The Rock Cycle
5th Grade Science
Emily Cole Harris
Appomattox Elementary School
Objectives:

apply basic terminology to explain how Earth’s surface is constantly changing.

draw and label the rock cycle and describe the major processes and rock types involved.

compare and contrast the origin of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks.
SOLS Covered:
5.1
The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and the nature of
science by planning and conducting investigations in which
i)
inferences are made and conclusions are drawn;
j)
models are constructed to clarify explanations, demonstrate relationships, and solve needs
5.7
The student will investigate and understand how Earth’s surface is constantly changing. Key
concepts include
b)
the rock cycle and how transformations between rocks occur
Overview of Topics Covered:
In this lesson I will be teaching my students how the Earth is able to recycle itself. The rock cycle is a
process that takes place on the Earth’s surface and recycles its materials. The students will learn about
the characteristics of common sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. Students will learn about
the processes these rocks go through and how they can be changed from one rock type to another. The
students will also be able to use their knowledge of the rock types and the rock cycle to identify given
rock samples. I will be teaching this lesson using the 5E instructional approach for inquiry lessons.
(Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) This lesson will take place over five days and each day
will begin with an engage and explore/explain activity. At the end of the lesson the students will
elaborate on what they have learned and I will evaluate their progress.
List of Materials

Science Journal

Chart paper

Sticky notes

NSTA Clue Sheet

Construction Paper

Scissors/Tape

Rock Samples

Pen/pencil

Magnifying glass

Jar

Sand, soil, gravel, pebbles

Crayons (shavings)

Aluminum foil

Hot plate
Special Safety Concerns
Goggles, heat-resistant mitts and an apron will need to be used by the teacher when using the hot plate
to heat crayon shavings. The foil boats will only be heated by the teacher and will be returned to the
students after they have cooled. Students will need to remain a safe distance away from the heat source.
Lesson Outline
Day 1
Engage/Directed Inquiry: The teacher will begin by asking the students, “What is a rock?” She/he will
take the student’s ideas and place the items on a chart. Next, the students will use sticky notes to vote if
they think that the item is “yes” a rock or “no” not a rock. Examples may be: limestone, concrete,
asphalt, glass, dried mud, etc. The students will have a chance to discuss their ideas, but the teacher will
not tell them if they are right or wrong.
Explore/Explain: The teacher will break students into groups of 4. Each group will be given 10 numbered
rock samples to sort based on the given clues. Construction paper strips of orange, blue, and red will be
placed at each teams work station. The term igneous will be written on the underside of the orange strip
(associated with lava and volcanoes). The term sedimentary will be written under the blue strip (forms in
or near water). The term metamorphic will be written under the red strip (intense heat and pressure).
The colors were picked to help the students have a visual representation.
The teacher will use the NSTA Clue sheet to read the clues while the groups search to find the correct
rock, a copy can be found in the teaching aid section. The students will be encouraged to listen and
observe carefully before choosing a rock they feel matchs the given clues. After completing the rock
sorting activity the students will create a list of observation statements about the rocks in their science
journals. Example: some rocks have layers, rocks are solid, some rocks are small, and some rocks are
large. The students will use their observations to come up with a definition for rocks. The class will have
a group discussion and come up with a definition of a rock.
Students will then turn over their colored strips to see the categories of rocks they have sorted. The
teacher will pass out The Rock Cycle Activity Booklet. The students will use the first 3 pages to match the
name of each rock with its characteristics. The teacher will close the day’s lesson by leading a classroom
discussion about the different processes that are important to the formation of rocks. Students will
observe different rocks and discuss the different processes they may have to go through to transform
into a different rock. Example: shale to slate. Discuss how observed characteristics can be used to
determine how the rock may have formed.
Day 2
Engage: Students are now familiar with the types of rocks after yesterday’s lesson. The teacher will give
each group a sedimentary rock to observe. Each group will work together to answer the following
questions.
1. Given some of the characteristics you observed by studying your sedimentary rock, where do you
think it formed?
2. How do you think it formed?
Explore/Explain: Each group will be given a piece of sandstone and black construction paper. The
students will rub the sandstone on the construction paper and observe the small particles using a
magnifying glass. The teacher will explain to the students that those small pieces are called sediment
and is the result of weathering. Weathering can break down rocks into many different sizes. When the
sediment is transported to a new location this is called erosion. To reinforce the concept that sediment
can occur in different sizes the students will work in their groups to complete the following activity.
Fill the Jar:
Students will work in their groups to fill a mason jar with measured amounts of sand, soil, gravel and
pebbles. Students will gently share the jar and then draw a picture of what they think their jar will look
like at the end of the day. (Booklet page 5) At the end of the day the students will discuss the different
layers and how they formed. The students will also discuss where sedimentary rocks form.
Making a sedimentary rock:
Next, the students will use crayon shavings to create a sedimentary rock. Each group will be given 2
tablespoons of crayon shavings and a 1ft square piece of aluminum foil. The students will place the
shaving in the middle of the aluminum foil and fold the sides over to cover the shavings. The students
were asked to imagine that the shavings were actually sediment on the bottom of the ocean. The
students will apply pressure to the foil by standing on it. After applying pressure the students will open
the foil and observe what happened to the crayon shavings. Students will write in their science journal to
describe what they observed before and after standing on the shavings. Students will turn in their science
journals for the teacher to review as a formative assessment. The students will put their shavings
somewhere safe so they can be used for the next lesson. At the end of class the following questions will
be used to guide a discussion on sedimentary rock formation.

What do the shavings represent in our experiment?

What happened to the shavings when you stood on them?

How do you think this relates to how sandstone is formed?

Where does sediment come from?

What is weathering?

How does sediment move from one place to another?

Where do sedimentary rocks usually form and why?
Day 3
*the teacher will need to place a container of water onto a hot plate at the beginning of the lesson so it
will be hot enough to melt the crayon shavings during the lab
Engage: The teacher will ask the students “if and how” sedimentary rocks can be recycled. The groups
will be asked to get out their sedimentary rocks they created in the last lesson. As a class students will
come up with a few logical ideas and the teacher will record them on the board.
Explore/Explain:
Making an igneous rock
Students will use the sedimentary rock they created yesterday and transform it into an igneous rock. This
will reinforce the idea that the earth is able to recycle itself. The students will reshape their foil into a
boat with high sides with their sedimentary rocks inside. The students will give the foil boats to the
teacher and she/he will place them in the heated water until the shavings melt. Once cooled the foil
boats will be returned to the students. The students will observe the changes, draw a picture of their new
rock and respond to the following questions in their science journals. Journals will be collected, reviewed,
and returned as a formative assessment.

What did you have to do to recycle the sedimentary rock into an igneous rock?

How is the igneous rock you made different from your sedimentary rock?

Where are igneous rocks formed?

What does the word igneous mean?
The teacher will hand the igneous rock samples (obsidian, granite, and pumice) back to the groups to
observe. The groups will observe the rocks with a magnifying glass and the teacher will explain how
some rocks will have large crystals if the magma cools slowly (granite). The obsidian cooled so quickly
that crystals did not have time to form. The students will be asked how they think the pumice formed
with holes in it. After some discussion the teacher will explain that the holes were formed by air bubbles
in frothy lava. To close the lesson the students will vote on whether they think a rock will float or not.
The teacher will place a piece of pumice in a glass of water to prove that some rocks do float. The
students will discuss why they think the pumice floated. The students will place their igneous rock crayon
shavings somewhere safe so they can be used in the next lesson.
Day 4
Engage:
The teacher will ask the class, “What does metamorphosis mean?” The class will discuss how different
things go through metamorphosis. (Ex. frogs, butterflies, the hulk, power rangers) After the discussion
the students will write or draw in their science journals to explain how they think a metamorphic rock
forms. A few volunteers will share their ideas with the class.
Explore/Explain:
Make a metamorphic rock
The teacher will set the stage by describing the types of conditions an igneous rock would experience if it
were to travel deep inside the earth (heat and pressure). The students will get out their igneous rocks
from yesterday and bring them to the teacher. The teacher will place the foil boat containing the igneous
rock back into the hot water and warm it until it softens but does not melt. The students will fold the foil
over the soften rock and squeeze it gently. After the new rock has cooled the students will examine it.
The students will draw and describe the process the new metamorphic rock has undergone. In their
science journals the students will respond to the following questions

How does a metamorphic rock recycle into an igneous rock?

How could a metamorphic rock recycle into a sedimentary rock?

How could an igneous rock recycle into a sedimentary rock?

What can happen when rocks are exposed to extreme heat and pressure?
The teacher will hand the metamorphic rock samples (gneiss, marble, and slate) back to the groups to
observe. The groups will observe the rocks with a magnifying glass and the teacher will explain how the
rocks have crystals because they cooled slowly inside the Earth. The students will observe how new
layers can also form in the rocks because the pressure applied can flatten or layer metamorphic rocks.
At the end of this lesson the students will be given another opportunity to change their post-it notes on
the “Is it a Rock” chart that was created on the first day. By changing the chart the students are able to
make better informed decisions and reflect on what they have learned. The students may also need to
refine their definitions of what is a rock to include naturally occurring solids made of minerals.
Day 5
Elaborate:
Students will extend their learning by using the classroom set of iPads to access an online activity entitled
“Ride the Rock Cycle” (Illinois State Geology Museum Online 2003). The full lesson and PDF printable
materials can be found at the Illinois State Geology Museum website (see resources). Seven stations will
be set up around the room to simulate various destinations a rock might end up (volcanoes, earth’s
interior, etc.) Students will roll a die and travel to the indicated station number. Each student will roll the
die 10 times and then write a story in their science journals documenting their journey as a rock and
what happened to them.
Evaluate:
Students will complete The Rock Cycle Chart on page 6 of their activity book and answer the questions
on page 7.
Students will also complete The Rock Chronicles on pages 8-9 or their activity booklet.
Both of these assignments will be used as summative assessments.
Teaching Aids/ Assessment Tools
Clue #
1
2
3
Clue
Find a lightweight rock with lots of holes. It is formed
from the froth of a volcano when it explodes!
Find a flat rock, gray to black in color, with several
very tiny and flaky layers. It forms from gray/black
mud or clay, or a rock made of mud/clay, being
heated and pressed.
This rock is dark gray to black. It is smooth and made
of tiny mud/clay particles (sediment).
Rock #
Rock Name
2
Pumice
9
Slate
Type of Rock
Igneous
Metamorphic
5
Shale
4
This rock is specked. It comes in gray, black, and
white crystals, OR pink, black, gray, and white
crystals. It forms when melted rock of a volcano cools
slowly.
4
Granite
5
This rock is speckled with gray, black and white
crystals, but it has crystals that form layers (streaks
in the rock). This rock is formed deep underground
through melting and pressing.
1
Gneiss
(pronounced
“nice”)
Obsidian
Sedimentary
Igneous
Metamorphic
6
This rock looks like glass and is formed when melted
rock of a volcano cools quickly.
3
7
This rock looks like a bunch of different rocks stuck
together.
6
8
This rock is white, but has tiny shiny clear crystals
that sparkle in it. This rock is formed deep
underground.
7
Marble
Metamorphic
Conglomerate
Igneous
Sedimentary
9
This is a rock we see a lot. It is light gray and made of
tiny particles (sediment) which can be seen with the
magnifier. It is often the gray rocks you see in
driveways.
10
Limestone
Sedimentary
10
This rock is fairly lightweight, and made mostly of
sand which has been compacted together after many
years of pressure. If you rub it with your finger, you
may be able to see some of the sand, or sediment,
rubbing off.
8
Sandstone
Sedimentary
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Sources of Information

Illinois State Geology Museum Online
http://geologyonline.museum.state.il.us/tools/lessons/6.4/lesson.pdf

Journal: NSTA Science and Children April/May 2013
The Dynamic Earth: Recycling naturally pages 38-45

Rock Cycle Activity Sheets (use link below)
http://www.nsta.org/elementaryschool/connections/201304RockCycleActivityShe
ets.pdf