"How long has Rock of Ages been in operation?"
"What happens when all the granite is gone?
"Why is that water blue?"
All questions posed by seventh and eighth grade Hazen students today at the Graniteville quarry and Rock of Ages Museum. iPads in hand, students eagerly used combination of apps and tools to document their adventures.
Students asked questions about how granite was unearthed and constructed into smaller pieces, and documented their answers through the process of finishing granite into monuments and memorials.
Looking over the massive dig site, students ask questions about the history of the quarry, eagerly typing their responses into their iPad's Notes app. Many "Whoa!"s when they learned it would take 4,500 years to deplete the granite supply at the rate they've been mining since the 1800s.
There was then time for bowling (for pins as well as for their classmates) at Rock of Ages' impressive granite bowling alley.
Our next stop was Hope Cemetery in Barre to view the magnificent finished products that come from the Graniteville.
Back on the bus, some students even composed their videos, voice recordings of the tour guide and photos into iMovies (check back for those to be shared - the artist's are still going through the editing process).
When the buses roll up at 2:35, all of their questions have been answered. Photos have been viewed, admired and shared. Students enjoy sitting down to reflect and make connections to what we've been learning about in class. The only question left at the end of the day was "Can I share my video with the class on Monday?"
Of course!
