The Rock Cycle
“The rocks under our feet seem permanent, but
they are constantly being changed”-Dorling
Kindersley
I. Rocks
A. Rock: a solid material made of one or
more minerals , organic materials and/or
chemical substances
MEMORY JOGGER: A mineral is a naturally
occurring, inorganic substance with a
definite chemical composition
II. Three Main Groups of
Rocks
A. Igneous – formed by the
cooling & solidification of
molten rock (magma)
B. Sedimentary – formed
by the compaction &
cementation of layers of
sediment (rock fragments,
organic remains, chemical
deposits)
OC. Metamorphic –
formed when existing
rocks are CHANGED by
intense heat & pressure
but DO NOT MELT
III. The Rock Cycle
A. ROCK CYCLE: Shows how each type of
rock forms & how each rock can change
into a different type of rock
Example: How does an igneous rock form
and how can an igneous rock turn into a
metamorphic rock?
C. Rocks gradually and continually change
from one type to another
IV. The Rock Cycle and the ESRT
(page 6)
V. Reading the Rock Cycle
Diagram
1. The words inside the rectangles
represent the three main rock types
2. The words inside the bubbles represent
the “ingredients” needed to form certain
rock types
V. Reading the Rock Cycle
Diagram (continued)
3. The arrows represent the processes that
cause the rocks and “ingredients” to form
a. Weathering = to break down
b. Erosion = to move away
c. Deposition= To leave off
d. Uplift= to bring to the surface
V. Reading the Rock Cycle
Diagram (continued)
e. Compacted = To reduce the size or
volume of rock layers due to pressure
f. Cementation= To join sediments together
g. Solidification= Changing of a liquid to a
solid due to a loss of heat energy
h. Metamorphism= The changing of a rock
due to heat and pressure
Video
O The Rock Cycle
O We Will ROCK You
O Want to see these videos again? They are
posted on my webpage!
RAFT ASSIGNMENT
(due Monday)
O Scenario: An elementary school teacher has
been having difficulty teaching some of her
students about the rock cycle. She has asked
for help from high school students to work with
her students to explain the concepts. The
teacher has asked you to come up with a way to
explain the rock cycle to her second grade
students. She has asked you to choose one of
the format options listed in the table below.
ROLE
AUDIENCE
FORMAT
TASK
A mentoring/tutoring A second grade class Option 1: Write a
Describe the path
student from the high
short story
that a rock may take
school
through the rock
Option 2: Write a song cycle. Your product
(story, song, poem,
Option 3: Write a
illustration, etc) MUST
poem
include the three rock
types (igneous,
Option 4: Draw a
metamorphic and
comic script
sedimentary) and the
proper way steps of
Option 5: Draw a
the rock cycle
poster with a detailed
inbetween
caption
Option 6: Build a
model of the rock
cycle using clay or
another similar
method
RAFT Class Time Expectations
O Feel free to brainstorm project ideas with
the person sitting next to you
O Markers and printer paper are available
in the back of the room
O Use this time wisely to get started on the
assignment. Ask me questions if you have
them!
O Keep your voices low so that other
students can focus and hear each other
O By the end of the time given, you need to
have your format chosen and begin
organizing your product
O We will be coming back together as a
class around 2:05 for“Thought Bubbles”
THOUGHT BUBBLES
O In your thought bubbles, respond to one of the following
questions about today’s class:
1. What is one thing that you learned about Earth Science
today?
2. What is one thing related to Earth Science that
surprised you today?
3. What is one way that the rock cycle is relevant or
important to us?
4. What are you left wondering about in regards to Earth
Science and rock or the rock cycle?