The object on the ground catches your eye, so you stop to get a better look at it. What is it? At first glance, it appears to be some sort of rock. It looks and feels like a rock, but is it really a rock?

You decide to check it out further, so you pick it up carefully as you always do when you come across something new. If you are under 18, you go home to get your parents' permission before you begin your investigation! (Who knows? They may even want to help you!)

As you turn the object over and over in your hands, you wonder what it is that you have just found.

You have never seen
a rock like this before...

It is a Mystery Rock.

Take a good look at the "rock"
and then take a moment to make
some simple observations.
Type your notes in your journal here.

Later, you can
save or print
your notes.

Did you write about the "rock's" color, shape, size, and texture? You should have... Your journal observations here are based mostly on your sense of sight, but you "observe" with other senses as well. If you actually had the object in your hands, you would be able to feel it, and smell it, and listen to it. You could tell a lot more about it than by seeing alone.

Remember: you would never taste something unless you knew the actual ingredients. You don't know what this "rock" is yet. It may not be safe!

Sometimes scientists use things to make their senses stronger or to make very accurate descriptions of something they are observing. Would you like to use one or more of these items to observe or describe the Mystery "Rock" you found? If so, choose from the table below.

tape measure	microscope	scale

Now, go back and add some
more specific observations or
measurements to your journal notes.

Any idea
what it is yet?

It looks like you have found something that needs further investigation. What would you like to do next?

Take the "rock" back to your bedroom laboratory and open it to see what is inside!

Look at photos in your Nature Scrapbook and draw your own picture of the "rock"!

Put the "rock" back where you found it and continue your walk!
(In other words, quit this activity
and continue browsing our web site.)