Rock Cycle Demonstration

Developed by Wendy Van Norden, Harvard-Westlake School, Los Angeles, CAModified by Michael J Passow, Earth Science Consultant, NESTA Past-President

NGSS Connection

MS-ESS2-1.

Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.[Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the processes of melting, crystallization, weathering, deformation, and sedimentation, which act together to form minerals and rocks through the cycling of Earth’s materials.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include the identification and naming of minerals.]

Materials:

Hand samples of at least each of the following

Granite, obsidian, basalt, sandstone, conglomerate, slate, gneiss, schist, slate, coal, others

Clear container with sand or gravel

“Rock Cycle Activity” vocabulary list (attached)

Lava lamp (optional)

String or ribbon , whole or cut into 1-m pieces

Procedure:

1. Cut up the vocabulary list and have each student select one (or more, depending on group size).

2. If a lava lamp is available, place it in the center of the area and explain it represents “Melting.” Have one student with that term place it next to the lamp. If no lamp is present, have a student with one of the “Melting” paper slips stand in the center, or place it on the floor.

3. Ask: “What terms are used for melted materials?” Have a student with “Magma & Lava” place it by the “Melting” slip of paper.

4. Ask: “What can happen to the melted material to turn it into stone?” This should produce the answer “Solidification.” Have one of these terms placed on the floor so it starts to form a circle.

5. Ask: “What rock can magma produce when it solidifies?” Place a “Granite” and/or “Gabbro” slip by “Magma.” Similarly, ask: “What rock can lava produce when it solidifies?” Place “Basalt” and/or “Obsidian” by this slip.

6. Ask: What can happen to these rocks when they are exposed at the surface?” Place a “Weathering & Erosion” slip next to these.

7. Ask: “What materials are created by weathering & erosion?” Place a “Sediments” slip next to this.

8. Ask: “What can happen to turn sediments into rocks? Place a “Compaction, Cementation, Deposition, Burial” slip.

9. Ask: “What rocks can be formed by these processes?” Place appropriate terms for sedimentary rocks next to this.

10. Ask: “What two forces can change these rocks into other rock types?” Place a “Heat & Pressure” slip next to these slips.

11. Ask: “What rocks form as a result of heat and pressure?” Place their terms next.

12. Ask: “What can happen to these rocks to complete the Rock Cycle?” Place another “Melting” slip by the first one.

13. Now ask the students to place the terms for each rock type (Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic) by that group.

14. Next, ask: “How can sedimentary or metamorphic rocks become sediments?” Place the appropriate slips between these slips.

15. Then ask: “How can sedimentary rocks become melted materials?” Place the appropriate term between these.

16. Look over your display to see whether everything seems to be correct; if not, make appropriate changes.

17. Now have the students place available rock and sediment samples by their terms. This reinforces the concepts by providing concrete examples of the types.

18. For further reinforcement, use pieces of ribbon to show the connections, and pieces of string to connect the sedimentary and igneous rocks with their metamorphic equivalents (e.g., limestone & marble, shale & slate.)

19. Now ask: “What do all the igneous rocks have in common?” “What are key characteristics used to identify igneous rocks?”

“What do all the sedimentary rocks have in common?” “What are key characteristics used to identify sedimentary rocks?”

“What do all the metamorphic rocks have in common?” “What are key characteristics used to identify metamorphic rocks?”

20. Encourage students to take pictures of the display and the individual rocks with their cell phones for later study.

One version of this activity is shown on the next page.

If students have diagrams or charts they will use during assessment (e.g., the New York State Earth Science Reference Table), have them view the display with these resources for additional reinforcement of the terminology and concepts

metamorphic metamorphic

heat & pressure heat & pressure

sedimentary sedimentary

igneous igneous

melting melting

sediments sediments

weathering & erosion weathering & erosion

compaction, cementation, deposition, burial

compaction, cementation, deposition, burial

magma & lava magma & lava

solidification solidification

heat & pressure heat & pressure

weathering & erosion weathering & erosion

weathering & erosion weathering & erosion

heat & pressure heat & pressure

melting melting

granite granitebasalt basalt

obsidian obsidiangabbro gabbropumice pumice

sandstone sandstoneshale shale

conclomerate conglomeratelimestone limestonerock salt rock saltgneiss gneissschist schistslate slate

marble marblecoal coal