5

How Rocks Turn

into Soil
Module in Science 5
Quarter IV, Week 1

Photo by: Marilyn D. Duhalngon

MARILYN D. DUHALNGON
Developer

Department of Education SDO- IFUGAO

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 Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Cordillera Administrative Region
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE- IFUGAO
Lagawe, Ifugao

Published by the
Learning Resource Management and Development System

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(2020)
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this material for commercial purposes and profit.

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 WHAT I KNOW
Direction: Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write the
answer in a clean sheet of paper.
1. Rocks could be broken no matter how hard it is. What do we call the
process of breaking down of rocks into fragments?
a. Erosion b. flooding
c. run off d. weathering

2. At times, humans have much activities that contribute to the breaking

down of rocks. What do you call the process by which humans extract
stones from the mountains for construction purposes?
a. digging b. flattering
c. weathering d. quarrying

3. There are two types of how rocks are being broken. What do we call the
type of weathering that involves change in the composition of rocks?
a. Chemical b. mechanical
b. none d. physical

4. Animals are also agents of weathering. Which among the animals’

activities could not cause rocks to break down?
a. A cat eating its food on a plate
b. A chicken scratching for food
c. A horse stepping on stones
d. A pig burrowing into the soil

5. Which among the agent of weathering can cause beautiful formation of

stones?
a. rabbit b. stone
b. temperature d. Wind

6. which of the following activities of man contribute to the breaking down of

rocks?
a. fishing b. mining
c. sky diving d. studying

7. Plants are among the agents of weathering. How do roots of plant break
down rocks?
a. The roots absorb rock particles
b. The roots leave materials on the rocks.
c. The roots split the rocks apart.
d. The stones hit the rocks.

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8. How does temperature breakdown rocks?
a. Rocks break when it is cooled.
b. Rocks break when it is heated.
c. Rocks break when it is heated and then cooled.
d. Rocks break when it is not exposed to water.

9. Some animals like the rabbits and moles dig up soil for shelter or to find
food. How does this activity contribute to the breaking down of rocks?
a. Animals will enjoy staying in the dug holes and cause the rising of
temperature inside.
b. The digging or burrowing of animals breaks the rocks into small
pieces.
c. The food that these animals bring underground causes the breaking
of rocks.
d. Small rocks that be exposed to sunlight.

10. Water, people, animals wear away bits of rocks. when this happens, which
of these could possibly happen?
a. rock fragments will become soil b. rocks become bigger
c. rocks form a mountain d. rocks turn into water

WHAT’S IN

A.Match Column A with Column B.

A B

1. The kind of rock that is formed from molten rock. A. sedimentary rock
2. The kind of rock that is changed from other rocks. B. sandstone
3. Shale is an example of this kind of rock. C. igneous rock
4. A metamorphic rock formed from limestone. D. metamorphic
5. A sedimentary rock formed from pressed sand. E. marble

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 B. Were your answers correct? Read these:

 Sedimentary rocks are formed out of sediments

 Sandstones are made of mud and sand. They are used in walls and
buildings
 Igneous rocks are formed from magma
 Metamorphic rocks are composed of these that were once igneous or
sedimentary rocks.
 A marble is made from limestone. Its colors depend on its environment.
It is used in making beautiful walls, floorings and movements.

WHAT’S NEW

Have you ever noticed how the soles of your slippers change and become
thinner the longer you use them? Have you observed how a ball changes its
appearance and texture after it has been used for months, even years?
Changes also happen to rocks and other materials on earth. Take a look on the
pictures below, why do you think that the rocks have different shapes or are broken?
Unscramble the letters to form the word that can possibly cause the change of the
shape or break the rocks. Write the formed word on the blank provided.

ertwa ashmun
________________ __________________

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 ewsav sltpan
___________________ ____________________

WHAT IS IT

What have you got from the activity? Are there other forces that cause the
breaking down of rocks into pieces? Let’s go deeper in understanding the topic by
studying carefully the following information:
 Rocks are hard, compact and solid. They continuously break into small pieces.
This process is called weathering. There are factors that cause the breaking
down of rocks to small pieces and finally become soil.

 There are two types of weathering-mechanical and chemical.

1. Mechanical weathering, also called physical weathering is simply the
breaking down of rocks due to physical or mechanical factors.

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 2. Chemical weathering is the breaking down of rocks caused by natural or
man-made chemicals

 Different factors act constantly of rocks to break and change them to soil.
These factors include heat, air, water, plants, animals and man.

 In weathering, the rock may just crumble down into smaller process or it may
produce some other new substances.
 Plants may break down rocks. Some plants grow on rocks. When they die and
decay, they give off acid which slowly breaks them down. Roots of plants may
find their way into cracks become wider, this can cause the rock to break apart.

 Man and animals help in breaking rocks are digging mountains and rocky
places for mining and quarrying activities. Animals breakdown rocks with their
claws and hooves as they move around and their waste materials help in the
decay of rocks.

 Weather elements also help in breaking down rocks. The alternate heating
and cooling of rocks for a long time cause them to break apart. When the wind
blows, it picks up sand and hurts them against the rocks, as they hit the rocks,
the rock wear away. Fast moving water carrying soil and bigger ocean waves
crash onto the shore and pound against big rocks causing the rocks to break
down into smaller pieces. These are only some of the forces that help in
breaking down of rocks.

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 WHAT’S MORE

Activity 1- Man, Animals, Plants and Rocks

In this Activity, you will observe how man, animals and plants break down
rocks to soil.
What to do:
1. Go round your garden. Look for plants that grew in rocks. Observe them. You may
even draw them in your notebook.
2. Observe how the roots of the plants anchor themselves in the rocks.
3. Observe a place which is often walked-through by people and animals.
4. Record your observations.

Answer these:
1. What happened to the rocks where the plants grow?
___________________________________________________________________
2. Do roots have something to do with in the breakdown of rocks? How?
___________________________________________________________________
3. Describe the rocks that you saw in the place where people and animals often
walk-through. How do they look, like? Why?
___________________________________________________________________

Were you able to get the correct answer in the previous activity? Read the paragraph
below.
Man, animals and plants contribute to the breaking down of rocks. Some of the
activities of men that help in breaking rocks are digging mountains and rocky places
of mining and quarrying activities. Animals break down rocks with their claws and
hooves as they move around.
Some plants grow on rocks. When they die and decay, they give off acid which
slowly breaks them down. Roots of plants may find their way into cracks. As the roots
grow bigger, the cracks become wider; this can cause the rocks to break apart.

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Assessment 1
Direction: List down at least 5 human or animal activities that contributes to
the breaking down of rocks.
1.__________________________________________________________________
2.__________________________________________________________________
3._________________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________________
5.__________________________________________________________________

Activity 2 – Heating and Cooling of Rocks

In this activity, you will see how heating and cooling affect rocks. Using matches
could be dangerous. It can cause fire so you must have to be very careful in doing the
suggested activity with an elder, parent or guardian. Follow correctly the steps in the
activity.
What you need:
soft rocks such as limestone cold water
sandstone or shale tongs
basin candle
safety match

What to do:
1. Observe one rock with your naked eye.
2. Hold the rock with the tongs.
3. Put the rock over the flame of the lighted candle for about I minute.
4. Observe what happens to the rock.
5. Heat the rock again for about 1 minute, then drop it into the cold water.
6. Take the crook out of the water, wipe it dry, and examine it.
7. Record your observation in your notebook.

Answer these;
1. Describe what happened to each rock when you applied heat.
____________________________________________________________

2. Describe what happened to the hot rock when placed in water.

____________________________________________________________

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 3. Did the rock change? Why?
____________________________________________________________

4. What is the effect of heating and cooling rocks?

____________________________________________________________

Did you get the correct answers? Read the paragraph below.
At daytime, the rocks expand because the sun heats the surface. At night, it is
cold, so the rocks contract, crack or break. The continuous heating and cooling of
rocks break them up.
Some rocks have holes and cracks in them. Water enters through the holes and
cracks when it rains. When the rocks become cold, the water in these holes and cracks
freezes and the rocks cracks. When this process continues for many years, the rocks
break into pieces

Assessment 2
Direction: Explain or give an example on how each of the following below
contribute to the breaking down of rocks:
1. Water- ____________________________________________________________
2. Wind- _____________________________________________________________
3. Man- ______________________________________________________________
4. Plants- ____________________________________________________________
5. Ice - ______________________________________________________________

Activity 3-Water, Rocks and Soil

In this activity, you will see how water affects breakdown of rocks to soil.
What you need:
small and soft rocks
samples glass jar half-filled with water
piece of clean cloth
rubber band

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What to do:

Step 1. Put the small and soft rock
samples that you have prepared
inside the glass jar half-filled with
water then cover it tightly.
Step 3. Remove the cover of the glass
jar. Replace it with the piece of cloth
tied at the brim of the bottle with the
use of the rubber band as shown in
the illustration.

Step 2. Shake the glass jar for about Step 4. Turn the glass jar upside
2 minutes. down to empty the water in the bottle
as shown in the illustration below.

Step 5. When the water is gone, remove the piece of cloth in the glass jar and
examine the rock samples that you placed inside. record your observation in your
notebook.

After performing activity 3, answer the questions below:

1. What happened to the rock samples that you have placed inside the glass jar?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

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2. Where did the small particles in the glass jar come from?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

3. What caused the rock to break in small pieces?

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

4. Are these small particles look the same with the soil?
_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Assessment 3
Direction: From your activity above, fill in the flow chart with the correct order
on how rocks turn into soil. Choose the statement to fill in the box.
a.The small particles look like tiny bits and finally look the same the soil.
b. The water caused the rocks to break into small pieces.
c. The soft rock samples were put inside the jar-filled with water.
d. The rocks became smaller after shaking for two minutes.

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 WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

After going through actual activities and a study on the weathering of

rocks, let’s have some exercises from what was learned.
A.Direction: Find some factors or agents that can cause the breaking
down of rocks from the puzzle. The correct answers can be found vertically,
horizontally and diagonally. Write the decoded words on the blank provided
below.
A K R S X P Z E S L R
P T H V C W V X M G T
L Y A U l A N S P F A
A Y N E N T U L S O H
N P I K B E K L P Z O
T E M P E R A T U R E
S K A B U M X Q A C T
C A L W I N D I R J W
B E S N T Y O R M D E
A S A B L O N Y W I P
G F P O H U M A N S R

__________________________ ________________________
__________________________ ________________________
__________________________ ________________________

B. Direction: Write T if the statement is correct. If it is false, change the underlined

word or phrase to make the statement correct.
__________ 1. Weathering is the temporary process that break down rocks and
other materials on the surface of the earth.
___________2. During day time, constant heat contracts the surface layer of
the rock that could cause its break down.
___________3. Burrowing animals such as the rabbit contribute to weathering
by digging deeper that can cause rocks to break into pieces.
__________ 4. Trees can also trigger weathering. Its growing roots can break
the cemented ground in search for more minerals in the soil.
__________ 5. Wind can seep into the cracks of the rocks. When it gets colder,
this can expand and turn into ice which can cause the rocks to break into pieces.

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 WHAT I CAN DO

What can you say about the previous activities? Did you enjoy answering
them? I’m sure you did. In the next activity, you are going to apply what you
have learned to solve real life situations.

Direction: In 1 to 3 sentences, answer the following questions. Write the

answer in your notebook.

1. Your father bought a hundred pieces of concrete hollow blocks for your
house to be constructed soon. Where will you store them to preserve
their strength? Why?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

2. Quarrying operation in some province has been stopped by the

Department of Environment and Natural Resources or DENR. Why do
you think so?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

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 ASSESSMENT

Direction: Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write the answer in a
clean sheet of paper.
1. which of the following activities of man contribute to the breaking down of
rocks?
a. Fishing b. mining
c. sky diving d. studying

2. Which among the agent of weathering can cause beautiful formation of

stones?
a. rabbit b. stone
c. temperature d. wind

3. Rocks could be broken no matter how hard it is. What do we call the
process of breaking down of rocks into fragments?
a. erosion b. flattering
c. run off d. weathering

4. What do we call the type of weathering that involves change in the

composition of rocks?
a. Chemical b. mechanical
c. none d. physical

5. Some animals dig up soil for shelter or to find food. How does its activity
contribute to the breaking down of rocks?
a. Animals will enjoy staying in the dug holes and cause the rising of
temperature inside.
b. The digging or burrowing of animals breaks the rocks into small
pieces.
c. The food that these animals bring underground causes the breaking
of rocks.
d. Small rocks that be exposed to sunlight.

6. Water, people, animals wear away bits of rocks. when this happens, which
of these could possibly happen?
a. rock fragments will become soil
b. rocks become bigger
c. rocks turn into water
d. rocks become bigger

16
 7. What do you call the process by which humans extract stones from the
mountains for construction purposes?
a. Digging b. flattering
c. weathering d. quarrying

8. How does temperature breakdown rocks?

a. Rocks break when it is cooled.
b. Rocks break when it is heated.
c. Rocks break when it is heated and then cooled.
d. Rocks break when it is not exposed to water.

9. Plants are among the agents of weathering. How do roots of plant break down
rocks?
a. The roots absorbed rock particles
b. The roots leave materials on the rocks
c. The roots split the rocks apart
d. The stones hit the rocks

10. Animals are also agents of weathering. Which among the animals’ activities
could not cause rocks to break down?
a. a cat eating its food on a plate
b. a chicken scratching for food
c. a horse stepping on stones
d. a pig burrowing into the soil

Additional Activity

After doing series of activities, you may still do an additional one to enhance
the knowledge that you have gained.
Direction: Collect pictures of beautiful sceneries that have obviously undergone
weathering and can be found within our locality. Make an album.
( An example of this is the “Matangili Rocks” found at Regimental, Magulon, Lamut, Ifugao)

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 19
What I Know What’s In What’s New
1. d 1. C water humans
2. d 2. D
3. a 3. A waves plants
4. a 4. E
5. d 5. B
6. b
7. c
8. c
9. b
10. a
What I Have Learned
A. (answers may be in any order) B.
Animals 1. continuous
Wind 2. T
Plants 3. T
Water 4. T
Humans 5. water
Temperature
What I Can Do Assessment
1. Answers vary 1. b 6. a
2. Answers vary 2. d 7. d
3. d 8. c
4. a 9. c
5. b 10. a
Answer Keys
 References

Sarte Evelyn T, Lopez, Eliza A., dela Cruz, mary Jean G., Arradaza, Harold A. and
Garcia Ednaliza R. Science Beyond Borders.Vibal Group, Inc. 2016

Espiritu, Maria Adelina P. Macatangay Maricel Jeanette M. and Valenzuela. Julieta

P. Flight to Discovery 5.Diwa scholastic Press Inc.2008

http://lrmds.deped.gov.ph/. Project STRIVE for BESRA.2010

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 Address: Ilap ES, Lamut District
Contact Number: 09358314798
Office of the Management Team: SDO-Ifugao, LRMS, Lagawe

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