OUT DISCOVERING WITH MAYA
A little sparkle.
A big new question.
There are clues all around Copper Creek. Join Maya by the rocky outcrop, then take a closer look at her discovery table.
Let’s look closer ↓
WELCOME TO MAYA’S ROCK STATION
Pull up a chair. Pick a rock. Let’s find out what makes it special.
MAYA’S DISCOVERY NOTES
Can you spot the golden cubes? Some have tiny lines across their flat faces.
This shiny mineral is called pyrite. It can look like gold, but it is a different mineral.
Geologists study pyrite as a clue to how mineral deposits formed.
Look together
Can you find a square face on one of the crystals?
MAYA’S DISCOVERY NOTES
Look at those green bumps and stripes. How many shades of green can you see?
Malachite is a mineral that contains copper. Copper can be found in several different minerals.
After processing copper ores, people can make copper wire. The wire carries electricity to lights and motors.
Look together
What lights can you spot in your room?
MAYA’S DISCOVERY NOTES
Some crystals look clear. Others look cloudy. Follow a crystal up to its pointed tip.
Quartz is a mineral found in many rocks. Its crystals can grow with six sides.
Tiny quartz crystals, often grown specially, help many watches and clocks keep time.
Look together
Can you point to the tallest crystal?
MAYA’S DISCOVERY NOTES
Find the pink, grey and black pieces. They fit together like a tiny puzzle.
Granite contains different minerals, including quartz, feldspar and mica. It formed as melted rock cooled underground.
People cut strong granite into building stone, paving and kitchen benchtops.
Look together
Which colour would you look for first?
MAYA’S DISCOVERY NOTES
Look closely at the pale rock. Can you find the little shell shape?
Some limestone formed from the remains of sea creatures. A fossil can preserve a clue from long ago.
Limestone is used as building stone and as an ingredient in cement. Cement helps hold concrete together.
Look together
What shape does the shell remind you of?
MAYA’S DISCOVERY NOTES
There are rusty red patches and dark shiny parts. Notice how different they look.
Hematite is a mineral containing iron. It is one of the important ores used to make iron.
People turn iron into steel for things such as bridges, tools and big machines.
Look together
Where have you seen a big machine today?
MAYA’S DISCOVERY NOTES
Look at the pale crystals. Some faces catch the light with a pearly shine.
Gypsum can form as water rich in minerals dries up, leaving crystals behind.
People process gypsum to make plasterboard. It is used for many of the walls inside our homes.
Look together
Can you spot a flat face on this specimen?
MAYA’S DISCOVERY NOTES
Look along the edge. Can you see the thin, flat layers?
Slate formed when heat and pressure changed an older rock. It can split into thin sheets.
People shape slate into roof tiles. Overlapping tiles help keep rain outside.
Look together
Can you imagine the layers like pages in a book?
Choose a rock below, use the arrows, or swipe across the table.
A DISCOVERY FROM EPISODE ONE
In Hugo’s First Big Day, Maya finds a copper mineral in her rock. After lots of different steps, copper can become wire that carries electricity. Explore malachite in our collection to meet another copper mineral.
For grown ups: our collection includes both rocks and minerals. These illustrated examples help us notice clues. Colour alone cannot identify a specimen. Enjoy exploring with a grown up.
These are extra website discoveries. They do not all appear in an episode, and the collection is not a guide to identifying a found rock.