Another Use for those Cemetery Visits!

To those of you who have spent hours of your life in cemeteries, I have good news! You have actually been completing a unit in earth science. In fact, you have (perhaps unknowingly) been working on the following key science concepts:

Key Stage 3, Sc3 - 2. Geological changes
“Pupils should be taught:
d) how forces generated by expansion, contraction and the freezing of water can
lead to the physical weathering of rocks;
e) about the formation of rocks by processes that take place over different
timescales, and that the mode of formation determines their texture and the
minerals they contain;
f) how igneous rocks are formed by the cooling of magma, sedimentary rocks by
processes including the deposition of rock fragments or organic material, or as a
result of evaporation, and metamorphic rocks by the action of heat and pressure
on existing rocks;
Key Stage 3, Sc3 - 3. Acids and bases
g) how acids in the environment can lead to corrosion of some metals and chemical
weathering of rock [for example, limestone]”
Key Stage 3, Sc1 – Scientific enquiry
The field study offers scope for developing many of the investigative skills involved in planning,
obtaining and presenting evidence, considering evidence and in evaluating it.
Of particular relevance is:
2. Investigative skills
“Pupils should be taught to:
d) consider key factors that need to be taken into account when collecting
evidence, and how evidence may be collected in contexts [for example,
fieldwork, surveys] in which the variables cannot readily be controlled”.
Coverage of QCA Scheme of Work
Unit 8G Rocks and Weathering – Most of the ‘lessons’ in the QCA Schemes are applied to the
outdoor situation in ‘Will my Gravestone Last?’. Aspects of Unit 9G Environmental Chemistry are
also dealt with.

That is, you have been learning about the process of gravestones and weathering and erosion. You know, when you finally find the spot in the cemetery where your ancestor is buried, but you can't read the stone anymore or can only decipher the parts that give information you already know.

You didn't know that you'd learned any more than how to cope with frustration? Well, perhaps not. Nonetheless, there is a whole unit of study that you could do! I especially like the charts and kid-friendly worksheets at the end of the document. A nice way to introduce children to cemeteries. Or something for them to do while you look for the one stone you want.

There are other units online with a similar focus. The GraveNet Project is one that incorporates math, social studies, and other subjects as well as science. They even have a list of symbols commonly found on gravestones with their meanings. They are also collecting data on cemeteries, with a focus in Massachusetts. (As a side note, this same organization recently started a roadkill data collection project -- really!)

The Association for Gravestone Studies is another resource, especially for those interested in preservation or looking for more "adult" materials.

Here are some interesting notes regarding gravestone weathering:

• Erosion refers to the processes of wind, rain, etc. on gravestones.
• Vandalism and weathering can sometimes be difficult to distinguish, since both can break stones.
  
• Different types of stones will weather at different rates and in different ways. Some will flake, whereas others will simply begin to wear away and feel rougher. Some will develop a mottled complexion.
• Even on the same stone the weathering may be different depending on the make-up of the minerals in the stone; no stone will be entirely uniform throughout. Also, most stones will show more wear on the bottom.
  
• The environment is a critical factor in how gravestones will weather. The amount of rain, types of native mosses, lichens, and other plants, the temperatures, and so forth all affect gravestone weathering. The amount of acid rain or salt will also affect stones. Pollution is a prime cause of gravestone weathering.
  
• Even within a graveyard, the environment may be different, since a stone in a slight depression or on a hill will have different environments. Also, imagine the difference between a stone in the shade or in full sun with regard to moss production.
• Researchers have a variety of ways to measure the amount of weathering to a stone.

I found one site that recommended that if you'd like to have a stone that lasts a long time, that you choose granite. If you'd like to be forgotten quickly, you should "choose limestone or sandstone, and make sure that it was cut parallel to the bedding planes, to ensure maximum weathering potential." Good thought. I'll just have to remember to buy my tombstone a little early.

While I'm at it, I should choose the font! Sounds like Garamond is NOT the stylish way to go these days. Of course, maybe it will come back in a few years... hard to pick "stylishly" for something that will last so many years.