Please read
LAB SETUP SUGGESTIONS:
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The lab directions are pretty straight forward. The biggest questions you will
probably get from students is how they should make the aluminum boat. I prefer to
let students learn through experimentation & trial and error versus telling them
word for word how to make the proper boat. The students must show you the boat
before you light the candle. I always use this time to check how they did on their
design. If you see they have a boat that is either to large or too small for the rock,
just tell them to try again and give them a few pointers if needed.
Also, sometimes students are unsure of whether or not they made each type of rock
properly. I suggest setting out a few examples of the real world types of rock so that
they can compare. Or, you could have a set of premade candy rock examples
students can view. They will all come out a little different, but some students might
need a reference. To make it easy on yourself, you could just pluck some good
examples from your first period class to keep for all of the rest of your classes.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS:
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This lab includes use of fire. Please ensure all safety procedures are strictly
followed during activities and that your students are properly trained on fire &
science safety rules/techniques. You can download the Flynn Science Safety
Guide and Contract for Free Here:
http://hatfielda.weebly.com/uploads/2/7/0/6/27067963/flinn_safety_contrac
t.pdf
Or, depending on the maturity/behavior level of your class, you may want to
make the candle portion a teacher demo. You could even set up a teacher
station where you can place multiple rocks on top of a burner.
How to get the fonts used in this product:
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This is the exact file I used to create the word doc. If you want the fonts to appear
exactly as they do in the pdf file, you will need to download and install the
following free font:
Font:: ACTION MAN You can find the free fonts above at a website called font squirrel
(www.fontsquirrel.com).
Again, this font is 100% free and one of my favorite fonts. All you need to do is
download and install them on your computer.
If you have any issues with the editable copy, or have further questions, you can email
me at morpho.science@gmail.com
Alternately, you can ask me a question at the product page of my TPT store.
Thank you J
Question:
How do rocks change from one form to another?
Video Notes:
Watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGK1KkLjdQY
and write notes that will help you answer the question: “How do rocks change from one form to another?”
Experiment:
Create a model of the three different types of rocks (sedimentary, metamorphic, & igneous) using starburst
candy. Note: candy is for experimental purposes only and may not be eaten.
Materials Needed:
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Starburst candies (3 different colors)
Scissors
Plastic baggie
Candle
Aluminum Foil
Forceps or Crucible Tongs
Directions (Part 1):
1. Obtain 3 pieces of starburst candy from your teacher. Each starburst candy must be a different
color.
2. Remove the wrapper and cut each starburst candy into strips using scissors. You only need 3 long
strips per candy.
3. Cut your strips into smaller squares by cutting each strip into thirds.
4. At this point, what do the cut up pieces represent? Draw your result into the appropriate place
inside the rock cycle diagram.
Directions (Part 2):
5. Divide your sediment into like colors
6. Compact (press together) like colors into layers using your hands. Do not apply too much pressure.
You should still see the square pieces of sediment within your layers.
7. Place rock layers on top of each other.
9. What type of rock have you formed? Draw an arrow from where you started (from part 1) to where
you ended up (after part 2). Label the process you performed to get there.
Directions (Part 3):
10. You will need to apply heat and pressure to make the next type of rock. Have you ever seen a
person creating fire by rubbing two sticks together? They are using a concept called friction to
create heat. We can apply this same principle to get our heat.
11. Place your starburst rock into a plastic baggie. Create friction by rubbing the rock between your
hands and applying pressure at the same time. You will need to keep this up for at least one minute
to generate the heat and pressure needed to create your next type of rock. Be careful not to break
the plastic bag.
12. When finished, draw your result into your rock cycle diagram. Draw an arrow from where you
started (from part 2) to where you ended up (after part 3). Label the process you performed to get
there.
Directions (Part 4):
13. To create our last type of rock, we will need some serious heat.
14. First, your group must reduce the size of the current rock to roughly 1/3rd of the original size. You
can just cut off 1/3rd of the rock using scissors.
15. Create a boat out of a piece of aluminum foil. You must fold the sides of the aluminum foil up. The
boat sides should be steep enough so that nothing will fall or ooze out. Place the rock inside the
boat and raise your hand so that the teacher can check your work.
16. If the boat is created successfully, the teacher will light the candle.
17. Using crucible tongs, or forceps (NOT YOUR HANDS), hold the boat (with the rock in the center) over
the candle until your rock melts evenly. It is normal to see bubbles and gas. However, if you see too
much smoke, adjust the distance you are heating the rock. Once it has melted evenly, remove it
from the heat source and set it aside to cool. Blow out your candle.
18. Once the rock has completely cooled, you can peel the rock away from the aluminum foil and draw
your final rock into your rock cycle diagram. Draw an arrow from where you started (from part 3) to
where you ended up (after part 4). Label the process you performed to get there. Lastly, go back
and add the other possible pathways a rock could travel. For instance, what would need to happen
in order to get the igneous rock you created back to sediment? You may refer to a rock cycle
diagram to help label all of the possible pathways a rock could travel during the rock cycle.
Scientific argument – cer format:
Use evidence from both the video and the experiment to create a scientific argument (in paragraph format)
that answers the original question: “How do rocks change from one form to another during the rock cycle?”
The argument should include the following:
• Your claim (stating your claim is typically your topic sentence)
• The relevant evidence that supports your claim
• The scientific reasoning that links the evidence and science concepts to the claim
Scientific argument – How do rocks change from one form to another?
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Sediment
Sedimentary rock
igneous rock
metamorphic rock
magma