Earths Crust & Rock Formations Materials Needed for Lesson Plan Water / bucket Marble rock sample

Play dough Sponge Sandstone sample Flip Charts Granite rock sample

Flip Chart Order Water Cycle Igneous Rocks Sedimentary Rocks Metamorphic Rocks Rock Cycle Lava & Magma Lava & Magma Minerals

Now I want to take a little side road on our journey. Would you care to come with me? Well, please stand up. Move three steps to your right. Now take six steps to your left. Turn around in a circle and move three steps to your right. On this side road, I want to talk to you about rocks. How is it that we can continue to have rocks? Why dont we ever run out of rocks? You have all heard of the water cycle rocks have the same type of cycle called the you guessed it the rock cycle. Are there are lots and lots of different types of rocks? There are so many types of rocks that scientist have grouped them into three categories: Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. All rocks on Earth were initially igneous in nature. Igneous rocks form as liquid magma cools. There are many different types of igneous rocks. Igneous rock is formed from the hot liquid rock found deep in the earths crust. When this molten rock is underground, it is called magma. When it is above ground it is called lava. Most igneous rock is very hard. Igneous rock that cools and hardens underground forms slowly and usually has a course texture and contains visible crystal grains. Igneous rocks that forms above ground

Earths Crust & Rock Formations

cools and hardens faster. It generally has small or even microscopic crystals. Some volcanic rocks cool and harden so quickly that crystals dont have time to form. These rocks are smooth and glassy. Over the course of millions of years, the igneous rocks are weathered down by forces of wind and water. Fine particles of dirt begin to cover the landscape. Often, these small rock particles end up being suspended in water, and find their way to the bottom of lakes, streams, and the ocean. Slowly, the layer of sediment on the bottom of lakes, and especially on the bottom of the ocean grows deeper and deeper, reaching depths of thousands of feet. The weight of all the sediment becomes immense, pushing down on lower layers of sediment with tremendous force. Would you take your playdough ball and push it down on the paper to make a thin patty. (Have multiple colored layers & push down.) This is how sedimentary rock is created. The pressure pushing down on the layers beneath it. In addition, a number of minerals, act like a glue and bond the sediment together, causing it to form sedimentary rock. Because of the way sedimentary rocks are formed, they often have visible layers. These types of rocks are usually softer than either igneous or metamorphic rock. Why? (peel the layers of playdough) Metamorphic rocks form deep within the Earth, when heat and pressure are applied to either igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks or other metamorphic rocks. This heat and pressure cooks the rocks, changing them substantially. The rocks are partially melted, and the chemicals within them are rearranged, so that the final rock is very different than the original rock. The final state of a metamorphic rock depends on the amount of pressure the rock was subjected to, the amount of heat the rock was subjected to, and the amount of time the rock was subjected to pressure and heat. One very common metamorphic rock, is marble. Marble is formed when heat and pressure are applied to limestone for many thousands of years. Rocks are squeezed and cooked by pressure and heat below the earths surface. When heat and pressure together form a metamorphic rock it has layer or bands

Earths Crust & Rock Formations

that all point in the same directions when heat alone forms a metamorphic rock the crystals point in many directions and may not form layers or bands. Of these three rock types, the most common near the surface of the crust is sedimentary rock. This is due to the many rivers, lakes, and seas that have covered the surface at one time or another. This layer of sedimentary rock is very thin however, extending downward only a mile or so in depth. Below this sedimentary rock, and also mixed with it in many locations is igneous rock. The bulk of the Earths crust is made up of both igneous rock, and metamorphic rock. What is the difference between a rock and a mineral? A mineral is a collection of tiny crystals which are all the same chemical material (family) and all the same shape. There are many different kinds of minerals, each made of a different kind of crystal. A rock is a collection of one or more different minerals. Sometimes a rock has a minerals growing inside it. These are called Geodes. A geode is created because gas bubbles get trapped inside layers of rocks. They can form holes or pockets much like this sponge has holes and pockets. Water seeps inside the holes (pour water into the sponge) and then evaporates. The minerals are left behind and begin to form walls on the pockets of the rocks. This process continues and a geode is created. When the geode is cracked open, it is very pretty on the inside.