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Cemetery Lab

This lab document provides instructions for students to practice carefully observing and describing rocks. Students will develop a systematic method to describe rocks and then use this method to describe and sketch 10 tombstones in a cemetery. They will also draw a map of the cemetery marking the locations of the tombstones they observed. The goal is to hone students' observation skills which is a fundamental part of geology and allows them to recognize rocks they have previously described.

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97 views2 pages

Cemetery Lab

This lab document provides instructions for students to practice carefully observing and describing rocks. Students will develop a systematic method to describe rocks and then use this method to describe and sketch 10 tombstones in a cemetery. They will also draw a map of the cemetery marking the locations of the tombstones they observed. The goal is to hone students' observation skills which is a fundamental part of geology and allows them to recognize rocks they have previously described.

Uploaded by

Austin Bradt
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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GLY 101 Lab Lab 2: The Art of Observing Natural Materials Introduction The essence of geology, or any other

science, is careful observation. One way to observe more closely is to write down what you see, in both words and pictures. This forces you to notice more details. In this lab, you will observe many kinds of rocks, and describe them in your field notes using both words and drawings. Justification Describing rocks is the first step toward identifying rocks, which you will be doing in upcoming labs. Describing rocks can also be helpful if you're a geologist making a map of a region. If you come across a rock you can't identify, you can describe it thoroughly in your field notes, allowing you to recognize it when you see it again, and to continue mapping. Then when you get back to the lab, you can analyze a sample to nail down the name. In this lab, you will tour the cemetery to the northeast of the UB Campus. MEET IN YOUR LABORABORY ROOM AT THE NORMAL TIME; we will walk together to the cemetery. Please dress accordingly (i.e., no high heels; rain coats or umbrellas if necessary). Equipment pencil eraser colored pencils (optional) ruler hand lens index card or paper with a quarter-sized circle cut out Instructions 1. Develop a system for describing rocks. A. At the cemetery, your instructor will lead a class discussion to describe a specific tombstone rock as completely as possible. Then the class will group the descriptors in categories, such as color, texture, etc. Based on these categories, the class will come up with a systematic way of describing a rock. Write a description of this rock in your field notes. Use the percentage diagrams in Figure 1 to help you to estimate percentages of various minerals. Use your ruler to measure sizes of crystals. You should know that even seasoned geologists often have a difficult time identifying small minerals in the fieldespecially the dark ones. Commonly, the black minerals are all grouped together as "dark" or "black". B. Use pictures in addition to words. Take a blank sheet of paper or an index card and cut a hole in it the size and shape of a quarter. In your field notes, draw exactly what you see in the circle. Use your ruler to indicate the scale of the drawing. 2. Describe rocks (tombstones) in the cemetery. Working in pairs or small groups, use the system devised by the class to describe ten tombstones. You must have at least 5 descriptors for each rock and a labeled sketch with a scale. Please remember that this is a cemetery, so treat your surroundings with respect. Although you and your partner will be sharing ideas and information, your notes should contain original descriptions and sketches of all the rocks. Have your instructor look at one of your descriptions to offer any suggestions for improvement. 3. Draw a Map. Draw a general map of the cemetery, including landmarks such as fence openings, roads, and buildings. Be sure to indicate which direction is north. Mark off the location of each tombstone you identify on the map.

4. Turn in your work. Turn in your field notes at the beginning of the next lab. They should include the system your class devised for describing rocks, descriptions and sketches of the rocks in the cemetery and your map. Remember each lab should have your name, your section number, the date, and my name.

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