Rocks & Minerals
Standards:
3.1 ~ Rocks & minerals have properties that may be identified through observation & testing;
these properties determine how earth materials are used

Describe the physical properties of rocks & relate them to their potential uses

Relate the properties of rocks to the possible environmental conditions during their
formation
Essential Questions:

How are rocks made?

How do we identify rocks & minerals?

What factors decide how rocks &
minerals are used?
Big Ideas:



Materials cycle through the Earth’s
systems.
Rocks & minerals have properties
Properties determine how earth
materials are used
Learning Activities:
Initiating Activity
 Read Aloud Let’s Go Rock Collecting, Roma Gans
 Decorate “rock box” (egg carton)
 Collect Rocks
 Observe Rocks & ask questions
o KWL
o Questions will be answered through further investigations
How are rocks made?
 The earth’s core
o Readings
 Changes on Earth (2 – 3)
 Our Changing Earth (4 – 5)
 Shift (22 – 23)
 Volcanoes & Earthquakes (8)
 Rocks (4)
 The Restless Earth (1)
 Investigating Rocks (4 – 5)
 Remarkable Rocks (2 – 3)
o Cupcake Core Sampling
o “Earth’s Structure” (BrainPOP)
o Investigating Rocks (6 – 7)
Igneous Rocks
 Toothpaste Volcano
 Hot Rocks (worksheet)
 Incredible Edible Rocks ~
Igneous Rocks
 Readings
Sedimentary Rocks
 A Look at Sand (Lab)
 What Does Erosion Look
Like? (Lab)
 Sand
 BrainPOP
o The Changing Surface of the
Earth (12 – 15)
o Changes on Earth (6 – 9)
o Our Changing Earth (8 – 11)
o Changes to Earth’s Surface (12
– 13)
o The Rocks & Soil Beneath Us
(3 – 4)
o Rocks & Soil (4)
o Minerals & Rocks (12 – 13)
o Rocks & Minerals (12 – 13)
o Remarkable Rocks (4 – 5)
Metamorphic Rocks
 Metamorphic Rocks
 Incredible Edible Rocks ~
Metamorphic Rocks
 Edible Metamorphic Rocks
(starburst)
 Changing Rocks
 “Rock Cycle” (Brain POP)
 “Rock Cycle Animation
(Teacher’s Domain)
 Readings
o
o
o
Soil
Erosion
Weathering
 Erosion Readings
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
The Changing Surface of the
Earth (2 – 9)Changes on
Earth (10 – 15)
Our Changing Earth (12 – 15)
Changes to Earth’s Surface
(4 – 9)
Shift (28 – 29)
Grand Canyon (6 – 7)
Uncovering Earth’s (8 – 11)
Rocks & Soil Beneath Us (5)
Rocks & Minerals (9)
Investigating Rocks (10 – 11)
The Restless Earth (12 – 15)
Fossils
Exploring Fossils
Making Fossils
What Is A Fossil?
What Have Scientists
Learned from Fossils?
 Paleo Cookie Dig
 Fossil Readings
 Mountain
 “The Grand Canyon: The
Top Two Rock Layers”
 Rock Layer Readings
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o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Shift (24)
Uncovering Earth’s (11 – 13)
Rocks & Minerals (10 - 11)
Fossil Detectives (4 – 5)
Rocks (12 – 13)
Rocks & Soil (5 – 6)
Minerals & Rocks (10 – 11)
Fossils
o Solid (8 – 11)
o Rocks (2 – 3)
o Rocks & Soil Beneath Us (6 –
7)
o Rocks & Soil (7)
o Minerals & Rocks (14 – 15)
o Rocks & Minerals (14 – 15)
o Remarkable Rocks (10 – 11)
(Teacher’s Domain)
 River Rocks (lab)
 Rock Layers (lab)
 Incredible Edible Rocks ~
Sedimentary Rocks
o
o
o
Minerals & Rocks (6 – 9)
Rocks & Minerals (6 – 9)
Remarkable Rocks (6 – 9)
How do we identify rocks & minerals?
 Exploring properties of rocks (lab)
 “Mineral Identification” (BrainPOP)
 “Crystals” (BrainPOP)
 “Making Rock Candy” (Teacher’s Domain)
 Readings
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Remarkable Rocks (12 – 13)
Investigating Rocks (8 – 9)
Solids (4 – 5, 16, - 17)
Rocks (8 – 9)
Rocks & Soil Beneath Us (8 – 10)
Rocks & Soil (8 – 9)
Minerals & Rocks (2 – 5)
Rocks & Minerals (14 – 19)
Rocks & Minerals ~ Nat Geo (14 – 19)
What factors decide how rocks & minerals are used?
 “Salt” (BrainPOP)
 “Minerals in our Environment” (Teacher’s Domain)
 Readings
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Remarkable Rocks (14 - 15)
Investigating Rocks (12 - 15)
Solid (24 – 25)
Rocks & Soil Beneath Us (11 – 12)
Rocks & Soil (10 – 11)
Stuff (28 – 29)
Rocks & Minerals ~ Nat Geo (22 – 25)