Make a space rock museum
The question
How can we sort a collection of pebbles, and what would a museum label for a real meteorite say?
Scientists sort rocks by what they look like and what they are made of. Museums label each meteorite with its name, where it fell or was found, and what kind it is.
Equipment
- A collection of 10 to 20 pebbles, collected with permission
- A hand lens
- An egg box or tray to display them
- Card and pens for labels
Method
- Look at each pebble with the hand lens and describe it: colour, rough or smooth, shiny or dull, round or pointed.
- Sort the pebbles into groups in your own way, and explain your rule.
- Read about a real meteorite on the site, such as Winchcombe or Hoba, and make a museum label for it.
- Lay out your museum with a label for every group.
- What to measure
- How many pebbles are in each group, and which properties you used to sort them.
- How to present it
- Your museum, with a sign explaining how you sorted the rocks and a label card for one real meteorite.
- Take it further
- Sort the same pebbles a different way, for example by weight or by colour. Do you get the same groups?
Safety
Collect only loose pebbles where you are allowed, never from beaches or parks where collecting is banned. Wash hands afterwards.