Weathering Rocks!
By: Moriah Moore
Purpose: To demonstrate rock weathering through an inquiry based activity.
South Carolina State Standards Covered:
8-1.2 Recognize the importance of a systematic process for safely and accurately
conducting investigations.
8-1.3 Construct explanations and conclusions from interpretations of data obtained during
a controlled scientific investigation.
8-1.6 Use appropriate tools and instruments (including convex lenses, plane mirrors,
color filters, prisms, and slinky springs) safely and accurately when conducting a
controlled scientific investigation.
Performance Objectives:
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Students will demonstrate how friction between rocks creates sediment
Students will explain how wind and rain weather rocks and how they transport
sediment
Students will explain why there are different grain sizes and how those different sizes
move differently from each other
Students will explain how sand is deposited on a beach
Students will explain how large grain sizes near the water on the beach become
smaller and how those smaller grains are transported to the dunes
Materials: (per group) 2 Styrofoam balls (any size), a tray to catch the pieces of Styrofoam, a
tray of real sand with small pieces of shell in it if possible (slightly damp will keep it from
blowing all over the place, but smallest pieces will still move), microscope or picture of sand
through a microscope
Activity: Rub Styrofoam balls together to demonstrate weathering and notice that there are
different “grain sizes” of Styrofoam. Blow on real sand to see that only the smallest pieces of
sand move to show that smaller grain sizes are moved farther by wind and rain. Try to have
students explain how sand is deposited on beach. Try to have students explain that wave action
breaks up large grains of sand then waves carry smaller particles further up the beach where the
wind can carry the smallest grains to the dunes where it is caught on dune vegetation.
Activity A
http://www.destination360.com/north-
http://fortheloveofhistruth.com/2011/09/01/houses-built-on-sand/
america/us/arizona/redrockshttp://www.destination360.com/north-
1.) Which comes first the rocks or the sand? Explain or draw how the first thing becomes
america/us/arizona/red-rocks
the second thing.
2.) Relate the following terms to the process you described above: a.) sand grain size, b.)
weathering, c.) erosion
Weathering Rocks!
1.) Rub two Styrofoam balls together. In the box below, draw what happens to the
Styrofoam when you rub the balls together.
2.) Relate what happened with the Styrofoam balls to the weathering of rocks.
3.) Explain how wind and rain relate to the weathering of rocks.
4.) Look at the picture of sand on the screen at the front of the room. Draw what you see in
the box below. Are all the grains of sand in the picture the same size?
5.) Blow on the sand in the tray on your table. Which grains of sand moved the farthest, the
small or large grains?
6.) List 2 ways that sand can be transported naturally (not by humans) from the rocky areas
where it is formed to the beach.
7.) On a beach there are different grain sizes of sand. Large grains of sand are usually closer
to the water, while smaller grain sizes are at the top of the dunes away from the water.
Describe or draw how the large grains of sand become the small grains of sand.
Activity B
1.) Explain why sand has different grain sizes.
2.) Where on a beach would you find coarse sand, and where on a beach would you find fine
sand?
3.) Relate the following terms to the process of turning rocks into sand: a.) weathering, b.)
wind, c.) rain, d.) rock movement.