Service

Take your rock and mineral collection to a local elementary school and share your collection with them
Create jewelry with rock you find and donate them to a local charity or sell them and donate the money to a local charity

Learn about Leadership

Lead a craft with your club members or Cloverbuds making rock creatures or rock art
Invite club members to take a geology field trip, create a scavenger hunt so member know what to look for related to geology
Host a rock and mineral identification contest for your club members

Showing What You’ve Learned

Create an exhibit to show the geology specimens you have collected. Be sure to label the specimens with the correct names
Explain the rock cycle using words and pictures
Display rocks from three major types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic
Create a poster showing how rocks change
Create a rock creature or rock art
Make your own rock crystals for display
Make a poster or display about rock textures
Create a display about erosion or the effects of erosion in Wisconsin
Make a display about what different types of minerals are used for

Adapted with permission from Wyoming State 4-H, Project Information Sheet, Geology. Retrieved from: https://www.uwyo.edu/4-h/projects/natural-resource-education/geology.html.

*Resources available at your local Extension office or shop4-H.org.

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