Caumsett State Park

Plainedge Middle School

Math & Science Field Trip

Our mascot: JACK!

Caumsett is a great place for Earth Science students to look at some hefty rocks!

(And in tribute to two people who no longer work at Plainedge but worked tirelessly years ago to create this field trip experience)

Caumsett is a great place to study geology…

So wear protective shoes!

BUS ACTIVITY! Landscape Scavenger Hunt

You and a partner will be plotting on a map where you find the

following things during our trip:

•Hills•Flat land•Valleys

•Big Rocks•Ponds

Plainedge Middle School

Caumsett State Park You will be

keeping track of changes in the landscape along our route!

Station 1: THE CLIFF

The Cliff is really high…

…even to Mr. Kowalik!

The cliff is eroding…due to the effects of

GRAVITY

Which is helped out by the motions of wind and water

Where was this

tree a few years ago?

If this sign could read itself…

It would have known to stay away from the edge of the cliff!

Once here…

Now here!

You will even be able to HEAR the constant falling of little gravel avalanches that cascade downhill!

Avalanche path

Erosion sculptures the cliffs into cone and funnel shapes

Storms are removing sand from the beach

Notice the difference in color between the sand directly in front of the scar and the sand farther from the scar.

What direction is the sand and sediment in the cliff

moving?

The cliff is falling! Run boys, run!

At the cliff we use clinometers (specially designed by Mr. Smith) to measure the height of various

beds in the cliff

We will use binoculars to help us determine the composition of each

bed

Bed #1, Till: Mixture of materials, deposited directly by the glacier

Bed #2: Mostly sand, with a fair amount of pebbles

Bed #3: Yellow / Orange color, much more gravel here

Bed #4: Mostly not visible, covered by fallen material from above; Mixture of sediment

Scar on fan, caused by a storm

Let’s take a closer look at Bed #1

Small, fine sediment with larger boulders mixed in

Bed #2: Mostly Sand

Bed #3: Mostly Gravel

STATION #2 Rock Census and identification

You will be classifying rocks found on the beach as igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic.

We will be counting the number of each type found in an area of

one meter2

One meter2

Notice how warmly dressed these prepared students are!

Except me! No smile here—I’m

COLD!

Station #3 Scientists know that glaciers carried sediment to

Caumsett State Park. Using index rocks students will infer the

direction the glacier advanced

Station #4 Identifying Minerals in Caumsett Boulders

What minerals will you find in here?

Or here?

Or here!

The journey awaits!