Lesson 7: Minerals and

Rocks
Every Rock Tells a Story
PROCEDURE: Use Student Sheet 18.1, “Anticipation Guide: Roughpoint
Story” to prepare you for the newspaper article on the next page.

1. Carefully read the newspaper article.

2. Mark whether you agree or disagree with the statements on Student Sheet
18.2, “Intra-act Discussion: Roughpoint Story.”

3. Share your opinion about each statement and explain why you agreed or
disagreed.
Students discover rock secrets through activities.
Create a rock collection as you learn about the
three main types of rock.

The activities are:

1. Types of Rocks
2. Key characteristics of rocks within its three
main classes.
3. Classifying and describing three types of
rocks.
4. A quick video presentation about the Rock
Cycle.
Worksheet on Identifying the types of Rocks

Please write your answers in complete sentences!

 
1. What is the difference between rocks and minerals?

 
2. How many types of rocks make up the Earth’s crust?

 
3. What are the names of the 3 types of rocks?

 
4. How are igneous rocks formed?

 
5. What is another name for igneous rocks?

 
6. What is the difference between to two types of igneous rocks?

 
7. How are sedimentary rocks made?

 
8. How are metamorphic rocks made?

 
9. What does the word “metamorphosis” mean?
Classifying and describing the three types of rocks.

The students will classify some rocks based from their key characteristics.

Questions to be asked:

1. What are the different characteristics of rocks within its three main
classes?

2. Why is it important to know the differences among the three types of

rocks?
Worksheet on Key characteristics of rocks within its three main classes.

Please write your answers in complete sentences!

1. Which type of rocks belongs to:

A. Igneous

B. Sedimentary

C. Metamorphic
Act. A quick video presentation about the Rock Cycle.
Find out how to tell the different rock types apart, and see how rocks change
from one type into another!

Questions to be asked before the video:

1. Where do rocks come from?
2. Do you use rocks? Where? How?
3. As rocks recycle, do you do recycling? In what ways?
4. Is there any environmental impacts on our planet if we do not recycle? How?

Questions asked after the video:

3. Explain three new things that you learned from watching this video. Why did this ideas stand out for
you?

2. Consider the cartoon graphics used in the video. How does this enhance the message?

3. Mining industries still exist in our country. Who benefits from it? The government or the people?
Explain.
The students will create POEMS, ARTWORK, JINGLE
about Rock and Rock Cycle.
 Types of Rocks

Rocks are not all the same!

The three main types, or classes, of rock are
sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous and the
differences among them have to do with how they
are formed.
Sedimentary

Sedimentary rocks are formed from particles of sand, shells,

pebbles, and other fragments of material. Together, all these
particles are called sediment. Gradually, the sediment accumulates
in layers and over a long period of time hardens into rock.
Generally, sedimentary rock is fairly soft and may break apart or
crumble easily. You can often see sand, pebbles, or stones in the
rock, and it is usually the only type that contains fossils.

Examples of this rock type include conglomerate and limestone.

Metamorphic

Metamorphic rocks are formed under the surface of the earth from
the metamorphosis (change) that occurs due to intense heat and
pressure (squeezing). The rocks that result from these processes
often have ribbonlike layers and may have shiny crystals, formed
by minerals growing slowly over time, on their surface.

Examples of this rock type include gneiss and marble.

Igneous

Igneous rocks are formed when magma (molten rock deep within
the earth) cools and hardens. Sometimes the magma cools inside
the earth, and other times it erupts onto the surface from volcanoes
(in this case, it is called lava). When lava cools very quickly, no
crystals form and the rock looks shiny and glasslike. Sometimes
gas bubbles are trapped in the rock during the cooling process,
leaving tiny holes and spaces in the rock.

Examples of this rock type include basalt and obsidian.

 Here's a chart of some of the key
characteristics that can help you identify
the rocks within these three main classes.
Crystals
Small, flat surfaces that are shiny or sparkly, like tiny
mirrors.
Fossils
Imprints of leaves, shells, insects, or other items
in the rock.
Gas bubbles
"Holes," like Swiss cheese, in the rock.
Glassy surface
A shiny and smooth surface, like colored glass.
Ribbonlike layers
Straight or wavy stripes of different colors in
the rock.
Sand or pebbles
Individual stones, pebbles, or sand grains visible
in the rock.
 Carbonate Sedimentary rock
skeletal fragments of marine
organisms such as coral, foraminifera,
and molluscs visible in this rock.
Act. #1. Classifying and
describing the three types of rocks

You are going to discover rock secrets through activities.

Create a rock collection as you learn about the three main types of rock.
Find out how to tell the different rock types apart, and see how rocks change
from one type into another!

Classify some rocks based from their key characteristics.

Questions to be asked:
1. What are the different characteristics of rocks within its three main
classes?
2. Why is it important to know the differences among the three types of
rocks?
This rock has crystals. This is
marble. It is formed when
limestone is pushed down into
the earth and subjected to intense
heat and pressure for a long
period of time. Some marble is
pure white, while some has
colorful swirls. Marble is found
in mountainsides and quarries
(pits dug into the earth) and is
often used in construction and
sculpture.
This rock has ribbonlike layers.
It is gneiss (pronounced "nice").
Gneiss forms from other rocks
that have been squeezed and
heated for a long time deep
within the earth’s crust. Gneiss
can often be seen on
mountainsides, where rocks
formed below the surface have
been pushed up by movements in
the earth’s crust.
Limestone is a rock that is often
composed of the skeletal fragments of
marine organisms such as coral,
foraminifera, and molluscs. It was
formed from small particles
of rock or stone that have been
compacted by pressure. Its major
materials are the minerals calcite and
aragonite, which are different crystal
forms of calcium carbonate (CaCO
3).
You can see fossils in this rock.
The fossils formed when
seashells and the skeletons of
marine animals were compressed
into the sea floor, along with
other sediment. This rock is
called limestone, and is often
found near oceans and lakes.
This rock has gas bubbles.
These bubbles form when hot
lava from a volcano contains
gases that escape from the rock
as the lava cools. This is basalt.
Usually very dark in color, basalt
is the most common rock type in
earth’s crust and makes up most
of the ocean floor.
This rock has a glassy surface. It
is obsidian, which is created
from lava that cools so quickly
that no crystals can form on its
surface. It can be found near
volcanic lava flows, and was
often used to make arrowheads
because its edges are very sharp.
You will have a total of six minutes to complete
this activity. First you must correctly identify
the rock's characteristics and then you must
pick out the class to which the rock belongs.
Each question is worth one point and you will
have one chance to get the answer right.
1. Which of these
characteristics can you see in
this rock? 2. To which of the three main classes
does this rock belong?
Crystals
Ribbonlike layers
Glassy surface Sedimentary
Gas bubbles Metamorphic
Sand or pebbles Igneous
Fossils
Skeletal fragments
3. Which of these characteristics can you see in this rock?

Crystals
Ribbonlike layers
Glassy surface
Gas bubbles
4. To which of the three main
Sand or pebbles
classes does this rock belong?
Fossils
Skeletal fragments
Sedimentary
Metamorphic
Igneous
5. Which of these characteristics can you see in this rock?

Crystals
Ribbonlike layers
Glassy surface 6. To which of the three main classes
Gas bubbles does this rock belong?
Sand or pebbles
Fossils Sedimentary
Skeletal fragments Metamorphic
Igneous
7. Which of these characteristics can you see in this rock?

Crystals
8. To which of the three main
Ribbonlike layers
classes does this rock belong?
Glassy surface
Gas bubbles
Sedimentary
Sand or pebbles
Metamorphic
Fossils
Igneous
Skeletal fragments
9. Which of these characteristics can you see in this rock?

Crystals
Ribbonlike layers 10. To which of the three main
Glassy surface classes does this rock belong?
Gas bubbles
Sand or pebbles Sedimentary
Fossils Metamorphic
Skeletal fragments Igneous
How Rocks Change
Introduction

Does it seem to you that rocks never change? For example, if you find a chunk
of granite today, can you expect that it will still be granite at the end of your
lifetime? That may well be true — but only because our lifetimes are very
short relative to the history of the earth.

If we take a step back to look at geologic time (which focuses on changes

taking place over millions of years), we find that rocks actually do change! All
rocks, in fact, change slowly from one type to another, again and again. The
changes form a cycle, called "the rock cycle."

The way rocks change depends on various processes that are always taking
place on and under the earth's surface. Now let's take a closer look at each of
these processes.
Heat & Pressure

What happens to cookie dough when you put it in the oven? The heat of the oven produces
changes in the ingredients that make them interact and combine. Without melting the dough,
the heat changes it into a whole new product — a cookie.

A similar process happens to rocks beneath the earth's surface. Due to movements in the
crust, rocks are frequently pulled under the surface of the earth, where temperatures increase
dramatically the farther they descend. Between 100 and 200 kilometers (62 and 124 miles)
below the earth's surface, temperatures are hot enough to melt most rocks. However, before
the melting point is reached, a rock can undergo fundamental changes while in a solid state
— morphing from one type to another without melting.

An additional factor that can transform rocks is the pressure caused by tons of other rocks
pressing down on it from above; heat and pressure usually work together to alter the rocks
under the earth's surface. This kind of change, which results from both rising temperature and
pressure, is called metamorphism, and the resulting rock is a metamorphic rock.
Melting

What happens to a chocolate bar when it gets very hot? It melts.

The same thing happens to a rock when it is heated enough. Of

course, it takes a lot of heat to melt a rock. The high temperatures
required are generally found only deep within the earth. The rock is
pulled down by movements in the earth's crust and gets hotter and
hotter as it goes deeper. It takes temperatures between 600 and
1,300 degrees Celsius (1,100 and 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit) to
melt a rock, turning it into a substance called magma (molten rock).
Cooling
What would you do to turn a melted chocolate bar back into a solid? You'd cool it
by putting it into the refrigerator until it hardens.

Similarly, liquid magma also turns into a solid — a rock — when it is cooled. Any
rock that forms from the cooling of magma is an igneous rock. Magma that cools
quickly forms one kind of igneous rock, and magma that cools slowly forms
another kind.

When magma rises from deep within the earth and explodes out of a volcano, it is
called lava, and it cools quickly on the surface. Rock formed in this way is called
extrusive igneous rock. It is extruded, or pushed, out of the earth's interior and
cools outside of or very near the earth's surface.

What if the magma doesn't erupt out of a volcano, but instead gets pushed slowly
upward toward the earth's surface over hundreds, thousands, or even millions of
years? This magma will also cool, but at a much slower rate than lava erupting
from a volcano. The kind of rock formed in this way is called intrusive igneous
rock. It intrudes, or pushes, into the earth's interior and cools beneath the surface.
Weathering & Erosion
What do dandelions rely on to separate their seeds, carry
them, and deposit them elsewhere? The wind.

All objects on the earth's surface are exposed to the wind,

along with many other elements — water, the sun,
temperature changes. Over time, these factors wear objects
down and break them apart. The resulting bits and pieces of
material are called sediment. Sediment is then transported
by wind and water, often ending up far from where it started.
These processes of breakdown and transport due to
exposure to the environment are called weathering and
erosion. Weathering and erosion affect all rocks on the
earth's surface.
Compacting & Cementing
What happens to a loose pile of garbage when it's put into a
compactor? The squeezing of the machine produces a solid cube
of compacted garbage.

The same thing happens to sediment formed from the weathering

and erosion of rock. Over time, sediment accumulates in oceans,
lakes, and valleys, eventually building up in layers and weighing
down the material underneath. This weight presses the sediment
particles together, compacting them. Water passing through the
spaces in between the particles helps to cement them together
even more. This process of compacting and cementing sediment
forms sedimentary rock.
You've learned about five processes that affect rocks
over time. Now apply your knowledge to REAL
ROCKS!

You will have a total of six minutes to complete this

challenge. For each question, you must pick the
process that has changed the rock from one type to
another. Each question is worth two points, and you
will have one chance to get the answer right
1. The conglomerate has disappeared! What
can turn pebbles and sand (sediment) into a
conglomerate (sedimentary rock)?
1. The conglomerate has disappeared! What
can turn pebbles and sand (sediment) into a
conglomerate (sedimentary rock)?
2. The marble is gone! What process can turn
limestone (sedimentary rock) into marble
(metamorphic rock)?
2. The marble is gone! What process can turn
limestone (sedimentary rock) into marble
(metamorphic rock)?
3. What happened to the obsidian? It's turned
into sand! What process can turn obsidian
(igneous rock) into sediment?
3. What happened to the obsidian? It's turned
into sand! What process can turn obsidian
(igneous rock) into sediment?
4. The gneiss got pushed way underground! What
process can turn gneiss (metamorphic rock) into
magma?
4. The gneiss got pushed way underground! What
process can turn gneiss (metamorphic rock) into
magma?
5. Over time, magma deep inside the earth
has turned into granite (igneous rock). What
process made this happen?
5. Over time, magma deep inside the earth
has turned into granite (igneous rock). What
process made this happen?
6. The granite has slowly been pushed to the
surface of the earth, where wind and water have
worn it down. What is the name of the process
that turned granite into sediment?
6. The granite has slowly been pushed to the
surface of the earth, where wind and water have
worn it down. What is the name of the process
that turned granite into sediment?
7. Over time, the sandy sediment has become a
sedimentary rock called sandstone. What process
turns sand into sandstone?
7. Over time, the sandy sediment has become a
sedimentary rock called sandstone. What process
turns sand into sandstone?
8. Next, the sandstone gets pushed underground
and transforms into a metamorphic rock called
quartzite. What process can turn sandstone into
quartzite?
8. Next, the sandstone gets pushed underground
and transforms into a metamorphic rock called
quartzite. What process can turn sandstone into
quartzite?
9. Finally, the quartzite gets pushed even farther
under the surface of the earth, where it becomes
magma. What turns quartzite into magma?
9. Finally, the quartzite gets pushed even farther
under the surface of the earth, where it becomes
magma. What turns quartzite into magma?
See if you can put your knowledge of rock
types and geologic processes together to
map out the rock cycle.
You will have a total of five minutes to
answer a series of questions that will help
you complete the rock cycle diagram. Each
question is worth two points and you will
have one chance to select the right answer.
1. When rocks are affected by weathering and
erosion, they change into which of the following?

Lava
Magma
Sediment
2. When sediment is compacted and cemented, it
changes into which of the following?

Igneous rock
Metamorphic rock
Sedimentary rock
3. When heat and pressure are applied to a
sedimentary rock, it changes into which of the
following?

Igneous rock
Metamorphic rock
Sediment
4. When melting of a metamorphic rock occurs, it
changes into which of the following?

Igneous rock
Magma
Sediment
5. When magma is cooled, it changes into which of
the following?

Igneous rock
Metamorphic rock
Sedimentary rock
 Benefits that rocks provide mankind

sources of fuel and power

Minerals are extracted from rocks

Salt can be extracted from rocks

serve as a source of water supply

one of the beauties of nature