THE ROCK CYCLE
Section 3.1
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What natural cycles in our world are you aware of?
What is similar about all of these cycles?
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Rock Cycle Notes
Rocks are all around us, in the soil, our building, and they
are used in industry. Where so all these rocks come from?
The answer is: other rocks. The oldest rocks on earth are
3.8 billion years old, while others are only a few million
years old. This means that rocks have to be recycled.
The process in which rocks are recycled is the
_________________ ____________________
in the rock cycle; time, pressure, and the earth’s heat
interact to create ________________ basic kinds of rocks.
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1. ____________________________ __________________________ are
formed as sediment (eroded rocks and the remains of plants and animals)
builds up and is compressed.
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2. ___________________________ ____________________________
are formed when a great deal of pressure is applied to rock. This happens
as sedimentary rocks sink deeper into the earth and are heated by the high
temperatures found in the earth’s mantle.
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3. __________________________ ___________________________ are
formed when rock is melted (by heat and pressure below the crust) into a
liquid, and then re-solidifies. The molten rock _______________________
(magma) comes to the surface of the earth and when it emerges it is called
lava; solid lava is igneous rock.
Natural Processes
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Weathering is the break down of rocks and minerals at and just below the
Earth’s surface; can be physical or chemical.
Sediments are very small pieces of rocks and water that are transported
and deposited by water and wind
Erosion is the movement of sand and rock material by agents such as water
and wind
Compaction is the process in which sediments are squeezed together by the
weight of overlying materials.
Cementation is the process after compaction in which sentiments are
‘glued’ together to form sedimentary rocks.
Melting is the process when rocks melt down under the surface of the earth
to form magma (molten rock)
Cooling is the process when magma (molten rock) comes to the surface or
the earth (when it emerges it is called lava) and then cools into igneous rock
Rock Identification Reading and
Drawing
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Complete the rock identification reading and answer the
corresponding questions on your notes handout from today.
Make sure you write in complete sentences.
Once your notes are complete you can begin to create your
rock cycle illustration poster.
 -Draw out each stage of the rock cycle. (Make your poster
neat and colorful)
-DO NOT USE ANY WORDS ON YOUR ROCK CYCLE
DRAWING
Rock Cycle Illustration
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Once you have completed your .
 -Draw
out each stage of the rock cycle. (Make your
poster neat and colorful)
-Label each stage.
 -Write the definition for the process happening at each
stage. Example: Compaction is the process of sediments
being squeezed together due to the weight of
overlying material.
The Rock Cycle
Exit Slip
September 12, 2011
1.
Draw and fill in the
missing sections in
Figure 3-1.