Kim George Science 5E Lesson Plan Topic: The Rock Cycle Grade Level: 5th Grade SOL: The student will investigate and understand how Earth’s surface is constantly changing. Key concepts include: a) identification of rock types; b) the rock cycle and how transformations between rocks occur; Procedures for Learning Experience: Engagement: Begin by talking to the students about rocks. Guiding Questions:

• Have you ever had a rock collection? • Do you know any names of types of rocks? • Where can we find different types of rocks?

Materials Needed:

• Board to write students responses on • Various sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks

Approximate Time Needed: 5-10 minutes Exploration: Pass around different sample of Sedimentary rock. Have the students make observations about the different pieces of rock, noting their similarities. Record student observations on the board. Repeat process for Igneous and Metamorphic rock. Then end list should look something like this:

Sedimentary Rock Igneous Rock Metamorphic Rock 1st Rock Type 2nd Rock Type 3rd Rock Type

• Can see different sized grains

• Can see streaks • Grains come off if you

rub it

• No grains • Has crystals • Swirly patterns • Very hard

• No grains • Some have crystals • Some have holes • Uniform texture and

pattern throughout rock

• No patterns or layers After students have finished examining the rocks explain that you are going to model the rock cycle using crayons. First, create sediment by using a pencil sharpener on a crayon. Shave off a few decent sized piles of crayon onto pieces of aluminum foil so you will have multiple samples to pass around the room. Next, fold the foil over and press down as hard as you can on the crayon shavings. This should create a fragile but adequate sedimentary crayon rock. Allow students to carefully pass the sedimentary crayon rock around the room or have them come up to

look at them and discuss the similarities and differences between the crayon rock and real sedimentary rock.

Then, have a few students come up to the front of the room and rub their hands together vigorously to create heat. Place the fragile sedimentary crayon rock in their hands and instruct them to apply pressure and heat to the rock using their thumbs for about 60 seconds. You have now created a metamorphic crayon rock. Allow students to examine the crayon rock and discuss similarities and differences between it and the real metamorphic rock.

Finally, fill one cup up with hot water and one up with cool water. Dip the metamorphic crayon rock (which should be enclosed in the foil) into the hot water and allow the wax to melt, and then dip the foil and crayon into the cool water. Let the crayon igneous rock cool and allow students to observe it and discuss similarities and differences when compared to the real igneous rock. Guiding Questions:

• What similarities and differences can you notice between our crayon rocks and the real rocks that they represent?

• How did we form each crayon rock? Materials Needed:

• Crayons • Pencil Sharpener • Aluminum Foil • Cups • Hot and cold water

Approximate Time Needed: 25 to 30 minutes Explain: Project an image of the rock cycle (with missing labels) onto the board. Like you did with the crayon shavings, begin with sediments. Ask a student to explain to you how sediments can come together to form sedimentary rock. Next, ask students how a sedimentary rock can become a metamorphic rock. From there discuss how a metamorphic rock can become an igneous rock. Students should have a good grasp on these concepts after modeling with crayons. Now advance to the concepts not covered in the crayon experiment. Ask the students if they think a metamorphic rock or an igneous rock could transition into a sedimentary rock. (Yes, either can be transformed into a sedimentary rock through erosion and weathering.) Next ask if an igneous rock can turn into a metamorphic rock and how? (Yes, through the application of heat and pressure.) Make sure to use specific terms such as melting, heat and pressure, compaction, cooling and erosion when filling out the rock cycle chart so students will know what terms to use during the evaluation part of the lesson. Guiding Questions:

• How can sedimentary rock become metamorphic rock? • How can metamorphic rock become igneous rock? • Can metamorphic or igneous rock change directly into sedimentary rock?

• Can igneous rock change directly into metamorphic rock? Materials Needed: Poster or Drawing of the Rock Cycle Approximate Time Needed: 15 minutes Elaboration: Have the students chose a specific rock to study and make a poster of to create a class rock collection. Have then draw a picture of the rock and include: 1.) The name of the rock 2.) What category of rock the specific rock fits into. 3.) Where the rock can be found 4.) How the rock can be transformed into the two other broad categories of rock and what kind of other rock it turns into (i.e. sedimentary rock limestone becomes metamorphic rock marble) Guiding Questions:

• What rock did you chose? • What category does it fit into? • Where is your rock found? Is it rare? • How can your rock be transformed into another type of rock? What specific other type of

rock does it become? Materials Needed:

• Books about the rock cycle • Computer paper • Markers or crayons • Internet access to rock websites • It may be helpful to have a list of specific rocks for students to chose from

Approximate Time Needed: 30-40 minutes Evaluate: Distribute a copy of the rock cycle that only has pictures of the types of rocks and a word bank. Students will also receive a blank copy of the rock types chart pictured above. Instruct students to use igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary, sediments, and magma to fill in numbers 1-5 on the worksheet. They should use the terms melting, heat and pressure, compaction, cooling and erosion to fill in letters A-E. Instruct students to fill in the terms as they move in a clockwise direction on the diagram. Remind students to think about the crayon rocks if they become confused. Under the rock types chart students should aim to fill in two characteristics of each rock type. Materials Needed:

• Rock cycle handouts with missing lables. • Rock Type chart

Approximate Time Needed: 10-15 minutes Sources: Home Science Tools. (2012). Rocks and minerals: Lesson plan. Retrieved on September 24, 2012 from http://www.hometrainingtools.com/rocks-and-minerals%3A-lesson-plan/a/1815/

O’Connor, Caitlin. (2012). Rock cycle inquiry based lesson. Retrieved on September 24, 2012 from http://larochemathmethods.wikispaces.com/Science+5E+Lesson+Plans