Wichita Gem and Mineral Society

Dear Educator,

A unique opportunity for a first hand encounter with the world of geology, rocks, minerals, craftsmanship and art is offered each year by the Wichita Gem and Mineral Society. Their 56th annual show will be held at Cessna Activity Center, 2744 George Washington Boulevard, on April 24, 25 and 26, 2009. Since education is one of the primary purposes of our society, we wish to again invite educators to plan field trips to the show. Classes of all ages, accompanied by adult leadership will be welcome at no charge all day Friday. We do limit you to a maximum of one free adult for each child attending.The theme of the show is Great Plains Treasures. The show will feature gemstones, jewelry, crystals, beads, agates, polished stones, minerals and meteorites.

Every year we have skilled craftsmen that demonstrate a variety of lapidary arts such as arrowhead making, faceting, cabbing, rock tumbling, beading, wire wrapping and sphere making. Educational displays of rocks, minerals and fossils are a key part of our show. This year we will again have representatives from the Kansas Meteorological Society.

On "Sid the Science Kid Education Day" Friday we offer a special education program for children. It is a hands-on lesson in rock and mineral classification. We will discuss the difference between rocks and minerals and use scientific inquiry to determine the identity of 6 rocks and minerals. Participation in this program is by reservation only. Reservations are taken on a first come, first serve basis. Once the slots are full we will have waiting lists to fill in for cancellations. You can make a reservation at www.wgmsks.org, click on the Educators link and fill out a Reservation Form.

You can also make a reservation with Carolyn White (see contact information below). Include your name, school, grade level, the number of children in your group and an email and/or mailing address. We will start taking reservations January 15th. Reservations are not required if you just want to attend the show. In addition to the displays and demonstrations mentioned above we will have available:

• Grab Bags @ $1.50. Each bag contains a necklace, a shark tooth, a polished stone, an identified fossil and 6 identified mineral specimens.
• Junior Rock Pile @ 50 cents. Students 6th grade and under will have the opportunity to fill a sack with specimens of their choice
• Dealers will have many items available for students to purchase.
• Identifying Rocks and Minerals book @ $1.00
• Identifying Fossils book @ $1.00
• There will be a snack bar available.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions that you have.

Carolyn White
educ@wgmsks.org
2225 N. Fountain
Wichita, KS 67220
(316) 250-6182