The Rock Cycle. This packet was made by Liesl homeschoolden.com. This file may not be uploaded to any file sharing website.

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Mae Alexander
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The Rock Cycle This packet was made by Liesl homeschoolden.com Feel free to make as many copies as you need for your kids or the students in your classroom.

1 The Rock Cycle This packet was made by Liesl homeschoolden.com Feel free to make as many copies as you need for your kids or the students in your classroom. This file may not be uploaded to any file sharing website. You will see there are several different options that you can print out and use with your students. Choose the one the will work best for you! The first page (on page 2) was put together by me. The other illustrations are courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Starting on page 9 you ll find some of the hands-on activities we did to help the kids understand rocks and how they form.

2 The Volcano Rock Cooling Igneous Rocks Cycle Cooling Magma Weathering and Erosion Sediment Melting Heat and Pressure Weathering Compact and Cement and Erosion Sedimentary Rocks Metamorphic Rocks Heat and Pressure homeschoolden.com

4 The Rock Cycle

5 Explain the rock cycle: Name:

6 The Rock Cycle Name:

7 The Rock Cycle 1. magma; 2. crystallization (freezing of rock); 3. igneous rocks; 4. erosion; 5. sedimentation; 6. sediments and sedimentary rocks; 7. tectonic burial and metamorphism; 8. metamorphic rocks; 9. melting.

8 The Rock Cycle

Rocks and the Rock Cycle Activities For the past week or so, we have been talking about the three types of rocks and the rock cycle.

As we started our unit, we read several books about rocks together. I really recommend Geology Rocks!: 50 Hands-On Activities to Explore the Earth.

We got a number of other books, but the one I highly recommend is Smithsonian Handbooks: Rocks & Minerals because of all the beautiful photos.

9 Rocks and the Rock Cycle Activities For the past week or so, we have been talking about the three types of rocks and the rock cycle. (It's free to download down below.) What is great about these activities is that they will work with a huge age range... from PreK up through elementary! As we started our unit, we read several books about rocks together. I really recommend Geology Rocks!: 50 Hands-On Activities to Explore the Earth. (affiliate link) It had a lot of really fun ideas. We got it first from the library years ago, but then I wound up purchasing it to have on hand! We got a number of other books, but the one I highly recommend is Smithsonian Handbooks: Rocks & Minerals because of all the beautiful photos. Sedimentary Rock Activity: Our first activity was about sedimentary rocks. We used a clear, plastic cup (though a glass jar would work just fine too). I cut an index card so that it would fit down into the cup (because the plastic cup was wider at the top).

We took a bag of dried rice and colored it with food dye.

Then, gently (remind the kids to be very gentle and not to pull the

10 We took a bag of dried rice and colored it with food dye. (The rice was uncooked.) Next, the kids spooned different colors into the cup, equally on both sides of the index cards. Then, gently (remind the kids to be very gentle and not to pull the card out of the rice!) have them move the card up and down slightly to imitate an earthquake. The layers will shift and slide! That's really easy to see with brightly dyed layers!

We read a book specifically about sedimentary rocks called How Do Water and Wind Change Rocks: A Look at Sedimentary Rocks which does a good job of explaining how sediment forms and washes away.

Next, we went on to talk about igneous rocks. We read How Do Volcanoes Make Rocks: A Look at Igneous Rocks.

) We talked about how igneous rocks can form above ground (when a volcano erupts) or below ground, when magma cools under the surface.

11 We read a book specifically about sedimentary rocks called How Do Water and Wind Change Rocks: A Look at Sedimentary Rocks which does a good job of explaining how sediment forms and washes away. Then explains how that sediment turns into rock through pressure/compacting and cementing. It goes on to talk about how wind, water, and weathering affect sedimentary rocks. Next, we went on to talk about igneous rocks. We read How Do Volcanoes Make Rocks: A Look at Igneous Rocks. I brought out some of the rock samples we have and they looked at obsidian, pumice, granite, and basalt. (See those resources below.) We talked about how igneous rocks can form above ground (when a volcano erupts) or below ground, when magma cools under the surface. One of the days while we were reading, the girls "made" their own sedimentary layers out of different colored play dough. Then, they took a spatula and applied "pressure" to create their sedimentary rock. Igneous Rocks: The kids knew about volcanoes and igneous rocks, but we read How Do Volcanoes Make Rocks: A Look at Igneous Rocks. The activity we did for igneous rock was to take pieces of red, bright yellowish-orange, orange crayons and pile them on top of one another on a paper plate. Then, we put them in the microwave for 3 or 4 minutes. We brought them out and then ED moved the plate around to watch the colors swirl. The crayons cooled quickly... just as magma cools as it flows out onto Earth's surface. :)

It has good illustrations that show how magma can ooze into cracks and heat the rocks around it. It also explains how earth's movement affects rocks.

12 Metamorphic Rock Activities: Next, we were on to metamorphic rocks. We read Baking and Crushing: A Look at Metamorphic Rocks which did a really good job explaining how sedimentary and igneous rock changes into metamorphic rocks through heat and/or pressure. It has good illustrations that show how magma can ooze into cracks and heat the rocks around it. It also explains how earth's movement affects rocks. It has pictures of some of the rocks that change: sandstone (changes to) - quarzite; shale to slate; basalt to schist, etc. Our metamorphic rock activity was also with crayons. First, we shaved/cut up pieces of crayon. Then, we put those shavings into layers in a small medicine cup. ED applied pressure first with her thumb... and then with a hammer to "form" sedimentary rock.

Heat in microwave it was cool, we popped it out of the

It also has a section that talks about how to identify

13 Heat in microwave it was cool, we popped it out of the medicine cup. TaDa! Metamorphic Rock! Once One day, we brought out our rock chart and put the cards in place. It also has a section that talks about how to identify rocks and minerals: texture, streak, hardness, luster, color. We brought out various rock samples and examined those.

We spent time look at samples that change to metamorphic rock (like the granite an igneous rock that that changes into gneiss):

for the kids. We have studied rocks and minerals several times over the years.

We got a rock kit with different samples of sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks.

minerals looked really great: Introductory Earth Science Classroom Rocks and Minerals Collection For a rocks and minerals unit

14 We spent time look at samples that change to metamorphic rock (like the granite an igneous rock that that changes into gneiss): Rock Cycle: Finally, we talked about the rock cycle. We read What is the Rock Cycle? which is was really well done. It was a good one to wrap up our unit. We talked about how rocks and change into different forms and we went over the Rock Cycle notebook pages that I put together for the kids. We have studied rocks and minerals several times over the years. We have a number of different rock sets and I highly recommend that you have rocks on hand for your studies. We got a rock kit with different samples of sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks. We got the small version (with 15 rocks): American Educational Introductory Rock Collection The large kit with 75 rocks and minerals looked really great: Introductory Earth Science Classroom Rocks and Minerals Collection For a rocks and minerals unit for older kids, I would probably got with this because it has at least 25 minerals, 6 or 7 ores, and samples of the sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks. There is also a set of posters about Rocks and Minerals that would work well for a classroom unit on rocks and minerals. (16 inches x 22 inches) These have really good reviews.

15 Rock Cycle Song Sedimentary rock Has been formed in layers Often found near water sources With fossils from decayers Then there s igneous rock Here since Earth was born Molten Lava, cooled and hardened That s how it is formed These two types of rocks Can also be transformed With pressure, heat and chemicals Metamorphic they ll become (to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat ): Rock Cycle Song Sedimentary rock Has been formed in layers Often found near water sources With fossils from decayers Then there s igneous rock Here since Earth was born Molten Lava, cooled and hardened That s how it is formed These two types of rocks Can also be transformed With pressure, heat and chemicals Metamorphic they ll become (to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat ): I m sorry to say I can t find the exact link to this song, so if you know who I should give credit to let me know.

We also have a free packet about Rocks and Minerals (some of them

16 Other Free Rocks and Minerals Resources on the blog: We have a free set of worksheets about the three types of rocks. We also have a free packet about Rocks and Minerals (some of them were made for my daughter when she was in PreK and my other two were in elementary).

17 You might also be interested in these packets: Earth Science Packet (50 pages) Simple Machines Packet (30 pages)

18 A Study of Cells (35 pages) Human Body Systems (25 pages)

19 Digestive System Packet (40 pages) Circulatory Packet (40 pages)

20 States of Matter Packet (50 pages) Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter (45 pages)

21 STEM: Electricity and Circuits Unit (30 pages) Animal Packet (Vertebrates-Invertebrates, Animal Characteristics and more)

22 Biology Packet (60+ pages) Ocean Packet (65+ pages)

23 Winter Packet: Earth s Axis/Seasons, The Arctic vs. Antarctica, Polar Animals and More (75+ pages)

24 Dinosaur Packet 60+ Page Packet For ages 3-7 (60+ pages)

The Rock Cycle. Interactive Science Notebook

The Rock Cycle. Interactive Science Notebook The Rock Cycle Interactive Science Notebook Th a n k y ou fo r d ow n l oa din g! StudentSavvy 2016 Thank you for downloading StudentSavvy s Interactive Science Notebook The Rock Cycle! If you have any