How about using those school lunch milk cartons to display your rocks? If you clean them and cut them down to size you could display them on a bulletin board with tacks (3-D, very cool) and cover the fronts with plastic wrap to keep the rocks from falling out. Or, if your display is going to be on a counter, you can hot glue the cartons together to make a display case.

By the way, I went to a science conference once where a teacher talked about using those Hershey assorted packs to teach about the different kinds of rocks. I don't remember (unfortunately) which represented igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary (if I even have that right) but I know that the regular, solid mini-Hershey bars represented one kind, Mr. Goodbar another and Kit Kats a third. Since you probably know more about rocks than I do, that might spark an idea with you. I just remember that the students had to observe the candy and classify it and at the end of the lesson they got to eat the candy (which is always fun).

this is for a multi age class, k-1. It is a very hands on unit. I'm looking forward to it. Jeanne

this sounds really interesting. I would like to have some ideas also. What grade did you use this with?

A teacher in my school made a bulletin board titled "The Rock Hall of Fame". He had made columns out of paper and attached to the sides of the board to resemble a museum entrance. The students wrote clues to the type of rock (mineral) they were describing ex. I am shiny and opaque with many cuts. I have...... What am I? Then you would lift the flap and there was a picture of the rock/mineral described with the name. I suppose you could attach the actual rock under the flap somehow also. Just an idea.

I will be doing a rock unit and I want the students to help make a rock wall. (not a climbing one). I want to display different types, colors, shapes and textures. I'm kind of stumped in how to do this. I would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions.
Jeanne