Snail Shell as Chalk

A Technical Paper

Presented To the Faculty of

The United Methodist Church Ecumenical Christian College High School Department, X-Luther

S.Y 2018-2019

Carolyn I. Bulatao, Teacher

Prepared By:

David, Beverly P.

David, Kym Leanne

Luz, Kristel Marie R.

Tejadal, Rafael Vince E.

 CHAPTER 1

1.1 Introduction

Today our planet Earth is getting worse and worse in pollution. According to

[Link] the main reason why our home is dying because of pollution. Pollution is the

process of making the environment dirty and not safe or suitable to use. Things as simple as

light, sound and temperature can be considered pollutants when introduced artificially into an

environment. Mostly the kind of pollutions that we see and make are air pollution, water

pollution and lastly land pollution. We throw away our garbage everywhere and some

decomposes. Which fungi, mushrooms, bacteria will form and animals will find for food like rats

and especially snails.

Snails are gastropod mollusks and slow- moving animals. Their shell is their home, it is

an exoskeleton which protects from predators, mechanical damage and dehydration. But also

serves for muscles attachment and calcium storage. Some gastropods appear shell-less (slugs)

but may have a remnant within a mantle, or the shell is reduced such that the body cannot be

retracted within (semi-slug). Some snails also possess an operculum that seals the opening of the

shell, known as the aperture, which provides further protection. The study of mollusk shells is

known as conchology. The biological study of gastropods, and other mollusks in general, is

malacology.

Shell morphology terms vary by species group. An excellent source for terminology of the

gastropod shell is “How to Know the Eastern Land Snails” by John B. Burch now freely

available at the Hathi Trust Digital Library.

Chalk is one of the teachers’ needs and it can be a colorful tool for children when they are

having an activity mainly focusing on drawing or writing.

 Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock, a form of limestone composed of

the mineral calcite. Calcite is an ionic salt called calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under

reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calciteshells

(coccoliths) shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores. Flint (a type of chert) is very

common as bands parallel to the bedding or as nodules embedded in chalk. It is probably derived

from sponge spicules or other siliceous organisms as water is expelled upwards during

compaction. Flint is often deposited around larger fossils such as Echinoidea which may

be silicified (i.e. replaced molecule by molecule by flint).

Chalk as seen in Cretaceous deposits of Western Europe is unusual among sedimentary

limestones in the thickness of the beds. Most cliffs of chalk have very few obvious bedding

planes unlike most thick sequences of limestone such as the Carboniferous Limestone or the

Jurassic oolitic limestones. This presumably indicates very stable conditions over tens of

millions of years.

Chalk has greater resistance to weathering and slumping than the clays with which it is

usually associated, thus forming tall, steep cliffswhere chalk ridges meet the sea. Chalk hills,

known as chalk downland, usually form where bands of chalk reach the surface at an angle, so

forming a scarp slope. Because chalk is well jointed it can hold a large volume of ground water,

providing a natural reservoir that releases water slowly through dry seasons.
1.2 Statement of the Problem

The aim of the study is to use Snail Shells as a main ingredient or component in making

one of teacher’s most common tool, a chalk. The researchers decided to create something

indigenous out of it. Mainly, it aims to answer this question/s:

- Is Snail Shell chalk possible to use?

- Will it leave a mark when we erase it?

- Will the markings be visible?

- Will it have an unpleasant odor?

1.3 Hypothesis

One hypothesis was made by the researchers to address the question whether Snail Chalk

is more effective than the commercial chalk in the market. The following hypothesis is:

- The researchers think Snail Shells may be an alternate material to make chalk because it

has calcium carbonate like what most chalks need. It will be environment- friendly and

no harm to children.

1.4 Significance of Study

The purpose of this study is to provide a cheaper substitute for chalk by using snail shells

as a main ingredient for making chalks, environmental friendly and chemical free. People

who use chalk will be able to save money by having simple knowledge that they can

create their own chalk by only using simple materials. This also helps private schools

because those schools do not have enough money to buy commercial chalk.
1.5 Scope and Definition

The coverage of this study is to identify whether snail shells can be used as a main

ingredient in making chalk. This research will have five trials and we will test each

product’s hardness and intensity.

 CHAPTER 2

Review of Related Literature

Structure and Composition of Snail Shells:

Snail shells are exoskeleton, they use them as protection and it has calcium carbonate.

The gastropod shell has three major layers secreted by the mantle. ... The body of the snail

contacts the innermost smooth layer that may be composed of mother-of-pearl or shell nacre, a

dense horizontally packed form of conchiolin, which is layered upon the periostracum as the

snail grows.

Benefits of Snail:

They possess anti-cancer properties and boost the immune system due to their

antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects. An average snail is comprised of 80% water, 15%

protein and 2.4% fat. They contain essential fatty acids, calcium, iron, selenium, magnesium and

are a rich source of vitamins E, A, K and B12.

Side Effect/s of Snails:

If a person eats a snail raw, they may develop Rat Lung worm disease. Rat lung worm

or Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a parasite that mainly lives in rodents such as rats and can

infect snails and slugs that come into contact with infected rat faeces. Most people may have no

symptoms at all. Others may have only mild, short lived symptoms.

Very rarely, rat lung worm causes an infection (infestation) of the brain called

eosinophilic meningo-encephalitis. People with this condition may have headaches, a stiff neck,
tingling or pain in the skin, fever, nausea, and vomiting. The time between eating the slug or

snail and getting sick is usually 1-3 weeks.

Composition and Structure of Chalk:

Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock, a form of limestone composed

of the mineral calcite. Calcite is an ionic salt called calcium carbonate or CaCO3. They have

different colors and it is also called creta.

The chemical composition of chalk is calcium carbonate with minor amounts of silt and

clay. It is formed in the sea by sub-microscopic plankton which fall to the sea floor and are then

consolidated and compressed during diagenesis into chalk rock

Ninety million years ago what is now the chalk downland of Northern Europe was ooze

accumulating at the bottom of a great sea. Chalk was one of the earliest rocks made up of

microscopic particles to be studied under the microscope, when it was found to be composed

almost entirely of coccoliths. Their shells were made of calcite extracted from the rich seawater.

As they died, a substantial layer gradually built up over millions of years and, through the weight

of overlying sediments, eventually became consolidated into rock. Later earth movements related

to the formation of the Alps raised these former sea-floor deposits above sea level.

Benefits of Chalk:

Few activities come as naturally to young children as drawing. They can express

themselves by using chalk to draw on a sidewalk, along with other forms of expression like

dance and storytelling.

1.) Develops Fine Motor Skills

- Fine motor skills include any specialized movement of the hands, wrists and fingers.

Holding and manipulating writing implements represents one of the best ways to improve

a child’s fine motor skills.

- Drawing creates immediate visual feedback that changes depending on the tool the child

uses and how hey uses it. This feedback helps the child identify the best ways to produce

the desired result.

2.) Encourages Visual Analysis

- Young children do not yet understand some concepts that you may take for granted, such

as distance, size comparison and textural differences. Drawing provides the perfect

opportunity for the child to learn these concepts in a deliberate way.

- Having a child draw specific items, especially in relationship to each other, can help them

perform fundamental visual analysis of everyday spaces.

3.) Helps Establish Concentration

- Because most children enjoy drawing, this activity provides time to establish the concepts

of concentration and practice. These concepts will be essential to the child’s academic

success.

- Learning how to observe small details, concentrate on achieving a specific result and

practice tricky tasks helps the child mature.

4.) Improves Hand- Eye Coordination

- In addition to improving fine motor skills, drawing enables the child to draw connections

between what they sees and does. This hand- eye coordination is important on athletic

and recreational situations as well as in academic scenarios such as penmanship lessons

5.) Teaches Creative Problem Solving

- Along with visual analysis and concentration, drawing encourages the child to solve

problems creatively. When they draw, the child must determine the best way to connect

body parts, portray emotions and depict specific textures.

 CHAPTER 3

Methodology

Instruments:

1. Bowl

2. Spoon

3. Mortar and Pestle

4. Strainer

5. Food Coloring (Optional)

Procedure:

1. Gather
Snail
Shells

they can be found beside the lake or in a local

market. Be sure to remove the snail itself inside
 2. Crush
the
Shells
Using mortar and pestle, crush the shells until they
become powder. Then use a strainer to separate big
chunks of shells.

3. Mix
flour,
powdered
shells and
add one (1) teaspoon of hot water, one (1) teaspoon of
water
flour and one (1) tablespoon of powdered snail shell.
Mix them well until it becomes a paste.
 4. Mold
and Dry

Mold them in a cylindellar form and wrap it in

a tissue. Leave it dry for three (3) days.
 CHAPTER 4

Results and Discussion

Trial 1:

The researchers follow the procedure. Trial one is visible to the naked eye, it is erasable

but when writing it gives off some dust.

Trial 2:

In trial three the researchers mix flour and food color to create a new color which is pink.
Trial 3:

In trial two, the researchers try to add food coloring, they also change the amount of each

ingredient: One (1) spoonful of flour, two (2) teaspoons of shell and one (1) teaspoon of water.

Trial two is visible like trial one, erasable and it does not give off any dust when writing.
Table:

Trial 1:

Excellent Good Not so Good Poor

Visibility

Erasable

Not Dusty

Trial 2:

Excellent Good Not so Good Poor

Visibility

Erasable

Not Dusty
Trial 3:

Excellent Good Not so Good Poor

Visibility

Erasable

Not Dusty

As you can see on the table, all stars from Trial 2 are in the ‘Good Section’. Unlike Trial 1, the

stars of ‘visibility’ and ‘erasable’ are in the ‘Good section’ but the star of ‘not dusty’ is in the

‘Poor Section’. Trial 3 on the other hand, the stars of ‘visibility’ and ‘not dusty’ are in the ‘Good

Section’ but the star of ‘erasable’ is in the ‘Not so Good Section’.