Names: ___________________________ _________________________
Period: ____
Rock Cycle Lab
1. One person in your group will need to pick up the Rock Cycle Handout, crayons, foil, and knife.
2. The rock you have been given is a sample of a crayon rock. Looking at the 3 descriptions on the board, which
rock type is this sample most similar to? __________________________________________________________
***Make the 6 observations about your crayon rock in the table below.***
1. Does the crayon rock have grains? _________ 4. What color is the crayon rock? ______________________
2. Does the crayon rock have layers? _________ 5. What is the texture of the crayon rock? _______________
3. Does the crayon rock have streaks? ________
6. Does the crayon rock have pieces of sediment? _________
3. If you didn’t see any grains, layers, streaks, or sediments the crayon rock must be an __________________
crayon rock! On the Rock Cycle Handout, in the box at the top of the circle, write “igneous rock”.
4. The first step is to create sediment. Unwrap your crayons and create a pile of crayon shavings on the piece of
aluminum foil by scraping it with the knife. You may trade crayons among yourselves to acquire a mixture of
colors. You have around 5 minutes to build up a decent sized pile.
5. What sedimentary rock process did you just demonstrate? ____________________________________ On the
Rock Cycle Handout, the arrow from “igneous rock” can be labeled _________________________________.
The next box can be labeled “sediment”.
6. Now fold over the foil to wrap up the sediment pile. Press down on the pile as hard as you can. Gently unwrap it.
The sedimentary crayon rock will be fragile but should hold together in a packed layer.
What are the final two processes you just demonstrated in the making of sedimentary rocks?
______________________________________________________________________________
7. Observe the similarities between the sedimentary crayon rock and the real sedimentary rocks on the board and on
page 92 in your book. List 3 similarities in the table below.
Similarities
1.
2.
3.
8. On the Rock Cycle Handout, the arrow from “sediment” can be labeled – compacting and cementing. The next
box can be labeled “sedimentary rock”.
9. Now you are ready for hot water. Inform me that you are ready and I will get it for you.
10. You should create a little boat for your sedimentary crayon rock and float the boat on the hot water. Watch as the
heat from the water melts the crayon. Remove the foil when the wax is soft to the touch and the colors have
swirled together but not so much that the colors are indistinguishable. Let the metamorphic crayon rock cool. This
may take several minutes.
11. List 3 similarities in the table below between the metamorphic crayon rock and the real metamorphic rocks on the
board and on page 98 in your book.
Similarities
1.
2.
3.
12. On the Rock Cycle Handout, the arrow from “sedimentary rock” can be labeled __________________________.
The next box can be labeled “metamorphic rock”. Discuss this process as it occurs in the real world with rocks
being subjected to intense heat and pressure beneath the surface of the Earth.
13. At this point, the temperature of the water in the cups may have cooled. You can dump your cool water in the sink
and let me know you need more.
14. You should put the metamorphic crayon rock back in the foil boat and float it on the new hot water. This time,
allow the wax to melt until a smooth pool of liquid wax forms and the colors blend together uniformly. Carefully
remove the foil and let the igneous crayon rock cool. This will take several more minutes.
15. Discuss the similarities between the igneous crayon rock and the real igneous rocks that are on the board and on
page 88 in your book. List 3 similarities in the table below.
Similarities
1.
2.
3.
16. On the Rock Cycle Handout, the final arrow from “metamorphic rock” can be labeled “melting into magma then
cooling”. Discuss this process as it occurs in the real world with rocks being melted deep within the Earth then
extruded again as volcanoes or bubbles of magma that do not reach the surface.
17. Do you think this igneous rock could be turned into sedimentary rock? How? _____________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
18. Could it be turned directly into metamorphic rock? How? _____________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
19. Could a metamorphic rock be turned directly into sedimentary rock? How? ______________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
20. On your Rock Cycle Handout, add additional arrows across the middle of the rock cycle to illustrate that any type
of rock can turn into any other type of rock. For example, metamorphic rock can be eroded into sediment then
compacted and cemented into sedimentary rock. See the example on the back of your handout.
21. Clean up! You can keep your crayon rocks.
Rock Cycle Handout
Rock Cycle Example