Such a great field trip deserves this many pictures!

If you haven't been to the Royal Alberta Museum in a while, it's time for a visit with your family.  As busy as we were, we did not get to see every exhibit, and the students were so interested in all there was to see and do!  We spent the morning in a Mineral Investigation led by this woman who is employed by the museum.  

In pairs, the students tried to figure out their Mystery Mineral, using seven different tests that geologists would use in the field.

In these next three photos, these girls are trying to determine how many minerals they can see in a sample of the rock, granite.

Here, with the help of one of the mom volunteers, these young scientists are testing the mineral to see if it carbonates. (If bubbles appear when acid is put on...don't worry...lots of safety precautions were taken!)

This is the hardness test, invented by Mohs of Germany. 

 Hardest mineral on Earth?  Ask your child, or look on your ring finger!

Working with a partner is always reason to smile!

This scientist in the making is seeing if the mineral sample that he has, conducts electricity.

They really enjoyed their investigations and took it seriously.

There are such amazing samples and displays to inspire the students to make further investigations.

Petrified wood...

...and a rock that does not look earthly!

After lunch we participated in a self guided tour of some other areas of the museum, including my favourite, the dioramas with life size animals of Alberta, such as beaver,

pelicans,

caribou,

coyotes,

moose, and

grouse.

We spent time in the display of Aboriginal culture

reading,

taking notes of what interested us,

and discussing with others.

The students were in awe of the life size dinosaur models,

and the fossils we could touch,

and sometimes, they just wanted to sit and wonder about life so long ago.

I was SOOOO impressed with their great work ethic, that I hated to say that it was time to move on,

when they hadn't finished their own investigations.

The bug room was a hit!  Who knew that those tiny creepy crawlies would be so interesting?

The students loved finding them,

pointing out their features,

and watching them crawl around.

Really, the day was a grand success!  When you are wondering what to do on a lazy Saturday, you can bet your child would love to visit the museum again!