Name: _______________________________
Period: _________
ROCK LAB
IGNEOUS ROCKS
With your lab partners, look at the size of the minerals in the different igneous rocks and discuss if they
are large or small.
1. What does the size of the minerals in the rock tell you about how the rock was formed?
2. Where do you think many igneous rocks form?
Discuss with your lab partners the color of the rocks. Make sure to discuss whether they are light or
dark in color.
3. What does the color of the rock tell you about the rock?
4. Plutonic igneous rocks are formed deep inside the crust of the Earth so how do we ever get to
see them on the surface of the Earth?
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
Look at the different sedimentary rocks. Consider the colors, roundness, and sorting of the many
features of these rocks.
1. What can the roundness and sorting of each sedimentary rock tell you about how the rock was
formed?
2. How can you tell if each rock sample is clastic or non-clastic? Name 2 examples of each type.
3. Does this information tell you anything about how or where the rock formed? Explain.
4. Sedimentary rocks have one thing in common; they all have something to do with ________.
What is necessary to create a sedimentary rock?
Name: _______________________________
Period: _________
METAMORPHIC ROCKS
Look at the color, grain, and texture your metamorphic rock samples. These can be the hardest to
identify.
1. What are some descriptions that can help you to identify metamorphic rocks?
2. Do your descriptions help to explain how these types of rocks are formed?
3.
What is necessary to create a metamorphic rock?
4. Where do you think metamorphic rocks form? Why?
Overview and Segue to the Rock Cycle:
1. Name the 3 types of rocks:
2. Look at samples of each type of rock under the stereomicroscope. What do you see?
3. What processes can rocks be exposed to?
4. Read the following passage from The Pebble in my Pocket: A History of Our Earth by Meredith
Hooper, Chris Coady and Christopher Coady. Write a two-sentence summary of what you
believe the excerpt means.
“The pebble in my pocket is round and smooth and brown. I found it on the
ground. My pebble has been on top of mountains and under the sea. It has been
buried in ice and buried in rock. It has been covered in drying sand and tropical
forest. It has been flung and dropped, frozen, soaked and baked, squeezed and
squashed. It has been stood on and sheltered under and used. It has traveled huge
distances over immense periods of time.”
Name: _______________________________
Period: _________
UNKNOWN ROCKS LAB QUIZ
Using your knowledge of rock formation and classification, identify the unknown samples by rock type
and provide a reason for your identification using classification terms like plutonic, volcanic, clastic,
non-clastic, foliated, and non-foliated. Remember to look at crystal size, appearance, texture,
roundness, etc.
UNKNOW SAMPLE
1
2
3
4
5
6
ROCK TYPE
EXPLANATION