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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum

Gems, minerals, fossils, Indian artifacts, and much more can be found at the Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum.

Preview your trip on the web: Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum

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  • Lesson plan: Minerals and math Students will develop ways to create self-devised rules for classifying minerals and relate this information to scientific ways of classifying minerals according to their characteristics. They will then compile this information into a chart and convert parts of the chart into a line or bar graph.
  • Mineralogy 4 Kids Learn about mineral groups, the rock cycle, or Ask-a-Mineralogist your "rocky" question on the Mineralogical Society of America's site for kids.
  • North Carolina Geological Survey Explore the geological maps of North Carolina, learn about the minerals that can be found there, and check out the questions that students are asking geologists.
  • Lesson plan: Rock around the rock cycle Students will study the rock cycle to understand the relationship between the three types of rocks, sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous, and the conditions needed to transform one type of rock into another. This hopefully will be accomplished through visual learning with computer activities and the demonstration and through auditory learning with the discussion. The student can then apply the knowledge they learned through a story.
  • Lesson plan: How sedimentary rocks are formed This Science NetLinks lesson briefly reviews the rock cycle in general and then focuses on sedimentary rocks. Students do a hands-on activity using mixed nuts to illustrate the layering of sedimentary rocks.

Related pages

  • Aurora Fossil Museum: Some of the world's finest marine fossil displays of the Pleistocene, Pliocene, and Miocene periods can be found at this Beaufort County museum.
  • Pettigrew State Park: Named for the Pettigrew family and their farm, this land was made a state park in 1939. The park has more than 1,200 acres of land and 16,600 acres of water. Students will discover the natural history of this area as well as the history of the people who have lived on this land.
  • Horizons Unlimited: This wonderful education center and museum provides hands-on programs for students in the areas of history and the physical and biological sciences.

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Located in the “Old Jail” on Phillips Street across from the Macon County Courthouse, the Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum is open daily from May 1st through October 31st. Founded in 1974 by members of the Franklin Gem & Mineral Society, with the cooperation of county commissioners and local businesses, the museum is renovated and maintained by volunteers. Admission is free. Call 828-369-7831 for an appointment.

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