(12/16/09) First
of all let me just say how much I love your lessons. I just finished
Rocks and your rock cycle simulation with crayons was the best way I
have ever found to teach the Rock Cycle. My kids actually get it, even
my special ed students. -- From an Indiana Teacher
You
are welcome to use these ideas in your classroom, within your science
department, within your school district, or to distribute to any
teacher who may find these lessons useful. I only ask that: 1. You cannot sell these lessons or make a profit on them in any way. 2. You cite the lessons original source, and do not white-out the copyright footer on the pdf files 3. Do not copy and paste lessons onto your website. A link to the original is to be used. 4. Do not claim these lessons as your own work. NOTE: This disclaimer is modeled after a couple of my favorite websites: The Science Spot and Middle School Science. Thanks, teachers!
Rock
Cycle
Simulation
This is
THE BEST WAY I know to teach the rock cycle. When I added this lab to myclasses, test scores
soared!
Have students bring
wax crayons from home, which are your building blocks for a great
simulation of the entire rock cycle!
CAPSULE:
Weathering: shave crayons, Erosion:
pick up crayons and move them, Deposition:
drop crayon shavings
onto aluminum foil & fold into packet. Compaction
to form
Sedimentary Rocks: put packet
into vise & apply light
pressure. Heat &
Pressure to form Metamorphic Rocks: put
packet into vise & apply heavy pressure. Melting
and Cooling to
form Igneous Rocks: melt crayon
shavings, pour over ice cubes to
form "pumice," into ice water to form "obsidian," and over warm/hot
water to form intrusive rocks, such as "diorite" and granite."
Cut
& Paste
Rock Cycle Vocab
Click
here for
a nice cut & paste
vocabulary review. Remember: "big" kids get a lot out of this kind of
"little" kids exercise.
Rock
Cycle Puzzle
Make
flashcards
showing names of
different formation processes, arrows, types of rocks, characteristics
of different rock types. OR Put on
one piece of paper and
enlarge on "Poster Machine" & cut out. Give to teams of
students.
They assemble into Rock Cycle Diagram with arrows showing formation
processes and characteristics matched to proper rock types. Have each
team assemble on a desk top and/or paste to newsprint.
Rock
CycleLab
A
traditional
rock cycle lab can
acquire a new "spin" after the Rock Cycle Simulation. Give the students
a
tray with 12 rocks, four from each rock type. Don't give them the
names! Give them a key instead. By using a Rock Cycle Key
and what they already know about rock
characteristics produced by the different formation processes, they can
figure them out! I
don't make them
memorize rock names, because I'm more
interested in the students learning the
formation processes and rock type characteristics.
Ride
the Rock
Cycle
From the
Illinois State Museum -
Geology Online. For this activity students roll a die and
travel through different stations to learn about the rock cycle. After
their journey, they use the information from the "trip" to create a
comic strip. Click
here.
"Show
Me the
Rock!" Game
After both
Rock
Cycle Labs in
which
your students have learned the three rock types and their formation
processes, review with this game. Each team listens carefully to your
clue, such as: "Show me the rock that is made of rounded pebbles
cemented by sand and clay (Conglomerate)," or, "Show me the rock that
is formed by heat and pressure and has medium to coarse texture
(Gneiss)." Each team picks out the rock from their lab tray that they
think answers the question, sends a member up to the teacher, while
hiding their rock in their hand, then reveals the rock when the teacher
says, "Show me the Rock!" Point for each team that picks the correct
mineral.
The Rock Cycle Teaching Packet is available here. Over
100 PDF pages on a C.D. of ready-to-run materials covering the Rock Cycle,
Sedimentary Rocks, Metamorphic Rocks, and Igneous Rocks. The
Packet includes: objectives and strategies, detailed lesson plans
& ideas, bellwork and journal suggestions, labs and worksheets
with
answers, tests & quizzes with answers, active learning
suggestions including Rock Cycle Foldable©, and colored-paper
game
pieces. Includes: Rock Cycle and Rock Types PowerPoints!