Quite a bit of science hides behind those brilliant colors and intricate crystals. And as minerals and gems from all over the world invade Tucson, children have the opportunity to learn just what's going on.

At the 48th annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Show this weekend, University of Arizona undergraduate students will once again team up with kids to spread knowledge of pretty rocks.

Each year, between 7,000 and 10,000 children participate in the Junior Education Program, sponsored by the UA's Society of Earth Sciences Students and the Tucson Gem & Mineral Society.

The program, which started in 1989, has 25 tables full of exhibits at the Tucson Convention Center, teaching children about minerals and offering science tips such as how to use a microscope and how to identify fossils.

And that's not all - kids get to walk away with their own egg carton of 12 minerals, as well as interesting facts about each specimen.

For those looking to add a little game to their education, there's also a scavenger hunt in which children seek out the answers to a sheet of mineral questions. Successful scavengers will get a prize - another mineral they can pick from the best of the crop.

The program gave away more than a ton of minerals last year, according to faculty sponsors for the Society of Earth Sciences Students. About 350 undergraduate volunteers are expected this year to teach kids about their minerals and answer other questions about science.

In the exhibits, kids will be able to learn about garnet, a common mineral that can glow red, blue or green. Three garnets are used in every pixel to produce the colors on computer and television screens.

Students will present other interesting mineral facts about quartz, which is used in research about the origins of life because of its helix structure, and petrified wood, which can form in as little as 100 years.

"We have some great things for a couple hours of entertainment," said Michelle Hall-Wallace, a UA geosciences assistant professor. The minerals are a "tangible reminder that there are unique things to learn about the Earth," she said.

The program is just as important for the college students, Hall-Wallace said.

"It's not a heavy sell, but the undergraduates like to get other kids excited about science," she said.

* Eric Swedlund is a science-writing intern with the NASA Space Grant program at the University of Arizona. Contact him at 807-8430 or swedlund@azstarnet.com.