Name:______________________________ Period: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Date:________________
Geo-Pancakes
Rock Layers Lab
Introduction:
Scientists often analyze the layers of rock in the Earth’s crust to learn about the Earth’s history.
When sedimentary rock forms as thin layers are sandwiched together, the layers can be
compared to the pages in a book. Over time, many layers in the Earth’s history book are moved,
torn, pulled out, or turned upside down. In this lab you will use colored pancakes to represent
different sedimentary rock layers. You will then alter your model to represent various changes in
the geologic record.
Materials:
5 Different Colored Pancakes
Gummy Fish
Chocolate Frosting
Knife
Plate
Fork
Straw
Green Sprinkles
Red Frosting
Gummy Bears
Directions/Questions:
1. Take 1 pancake from each stack (Each layer is a different shade or color).
2. Layer the pancakes and inspect the stack. What does it look like?
What does this stack of pancakes represent?
3. Remove the bottom pancake from your stack. Cut the pancake into 10 strips. Place the strips
on their sides next to each other (side by side). Take your 4 pancakes and put them back on the
ten vertical strips you just cut. Describe how your pancake structure has changed.
What kind of geologic formation is represented by this change?
How could a change like this actually occur in a real geologic formation?
4. In between the 1st and 2nd pancake, sprinkle the green algae. What sort of conditions would
have been present on Earth for algae to occur in the rock layers?
5. In between the 2nd and 3rd pancake, place your fish. What sort of conditions would have been
present on Earth for fish to present in this rock layer?
6. Remove the second pancake from the top and tear it in half. Discard one half (you may eat it
if you want). Take the remaining half, scrape it with the fork until it is very thin and has a
number of holes in in it (the less of the pancake left, the better). Put your fragmented pancake
back in its original spot which is the second layer from the top. What kind of geological process
have you just modeled?
Name several ways that real rock layers may change in similar ways.
7. In between the 4th and 5th pancakes, place your bears. What would these bear fossils tell you
about the conditions on Earth when this rock layer formed?
Take your 4th and 5th pancake and spread a small amount of chocolate frosting across the top of
the 5th pancake and the bottom of the 4th pancake. Take your 4th and 5th pancake and squish them
together with the palm of your hand. What geological process did you model by using frosting
to stick two layers of rocks together? Describe this process below.
What geological process did you model by squishing your pancake layers together? Describe
this process below and where the force comes from when rocks are really squished together.
8. Between the 2nd and 3rd spread red frosting. Spread the frosting back and forth so that the
second pancake is completely covered in frosting. This frosting is going to represent an
extrusion of lava that came out of a volcano long ago, before other layers of rock formed. What
types of rocks are extrusions and what are some of their characteristics?
Place a fish in between this rock layer.
9. Take your straw and gently puncture it through all of your rock layers while placing your
finger over the top hole of the straw. Gently remove the straw from your pancake layers. You
should now have a small snapshot of all of your rock layers. Scientists use drill cores or rock
cores to see what has occurred during the history of the earth. Draw, label, and color what your
pancake core (rock core) looks like in the space below.
Is it easy or difficult to tell about the history of your rock layers from the drilled out core? Why?
10. While holding the stack of pancakes together, slowly cut the pancake stack in half with the
knife. In doing so, make sure that you are able to see all the formations you have created.
Carefully separate the two halves of the stack. Make a drawing of what you have created below
and label all of the features and fossils you have represented.
11. Clean up your pancake layers and eat or dispose of your lab materials.
12. Write one paragraph below how the layers of the rock that make up the crust can tell us
about the conditions that existed on Earth when they first formed.