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Rock Detective

Activity

What’s Beneath Your Feet?

Notice the rocks around you—what textures, colors, and shapes do you see? What do you think they might tell you about the land? At Palmer, most of the rocks you’ll find are sedimentary, formed by ancient seas and rivers or carried by the wind. Sedimentary rocks often have visible layers and can be rough or smooth, sometimes even containing fossils or shells. Have you spotted any caliche, the hard, white rock made from calcium carbonate? While igneous and metamorphic rocks aren’t naturally found here, you might notice them in landscaping or construction materials. What other clues about the land can you uncover by looking closely at the rocks around you?

Science Seed

Sedimentary rocks, such as sandstone and limestone, can be found in areas around Palmer Elementary, where ancient rivers and shallow seas once existed. You might notice layers in the rocks, built up over time as sand, mud, and shells settled in the water. These rocks often contain fossils of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago when the Rio Grande Valley was covered by seas and rivers. You may also spot caliche, a hard, white rock made from calcium carbonate, which forms in dry areas like Pharr. While igneous rocks like basalt, which form from cooled lava, aren’t common in this area, traces of ancient volcanic activity may still influence the landscape.

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earn Badges

Badges can be earned through hands-on experiences within each of the 16 branches of science, or “Science Slices.” You can earn a badge in each branch of science by doing four activities in these categories. We also encourage participants to keep a Nature Journal to record their memories, and to express themselves creatively through writing or drawing after each activity. We recommend that each child (and parent if they’d like) write or draw in a journal after each activity, with expectations of your children that match their age (the goal is self-expression, not perfection).

Explore Geraldine Palmer Elementary

join Families in Nature

It is our vision to inspire all families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists. Becoming a member of Families in Nature will give your family the opportunity to have adventures in nature, experience field science, develop as youth conservation leaders, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Memberships are free for everyone.

Who are we?

Families in Nature works to create opportunities for nature connection with the purpose of sparking a deep love and desire to protect, conserve and restore the environment. Our mission is to connect children and their families to nature and to each other through time spent learning, playing, and volunteering outdoors. It is our vision to inspire ALL families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists.

This project was made possible by HEB.