John Henry statueThe Colossal Mountain:

John Henry’s Challenge

A Webquest for Fourth Grade Science

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Introduction:

 

John Henry was a steel-driving man.  The fourth graders at Chamberlin School in South Burlington, Vermont wanted a tunnel right through a local mountain, Colossal Mountain.  This mountain contained every type of rock and mineral found in Vermont.  This mountain contained some of the softest and hardest rocks in the universe.  John Henry’s Challenge was to crave a tunnel right through in middle of Colossal Mountain.  If John Henry could crave right through the mountain’s middle in one day, the fourth graders could finish their science project on time.  Could he do it?  Could John Henry, the steel-driving man help out these fourth graders?  The challenge is on!  John Henry’s job is to crave out a tunnel on the internet to help the fourth graders get their webquest science project done in time.   The fourth graders Challenge is follow John Henry right through the Internet to answer all the questions they need for their science project.  This is quite a Tall Tale!

 

 

 

Mount St. Helens before erupting
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


The Challenge:

 

Locate information on the internet with John Henry’s help about the three types of rocks John Henry might find digging through a mountain.  Make and label a poster naming and describing with words and pictures the three different types of rocks.  Describe how each of these three different types of rocks are formed.  Find a sample on the internet of each of the three types of rocks in Vermont.  Name, draw or describe the rocks you find.  You could also print out samples, if possible and glue the sample pictures to your poster. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Your Journey:  Starting your Search

 

 

       A. To get more information, follow John Henry to these sites:

 

Site                              URL

 

Rock Creations                                    http://www.fi.edu/fellows/fellow1/oct98/create/index.html

 

Ask Geoman                                        http://jersey.uoregon.edu/~mstrick/AskGeoMan/geoQuerry13.html

 

Rocks of Vermont                                http://www.anr.state.vt.us/dec/geo/rockkits.htm

 

Digging for Words                               http://www.fi.edu/fellows/fellow1/oct98/puzzles/seek/seek1.htm

 

Jigsaw Rock Layers                            http://www.fi.edu/fellows/fellow1/oct98/puzzles/layers/layer1.htm

 

 

 


B.  To get even more information, use these key words with search engines:

 

Conglomerate             Sedimentary              Rock Cycle

 

         

 


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