Name __________________________________________________
Edible Rock Cycle Lab
Materials
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Hot plate
3 Starburst
Block __________
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Foil
Tongs
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Ziploc sandwich bag
Textbook (to apply pressure to rock)
Scissors
Sediments
❏ Unwrap your Starburst and use the scissors or plastic knife to cut the candy into small pieces.
Define ​sediments​:
1. What process within the rock cycle did you represent as you cut the Starburst into small pieces?
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Sedimentary Rock Formation
Define ​sedimentary rock​:
❏ Take your pieces of Starburst into the palm of your hand and squeeze them together until all the pieces have
“glued” together.
3. What process within the rock cycle did you represent as you squeezed the pieces of Starburst together?
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4. How is your Starburst rock similar to a sedimentary rock?
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Metamorphic Rock Formation
Define metamorphic rock:
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Place your Starburst rock into the Ziploc bag.
Press and squeeze the rock, using the heat from your hands, until the rock is warm and pliable.
Place the rock (still inside the bag) under a textbook and push down to apply pressure.
Remove the rock from the bag and fold it in half.
Place it back in the bag and apply more pressure using the textbook.
5. What processes within the rock cycle did you represent as you squeezed the Starburst rock in your hands and
flattened it under the textbook?
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6. How is your Starburst rock similar to a metamorphic rock?
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Name __________________________________________________
Block __________
Igneous Rock Formation
Define igneous rock:
❏ Create a foil bowl to hold your Starburst rock.
❏ Place your Starburst rock in the foil boat and carefully place onto a hotplate. Allow the candy rock to melt and
become bubbly.
❏ Using tongs, carefully remove the foil boat from the hotplate.
❏ Allow the candy rock to cool and become a solid.
7. What process within the rock cycle did you represent as you melted the Starburst rock into a liquid?
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8. What process within the rock cycle did you represent as you allowed the liquid Starburst to cool into a solid?
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9. How is your Starburst rock similar to an igneous rock?
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The Rock Cycle
Complete the rock cycle diagram.
10. Is it possible for any type of rock to
turn into any other type of rock?
Explain.
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Word Bank​ (some can be used more than once)
Metamorphic
Igneous
Sedimentary
Heat & Pressure (2x)
Melting (2x)
Compaction
Weathering (3x)
Magma
Cooling