For my inquiry project, I have decided to focus on one of my passions… ROCKS! For anyone who knows me, they know I love collecting rocks and I am often found with rocks in my pocket. My love for rocks definitely started when I was a kid; I remember having multiple rock collections over the years. However, when I reached high school, the passion was put on hold until university. During my first year at university, which was 2020/2021 during COVID, the beach became my escape, and my love for rock collecting was reignited. Since then, whenever I am at the beach, I am always searching for cool rocks to add to my collection. It has reached a point where enough people know about my obsession that I often get questions about rocks, and I do not always have answers. That is what has led me to focus my inquiry project on learning to identify rocks found on Victoria’s beaches. I also want to learn more about the healing properties some rocks may have. Additionally, I am curious about the connections and uses of different rocks by the local Indigenous peoples.

           In connection to technology, I will be exploring different rock identifying apps and see which works best and how to then learn ways to be able identify them on my own. I am curious to explore the different ways the apps use technology to be able to identify rocks. I will also be doing research on different healing properties and other uses that different cultures have for the rocks I find.         

This inquiry project connects to the BC Science curriculum in multiple ways. It directly connects to Science 5, where students learn about different local earth materials and the rock cycle. Similar geology topics appear within the content of other grades’ science curriculum. Another connection found throughout the science curriculum is First Peoples’ knowledge of the land and the connection their culture has with the land and their environment.