Cub Scouts

So I spent today talking to Cub Scouts about Geology. It was a pretty simple presentation, we talked about what geology was, why we would study it and then I introduced the three types of rocks. It was obvious some had worked on their geology section before as they would know igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic, but most did not. So I took them through a basic rock cycle and how each type of rock is formed and then passed out hand samples and had them try and identify which rock type is was. It was a lot of fun for me.

It always amazes me how much kids like rocks, asking questions and just learning in general. The scoutswere very engaged with the activity and many of these 8-10 year olds were asking better questions than my college students. Its not that I think the college students can't ask good questions its just that so many just do not care. I understand that most of my college students aren't going to be geologists , but so many of them also have a level of detachment. It was so different to work with the scouts who were just excited to learn. It also makes me wonder where (and why) do kids loose that aptitude for learning, and what (if anything) can be done about it.