Geology: Making Rocks
Kaitlyn McEnrue
LVS Earth Science
Wednesday, July 15th
I.
Objectives
- Students will be able to construct models of sedimentary, igneous, and
metamorphic rocks.
- Students will be able to distinguish the differences between these rocks
based on specific characteristics.
II.
Materials
- chocolate chips
- wax paper
- gum drops
- plastic knives
- rice krispies
- marshmallow fluff
- paper bowls
III.
Procedure
- Attendance (1 minute)
- Warm-up (7 minutes)
What are some characteristics that make up a sedimentary rock?
Igneous rock? Metamorphic rock? The students must write at least one
response for each of the three rocks. They will share their responses to the
class. Students should be fairly familiar with the characteristics due to the fact
that the prior lesson is dedicated solely on sedimentary, igneous, and
metamorphic rocks.
- Activity: Constructing Rocks (30 minutes)
- The students will then be informed that they will be creating edible rocks.
They will each be making igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks.
We will be going to the cafeteria to construct this activity.
- The students will be split into three groups, each making a different rock.
They will rotate throughout the class so that each group makes each rock.
Worksheets will be provided for them pertaining to the different
information on each rock. Also, I will have extra activities available at
each station (because obviously it will take longer for the students to
create igneous rocks then sedimentary).
- In order to make igneous rocks, I will melt chocolate and they will put
globs of it on their wax paper. I will begin melting the chocolate prior to
their arrival to speed up the process. The chocolate represents melted rock
or magma. The students will watch the chocolate cool and harden. This is
to symbolize how igneous rocks are created.
- To make metamorphic rocks, each student will have 2 pieces of wax paper
and three different colored gumdrops. The students will cut their
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-
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gumdrops into 8-10 tiny pieces. The gumdrops will be placed between the
pieces of wax paper and the students will press the gumdrops together.
They will then remove the wax paper and discuss how heat and pressure
create metamorphic rocks.
For sedimentary rocks, the students will view rice crispies and
marshmallow fluff. The students will combine a spoonful of fluff with the
rice crispies, and discuss how this action symbolizes the creation of
sedimentary rocks.
After the students have created and observed their rocks, they are allowed
to eat them!
Clean-up (3 minutes)
Closure (4 minutes) Once this activity is complete, I will call the students
together and we will discuss the purpose of the lesson. I will ask the
students how each of the materials and actions represented the formation
of the rocks. They might state how the rice crispies represented minerals
or rock particles, how the chocolate represented lava, etc.
Homework: worksheet pertaining to sedimentary, igneous, and
metamorphic rocks.
Name:__________________________________________ Date:___________________
Lab Report
Igneous Rocks
Kaitlyn will melt chocolate in a pot to create these rocks.
What do you think the chocolate
represents?______________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Why do you think this
way?___________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Now, you will take a glob of chocolate and place it on the wax paper.
Observe it for 3 minutes. What
happens?________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
What do you know about igneous
rocks?__________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Why did we do this activity to make igneous
rocks?__________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________




Metamorphic Rocks
Take 2 pieces of wax paper and three gumdrops.
Use a plastic knife and cut the gumdrops into tiny pieces (about 810 total pieces) Make sure you are cutting them on the wax paper.
Then, place all the gum drops close to each other on one piece of
wax paper, and cover them with the other piece.
Pushed the pieces together and squish the gumdrops together.
What
happens?_____________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
What do the gumdrops
represent?____________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
What do you already know about metamorphic
rocks?_______________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Why did we do this activity to make metamorphic
rocks?_______________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Sedimentary Rocks
 Take a handful of rice crispies and place them in the bowl.
What do the rice crispies represent?_____________________
Why do you think
this?______________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Now, place a spoonful of fluff and mix everything together.
What
happens?___________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
What do you know about sedimentary
rocks?_____________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Why did we do this activity to make sedimentary
rocks?_____________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Name:________________________________________
Illustrate the steps below that you did during your experiments!
Make sure you label each step.
Igneous rocks
Metamorphic rocks
Sedimentary rocks
Sedimentary Rocks!
Information Sheet
Rock Facts
 Sedimentary rocks are made from sediments.
 Sediments are small pieces of other rocks. They turn
into pebbles, gravel, sand and clay.
 Rocks are always being broken into smaller pieces
called sediments and worn away (eroded) by wind and
water.
 These little pieces flow along in rivers and streams or
blow over the land with the wind and settle in a new
place.
 As they settle, they pile up and form layers.
 After long periods of time, the pieces become pressed
together and form solid rock called sedimentary rock.
 Sedimentary rocks are usually formed in water.
 Sedimentary rocks are found all over the world.
 Many fossils are found in sedimentary rock.
Metamorphic Rocks!
Information Sheet
Rock Facts
 Metamorphic rocks are rocks that have changed from one
form to another.
 These rocks form deep in the earth where the it is very hot
and there is a lot of pressure.
 If a rock is heated and squeezed for millions of years, it can
turn into a new kind of rock.
 Metamorphic rocks begin to form at 12-16 kilometers (7.5 10 miles) beneath the surface of the earth.
 They begin changing at temperatures of 100 - 800 degrees
Celsius (212 - 1472 degrees Fahrenheit)
 The heat in the earth comes from Magma and the pressure
comes from layers of rock piled onto layers of rock.
 The layers on the bottom get squeezed and the thicker the
layers the more pressure or the more they get squeezed.
Igneous Rocks!
Information Sheet
Rock Facts
 Igneous rocks are the oldest kind of rock.
 Igneous rocks are formed deep inside the earth where the
temperature is very high.
 The minerals in the earth are in liquid form and are called
magma.
 Magma is squeezed around inside the earth and as it pushes
towards the surface of the earth, it starts to cool. As it cools,
it turns to solid igneous rock.
 Sometimes the magma cools very slowly and forms rocks.
 Igneous rocks that cool slowly deep in the earth are called
Intrusive igneous rocks and have large crystals. (Granite)
 Sometimes the magma erupts from a volcano. Magma is
called lava when it reaches the earth's surface. Lava cools
quickly and forms igneous rocks.
 Igneous rocks that cool quickly on the surface of the earth
form rocks with small crystals called extrusive rocks. (Basalt,
obsidian)
 Sometimes extrusive igneous rocks look like glass and have
no crystals or mineral particles.