4th Grade
Science
Unit C: Earth Sciences
Chapter 6: Minerals and Rocks
Lesson 1: What are minerals?
mineral
A mineral is a natural, nonliving, solid
crystal that makes up rocks.
All over the world,
each mineral has the
same chemical
makeup. Scientist have
identified more than
3,000 minerals.
Oral Response Task
Restate the definition of a mineral.
crystal
A crystal is a three-dimensional shape
with flat surfaces.
To identify a mineral,
scientists tests its
properties, which
include color, luster,
hardness, cleavage,
and crystal shape.
Oral Response Task
Describe a crystal.
luster
Luster is the property of a mineral that
describes how it reflects light.
A glassy luster is shiny.
A metallic luster looks
like polished metal. A
soft shine can be
described as a waxy,
silky, or pearly luster.
Oral Response Task
Explain the meaning of luster.
hardness
Hardness is a measure of how easily a
mineral can be scratched.
Diamond is the
hardest mineral. It
has a hardness of
10.
Oral Response Task
Describe hardness.
streak
Streak is the color of the powder that a
mineral leaves when it is scratched
across a special plate.
Sometimes the streak is
a different color than
the mineral itself. For
example, hematite can
be silver or red but its
streak is always red.
Oral Response Task
Evaluate why different minerals have
different streaks.
cleavage
Cleavage is property of minerals that
break along smooth, flat surfaces.
Some minerals do not
have any cleavage.
Quartz often breaks
into pieces with smooth
surfaces that look like
the inside of a seashell.
Oral Response Task
Identify and describe the cleavage of a
rock.
4th Grade
Science
Unit C: Earth Sciences
Chapter 6: Minerals and Rocks
Lesson 2: How are minerals and ores sorted?
ore
Ore is a rock rich in valuable minerals
that can be removed from Earth’s crust.
Ore deposits are not
common everywhere in
Earth’s crust. People
use many different
methods to find them.
Oral Response Task
Restate the definition of ore.
copper
Copper is a soft metal that is a good
conductor and is easy to shape, often to
make wire.
Copper is a shiny metal
that is easy to shape and
to make into wire and
pipes.
Oral Response Task
Describe copper.
4th Grade
Science
Unit C: Earth Sciences
Chapter 6: Minerals and Rocks
Lesson 3: How are rocks classified?
igneous
Igneous describes a type of rock that
forms from molten rock.
Igneous rocks for from
molten rocks called
magma. They can form
above or below earth’s
surface. Usually they
are hard and they don’t
have layers but they
often have crystals that
interlock.
Oral Response Task
Explain igneous rocks.
lava
Lava is hot, molten rock that reaches
Earth’s surface.
As the lava cools,
mineral crystals form.
However, when lava
cools quickly, there is
not time for the crystals
to form.
Oral Response Task
Describe lava.
magma
Magma is hot, molten rock that forms
deep underground.
As magma raises
slowly, it might melt
some of the surrounding
rock. The magma slowly
cools and crystals of
minerals form in the
rock.
Oral Response Task
Distinguish between magma and lava.
sedimentary
Sedimentary describes a type of rock
that forms when layers of sediments settle
on top of one another and harden.
Sedimentary rocks are
made up of soil, shells,
bits of rock, and the
remain of dead plant
and animal matter.
Oral Response Task
Describe sedimentary rocks.
layering
Layering occurs when pressure on
sediment that settles on top of older
layers, creating newer layers.
Layers of rock at Earth’s
surface are usually
younger than the layers
below them. This fact
helps scientists who
study the ages of rocks
as well as those who
study things that have
loved on Earth.
Oral Response Task
Explain the process of layering.
metamorphic
Metamorphic describes a type of rock
formed when heat and pressure change
the properties of rock.
Metamorphic rocks
can form from
sedimentary rocks,
igneous rocks, and
even other
metamorphic rocks.
Oral Response Task
Describe metamorphic rocks.
4th Grade
Science
Unit C: Earth Sciences
Chapter 6: Minerals and Rocks
Lesson 4: How do rocks change?
rock cycle
The rock cycle is the process that
recycles rock into new types of rock.
Rocks are always
changing from one form
into another in a process
called the rock cycle.
Oral Response Task
Examine the parts of the rock cycle.
ash
Ash is finely pulverized lava thrown out
by a volcano in eruption.
Ash from volcanoes
forms layers of
sediment.
Oral Response Task
Describe ash.
4th Grade
Science
Unit C: Earth Sciences
Chapter 7: Our Changing Earth
Lesson 1: How does Earth’s surface slowly change?
landforms
Landforms are natural features of
Earth.
Some landforms take
shape quickly, but
others take over a long
time. A mountain may
take millions of years
to form, but rocks
rolling down its side
can change the
mountain in a hurry.
Oral Response Task
List the different types of Earth’s
landforms.
weathering
Weathering is the process that breaks
down rocks in Earth’s crust into small
pieces.
Before landforms can
change, the rocks that
form them must first
break apart.
Weathering is the
process that breaks
rocks in Earth’s crust
into small pieces.
Oral Response Task
Describe the process of weathering.
4th Grade
Science
Unit C: Earth Sciences
Chapter 7: Our Changing Earth
Lesson 2: What causes physical weathering?
glaciers
Glaciers are huge moving sheets of ice.
Glaciers can cause
physical weathering
by creeping very
slowly over land. As
the glacier slides
along, it drags rocks
with it.
Oral Response Task
Restate the definition of glaciers.
freezing
Freezing is approaching, at, or below
the freezing point.
When water freezes, it
expands. Water from
the rain or melted snow
seeps into cracks in
rocks. As the water
freezes, the ice pushes
against the sides of the
crack. In time, the rock
will split.
Oral Response Task
Describe freezing.
thawing
Thawing is to pass or change from a
frozen state to a liquid state.
Cycles of
freezing and
thawing cause
rocks to split.
Oral Response Task
Distinguish between thawing and
freezing.
soil
Soil is the thin layer of loose,
weathered material that covers most of
the land surface of Earth.
Weathering
breaks rocks into
small pieces that
are ingredients in
soil.
Oral Response Task
Describe soil.
4th Grade
Science
Unit C: Earth Sciences
Chapter 7: Our Changing Earth
Lesson 3: How does weathered material move?
erosion
Erosion is the movement of weathered
materials.
Wind, water,
glaciers, living
things, and gravity
cause erosion.
Oral Response Task
Illustrate the process of erosion.
transport
Transport is to carry from one place to
another.
Water often carries,
or transport,
weathered materials
from one place to
another.
Oral Response Task
Analyze the effects of transport in the
process of erosion.
gravity
Gravity is the force of attraction
toward the center of the Earth.
Gravity pulls rocks
and soil downhill.
Oral Response Task
Appraise the importance of gravity.
deposition
Deposition is the laying down of piece
of rock and soil.
Water flowing quickly
carries large particles . As
the moving water slows,
the large particles as well
as sand are deposited at
the bottom.
Oral Response Task
Assess the effects of deposition in the
process of erosion.
4th Grade
Science
Unit C: Earth Sciences
Chapter 7: Our Changing Earth
Lesson 4: What causes rapid changes to landforms?
landslide
A landslide is the rapid downhill
movement of large amounts of rock and
soil.
Landslides can cause
a lot of damage.
Buildings, cars, trees,
and other objects are
sometimes carried
along with the sliding
soil.
Oral Response Task
Describe a landslide.
volcano
A volcano is place on Earth’s crust
where magma reaches the surface.
The volcano erupts when
the magma reaches the
surface
Oral Response Task
Question the process by which a
volcano erupts.
dormant
Dormant describes a volcano in a state
of rest.
A volcano that has
not erupt for a long
time is said to be
dormant.
Oral Response Task
Describe a dormant volcano.
active
Active describes a volcano that has
frequent eruptions or shows signs of
future eruptions.
An active volcano
has frequent
eruptions or shows
signs of future
eruptions.
Oral Response Task
Distinguish between an active volcano
and a dormant volcano.
fault
A fault is a break or crack where
Earth’s crust can move.
Sometimes, rocks along
a fault can get stuck.
The plates however,
continue their slow
movement, or creep.
Oral Response Task
Describe a fault.
earthquake
An earthquake is a sudden movement
that causes Earth’s crust to shake.
The vibrations of
an earthquake
move as waves
that travel through
Earth.
Oral Response Task
Describe what happens to the Earth
during an earthquake.
plates
Plates are large pieces of the Earth’s
crust.
Two plates meet
along the San Andres
fault.
Oral Response Task
Propose an explanation to the Earth’s crust
being broken into plates.