Comment

Expert Comment by Sanjoy Som on November 1, 2012 at 3:01pm

Hi Matt,

Thanks again for the opportunity to interact with the kids. I started a discussion in the cambrian group
http://saganet.org/group/cambrian-school-district-teachers
which has the video embedded. If there are follow up questions by the students, that would be the place to put them!

With regards to solution/solubilities.. although that's not immediately my work, some of the most ancient rocks on earth are cherts (silica deposits) that formed due to silica supersaturation in ancient oceans. Today, that silica is taken up by biology (diatoms, radiolarians..) - inexistant on ancient earth - so that silica never gets supersaturated in modern oceans and you don't get large deposits of chert.

Cherts are great because they resist weathering and so trap microfossils for us to find billions of years later!

Do a google search for "apex search" or "gunflint chert" to see what I mean :) Happy to discuss more.

Facilitator Comment by Matt Hill on October 31, 2012 at 7:36pm

Hi Amanda and Sanjoy, 

I just finished enjoying your video reply!  Thank you so much for taking the time to do this.  We will meet with our 1st grade buddy class in a week or so and I will play your reply then.  I really appreciate it - I know you guys are busy but I think the kids will get a kick out of knowing someone out there is responding to their questions.

I'm still thinking about what our next activity should be.  I'd love to work something in where the kids make some videos that we send to you.  

FYI - in our 5th grade science, we are studying mixtures and solutions right now.  Focusing on the concept of saturation and solubility... just in case you have any ideas for how we could integrate our connection with you into this module.

Thank you AGAIN for taking the time to this.  Very much appreciated!

Matt

Comment by Amanda Cook on October 31, 2012 at 5:16pm

ah! next time, no gum! woops.