NAME: ______________________________________
An Incredible Journey through the Rock Cycle: Through the “Eyes”
of Quartz.
Introduction: The mineral quartz is found in high abundance in Earth’s crust.
Quartz may be seen in its crystalline structure in an igneous rock, as a
recrystallized mineral within a foliation of a metamorphic rock, or within the
cement bonds of a sedimentary rock.
Objective: This lab activity will allow you to visualize the journey of the
mineral quartz through the rock cycle.
Materials: Rock Cycle Dice
Lab
Colored Beads Plastic Twine
Laptop
Atomic
Structure of
Quartz
Procedure: Scattered throughout the room are stations (look for signs) that represent types of
rocks where quartz may begin its journey through the rock cycle including:
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
CONGLOMERATE
SANDSTONE
IGNEOUS ROCKS
GRANITE
RHYOLITE
METAMORPHIC ROCKS
GNEISS
QUARTZITE
___ 1. Place yourself at one of these stations to begin your “incredible journey”. There should
be no more than 4 students at this station to begin this activity. Each station includes a sign, a
die and a cup of beads. Tie a knot at the end of your piece of plastic twine and place one of the
beads onto it. This will represent the starting pointing of your “incredible journey through the
rock cycle.” Now roll the die and move to the location stated on the die. If you roll the die and
the rock type that you are at currently appears, collect another bead and roll again.
___ 2. You have now moved to your next station. Place a 2nd bead onto your plastic twine. This
will represent the next place where your quartz grain has moved. Again, if you rolled your die
and the same rock appears as the station you are at, place another bead of the same color onto
your plastic twine. In this scenario, your quartz grain hasn’t moved from its current location.
___ 3. Continue to roll the die at each station. Be sure to move to the next station indicated on
the die and add a bead to your twine in the process. Remember each location you visit
represents the unique pathway your quartz grain is moving through the rock cycle. Continue to
roll the die, move and collect beads until you have five beads altogether.
___ 4. Once you have collected your five beads. Complete the lab exercise below.
1. Color the sequence of beads collected from 1st to 5th.
2. Complete the data table shown below based on the information provided in your bead
sequence.
Bead Color
Rock
What process(es) took
place to move your quartz
grain from this rock to the
next?
3. Using the diagram below, highlight the pathway your quartz grain took through the rock
cycle.
Synthesis: Using the bead sequence you created and the information you presented in your data
table, write a paragraph below describing the “unique journey” your quartz grain took in the rock
cycle. Be certain to state and highlight which rocks of the rock cycle your quartz grain was a
part of (ex: conglomerate, gneiss, etc…) and what processes occurred to move your quartz
grain through the cycle (ex: heat, melting, weathering, cementation, etc…) A word bank has
been provided to give you a list of terms you may wish to use in your writing. You are NOT
required to use all of these terms.
Rock Cycle
Terms
Sediments
Clasts
Fragments
Magma
Lava
Sedimentary
Igneous
Metamorphic
Weathering
Erosion
Deposition
Sediment Size
(clay, silt, sand,
pebbles, cobbles,
boulders)
Compaction
Cementation
Melting
Cooling
Intrusive
Extrusive
Vesicular
Solidification
Crystallization
Texture
Coarse
Fine
Heat Pressure
Recrystallization
Foliation
Banding
Distortion
Deformation