SANDS OF THE WORLD

Winona State University’s Geoscience Department houses a large collection of sands from around the world, most of which were collected and donated by people affiliated with the University. These sands were catalogued and studied to better understand their geologic history and the diversity of the Earth. These sands will be incorporated into a teaching collection for use in introductory Geoscience courses and made available for loan to local K-12 schools.

A cataloging system was developed to record information about each sand sample, which included grain size, sorting, roundness, and sphericity. The sand samples were divided into ten geographic regions of the Earth based on their collection location. After completion of the cataloging, samples to be used in the teaching collection were selected and analyzed. Samples chosen reflect various patterns that the students will discover and they also will allow the students to construct skills in classifying sand based on physical properties. Included in the samples is a suite from the East Coast, sands that show well sorted and rounded grains, and sand that show poorly sorted and angular grains.

Three inquiry-based lesson plans are currently being created following the 5-E Learning Cycle. In the introductory lesson the students will discover what sand is and will understand why studying sand is important. They will be guided through the basics of classifying sand and discovering patterns through the sands. In the Minnesota Sands lesson the students will examine how weathering, erosion, and glaciers formed the Minnesota sand samples in the collection. In the Landforms lesson, the students will look up information about landforms in Minnesota and will connect the concepts they developed from the Minnesota Sands lesson with how the landforms in Minnesota formed.

The introductory lesson will be implemented in a college setting and middle school setting, critiqued, and improved. When adequate lesson plans are finished, a stand-alone portable lesson plan kit will be created that K-12 teachers can borrow and use in their classrooms. A display case will also be constructed for the Winona State University Geoscience Department presenting all the sands and information on how to donate to the collection.