If possible, visit a seashore and collect samples of sand from different locations. Note the date, locations, and the types of rocks that are nearby (either cliffs or rocks lying on the beach). Put the sand into small vials or bottles and label them with a number that will refer to the items in your notebooks.

Upon returning to the classroom, scatter a few grains from each sample onto light green or blue paper. (The color aids viewing of the grains.) Examine the grains with a hand lens or binocular microscope (if one is available), and identify and classify the differences in types of grains making up each sample. See if you can relate the types of grains to the rocks that were near the sampling sites.

You might work out the percentage of each kind and hypothesize the sources of the various grains.

If possible, return to the seashore at a later date, and collect samples from the same locations. Compare these samples with the previous ones to see if there are any
changes.