Has anyone used TOPS Rocks and Minerals?

[Meriwether]

If so, where did you get sand with mica?

[TarynB]

We used it.  The optional supply kit contains sand with mica.  The kit is very, very much worth the price.  ($32.50 currently)   :001_smile:

[Meriwether]

I saw the supply kit, but I think I have everything I need except the sand with mica. That makes the sand expensive.

 

[Lori D.]

Do you have a river bed with sand nearby? How about a lake with beach sand? What about a local playground -- any sand under the swings? Or, take a trip to Home Depot or Lowe's and sweep up a handful of sand spilled from the bags of sand for sale…  There may be a difference in mica content between the play sand, all-purpose sand, silica sand, and gardening soil sand, so check around each of the different stacks of bags for spillage.

[athomeontheprairie]

Alright, for those that used this... Reviews please?

[Lori D.]

Alright, for those that used this... Reviews please?

 

Worked well for us. We used in with a 7th grader, and had the supply kit (a must, IMO). We did 2 experiments a day, 2-3x/week, so it lasted us about 6-8 weeks. As I recall, all the experiments worked, and fit in with our Earth Science studies nicely. A good opportunity to start doing very simple lab reports with a middle schooler by answering the questions on the TOPS experiment card in complete sentences. I think a few experiments even had some simple graphing. Not meant to be a complete curriculum; there is very little explanation for the experiments (that is true of all the TOPS materials), so they are best used as the hands-on and discovery component / supplement to go with an informational spine. Rated for grades 6-12; I'd say it is best for grades 6-9.

 

Other TOPS units that we used that worked well in middle/high school:

 

- Lens & Pinholes (rated: gr. 5-10 / I would say optimal for gr. 5-8)

- Adhesion/Cohesion (rated: gr. 6-10 / I would say optimal for gr. 6-9)

- Motion (rated: gr. 7-12 / I would say optimal for gr. 6-9)

- Analysis (rated: gr. 6-10 / I would say optimal for gr. 7-10)

- Solutions (rated: gr. 6-10 / I would say optimal for gr. 7-10)

- Oxidation (rated: gr. 6-10 / I would say optimal for 8-11)

- Heat (rated: gr. 8-12 / I would say optimal for gr. 8-11)

 

 

TOPS units that did NOT work well for the following reasons: a lot of failed experiments: unclear as to what was supposed to have been learned; or required expensive equipment:

- Light

- Sound

- Pressure

- Kinetic Model

 

No experience with other TOPS kits, although I hear very good things about the elementary age units of lentils, radishes, corn & beans, and electricity.

 

Hope that helps! Happy Science Experimenting! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[Sunshine State Sue]

I will just echo what Lori said.  Dh and ds used TOPS Rocks and Minerals back in 6th grade.  The supply kit was necessary for us.  It's a long time ago, and they are both fairly monosyllabic, but I do remember that they enjoyed it.  We used it in conjunction with Prentice Hall Science Explorer.  We did not try to match it up in any other way than choosing 2 Earth Science small books from the Earth Science series.

 

FWIW, we also used TOPS Machines, TOPS Electricity, and Exploration Education in middle school along with other Science Explorer small books.

 

HTH!