Educator Guide: Geology: Rock
Detectives
This document is a resource for teachers whose classes are participating in the Museum of Science’s Geology: Rock Detectives Traveling Program. The information in this document may be used as a classroom resource and/or as background information for the teacher concerning the subject of geology. Table of Contents:
Vocabulary List……………………………………………………………………………2
Further Background Reading…………………………………………………………...5
Suggested Classroom Materials……………………………………...………………...6
Activity Descriptions……………………………………………………………………...7
Document Description……………………………………………………………….…..8
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Vocabulary List
This is a list of common geology terms that teachers may wish to be familiar with for the Geology: Rock Detectives program. This list is also a suggestion of vocabulary for students participating in the program to learn, though prior study of these words is not required for student participation. Acid Test – a test conducted on rocks and minerals to see if they react with an acid Cement – minerals that form between bits of rock so that the bits of rock end up stuck together; can be used to describe how sedimentary rocks form Erosion – the wearing away of rock layers through time, via natural events like water or wind rushing over the layers
Extrusive Igneous Rocks – igneous rocks that cool aboveground
Fossil – any remnant or clue about life from an earlier age that has been preserved in some way until the modern day; examples include bones and footprints
Geochemist – a geology career studying the chemical composition of planet Earth Geology – the study of Earth Hardness Test – a test conducted on rocks and minerals to see if they can scratch glass or other materials; they are ranked depending on their ability to scratch Hydrologist – a geology career studying the movement of water on planet Earth Igneous – a rock that forms from melted rock (such as magma or lava) cooling into a solid
Intrusive Igneous Rocks – igneous rocks that cool underground
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Lava – melted rock that has been pushed aboveground Layers – sections of rock that can be peeled apart Magma – melted rock that is underground
Metamorphic – a rock that forms from another rock that has been changed due to heat and pressure
Mineral – a solid that is only made up of one type of substance; can be found in rocks, dirt, water, and even in our own bodies; minerals are the “ingredients” that make up rocks Mineralogist – a geology career studying minerals Oceanographer – a geology career studying the ocean floor
Pressure – being pushed on
Principle of Original Horizontality – sediment will fall in horizontal layers unless other forces act upon it Principle of Superposition – in a section of Earth, the oldest rocks are at the bottom, and the youngest are on the top, unless other forces act upon the rocks
Rock – a solid that is made of one or more different types of minerals Rock Cycle – the process of rocks changing between being Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic Sample – in geology, a sample is a piece of a section/layer of rock or sediment that is removed for further study
Sediment – material like sand, dirt, dust, and pieces of plants or animals that accumulate, often on the ocean floor
Sedimentary – a rock that forms from sediment cementing together
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Sedimentologist – a geology career studying sediment Volcanologist – a geology career studying volcanoes and the movement of magma underground
Weathering – similar to erosion; a process that breaks down rocks 4
Further Background Reading
This is a suggested reading list for teachers looking to improve their understanding of geology. Books
Earth by James Luhr. DK Adult. 2007.
Earth: Portrait of a Planet by Stephen Marshak. WW Norton and Company.
2007.
Links
Online resource for many different geological needs or questions –
http://geology.com/
Great introductory website for all kinds of geology information, complete with
tutorials –
http://www.geologyrocks.co.uk/
Multiple links to geology sites, covering several different topics in great detail –
http://www.geologynet.com/dbases.htm
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Classroom Materials
Below are some suggestions for books and websites to help students increase their understanding of geology. Books
Rocks and Minerals (DK Eyewitness) by DK Publishing. DK Children. 2008.
- available in a Workbook Edition
Rocks: Hard, Soft, Smooth, and Rough by Natalie Rosinsky. Picture Window
Books. 2004.
Rocks and Minerals: A Gem of a Book! by Simon Basher. Kingfisher. 2009.
Links
Geology for kids on the American Museum of Natural History’s “Ology” website http://www.amnh.org/ology/index.php?channel=earth
Geology webpage for kids with facts, photos, and quizzes http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/geology.html
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Activity Descriptions
See the “Documents” section on the website to download these activities. Rock Wall Mystery
In this activity, students will get to solve the history of a rock wall, much like they do at the end of the Geology: Rock Detectives program. Using a rock wall image, a worksheet, and their detective skills, students figure out which layers of rock came first, which came later, and how each of those rocks got to be there. Do-It-Yourself Rock Cycle
Model the rock cycle right in the classroom! This activity can be done in two different ways – either an edible version, or an inedible version. Students will create sediment using either chocolate or crayons, by grating them into small shavings. They will then create sedimentary rock by smushing together their sediment. Next, they will change their sedimentary rock into a metamorphic rock by adding pressure. Finally, they will melt it down into “liquid rock” and have it cool overnight to become igneous rock. The cycle can even be repeated over again for extra emphasis! 7
Document Description
See the “Documents” section of the website to download the PDF of this document. Common Rocks and How to Identify Them
Not suggested for use before students participate in the Geology: Rock Detectives program. This document is similar to the information sheet students get towards the end of the Geology: Rock Detectives program. During the program, this chart allows students to figure out what rocks they had examined. It is provided here for cases where the teacher may wish to reuse this chart in the classroom if students would like to continue being “Rock Detectives” by finding their own rocks outside to study. Three additional rocks are included in this version. 8