Neighborhood Rocks                                     Search this Site

Web Sites About Rocks

Web Sites About Finding Rocks

One of the best ways to find rocks is to join a local
rock and mineral club.  We are members of the 
Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois (ESCONI), 
and we help out with ESCONI Juniors.  Please
go here to learn more:
  < http://www.saltthesandbox.org/ESCONI/ >

Finding Rocks in the Midwestern United States.  Many 
state geological surveys have Web pages about local 
rocks and minerals.

  
Rock and Mineral Clubs.  There's probably a rock and mineral
club in your area.  If you go to a meeting, you can learn more
about the rocks in your area.

List of Amateur Rock Clubs in the United States.  Hundreds 
of local rock clubs, arranged by state. 
   < http://www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/clublist.html >
  

Web Sites About Collecting Rocks

Mineral Matters.  A wonderful resource for children!
Information about collecting, identifying, storing, and
displaying rocks and minerals.  Also includes games
and directions for growing your own crystals.  (From 
the San Diego Natural History Museum.)
   < http://www.sdnhm.org/kids/minerals/index.html >

Rockhound Collection Safety.  Especially for kids!
Includes a slide show about how to collect rocks 
safely, and a quiz to make sure you learned your 
lessons well.  (If you pass the quiz, you earn a
certificate that you can print out!)
   < http://www.fi.edu/fellows/payton/rocks/safety/index.html >

Rockhounding Arkansas has a great page for beginners 
(who are sometimes called, "Pebble Pups.")
   < http://www.rockhoundingar.com/pebblepups.html >

Rockhounds' Information Page.  Lots of useful
links from members of the Rockhounds e-mail 
list. 
   < http://www.rahul.net/infodyn/rockhounds/rockhounds.html >

    
Identifying Rocks 

Bob's Rock Shop Rock Identification Key.  If our pages 
of Rock Names didn't identify your rocks, then you might
want to try this key.  (It uses lots of words, but no pictures.)
   < http://www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/rockkey/index.html >

Web Sites with Ideas for Playing with Rocks

Make a Volcano.  This page is part of the Rockhounding Arkansas 
Website.  They tell you how to make "lava" with baking soda, vinegar, 
red food coloring, and dish liquid.
   < http://www.rockhoundingar.com/pebblepups/volcano.html > 

Experiments in Growing Crystals.  This page is part of the Rockhounding Arkansas Website.  Learn how to grow rock candy and alum crystals, and 
how to make a crystal garden.
   < http://www.rockhoundingar.com/pebblepups/growcryst.html >

Grow Your Own Crystals.  Step-by-step instructions for growing salt 
crystals from the San Diego Museum of Natural History.
   < http://www.sdnhm.org/kids/minerals/grow-crystal.html >

Rock Crafts for Fun.  Another page from the Rockhounding Arkansas |
Website. 
< http://www.rockhoundingar.com/pebblepups/rockcrafts.html >

Rock Shops with Web Sites

Dave's Down to Earth Rock Shop is the best rock shop
we've ever visited, for kids or adults.  It's in Evanston,
Illinois, just north of Chicago.  They've finally got a Web
site (but you really ought to go there in person, too).
   < http://www.davesdowntoearthrockshop.com/ >

Bob's Rock Shop.  We've never bought rocks here, but we've 
used lots of their online resources.
   < http://www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/table.shtml >

Suppliers of Landscape Rocks with Web Sites

Dixie Cut Stone & Marble, Inc. in Michigan sells many types 
of landscape stones.  Check out their "slide show" of stone
types.
   < http://www.dixiestone.com/landscape_landscape.htm >

Town & Country Landscape Supply in the Chicago area 
carries more than 20 types of "decorative stone," including 
a number of hard-to-find types.
   < http://www.hesod.com/stone_ground_cover/default.html >

Kalamazoo Landscape Supplies is in Kalamazoo, Michigan:
   < http://www.klsupplies.com/ >

Stories About Earth History

The Paleomap Project has online maps that show what the
Earth looked like in the distant past.  (This site is appropriate
for high school and older.)
      < http://www.scotese.com/ >
   Earth History includes a series of 17 maps of the Earth, 
   from 650 million years ago through today -- and they also
   include predictions of what the future Earth will look like 
   250 million years in the future!
         < http://www.scotese.com/earth.htm >
   Climate History includes both maps and an animation
   showing ancient climates.
         < http://www.scotese.com/climate.htm >

Copyright 2001-2009 Eric D. Gyllenhaal                                              Search this Site
Webmaster@SaltTheSandbox.org

Neighborhood Rocks is part of the Salt the Sandbox Web. 
For more information visit the Salt the Sandbox home page.

This page was created on March 12, 2001, and it was last updated on July 20, 2009..