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Diggin’ Into Rocks and Minerals Tutoring Plan
Talk Together – Write Together – Read Together
Date:
Student:
Tutor:
____ Read a book about rocks and minerals.
____ Talk about the book.
____ Do an activity to learn more about how rocks are formed.
____ Write about the kind of rocks you’ve seen.
____ Talk about how different rocks are formed.
____ Have the student complete the “What Do I Know?” sheet.
____ Turn in the “What Do I Know?” sheet and your Tutor’s
Feedback Sheet.
Materials you will need for this session:
• Two to three different colors of PlayDoh (included in kit)
• Crayons, pencils or markers and paper (to write about rocks
and draw illustrations)
• Paper towels for any clean up
1. Read Rock Collecting by Roma Gans together.
2. Talk about how different rocks look and feel, and places where
you can find rocks. Ask if your student has ever collected rocks.
Ask: “What do they look like? Where did you find them? Where
do you keep them at home?”
Talk about the three different types of rocks and how they are
formed. Igneous rocks are formed when very hot, liquid rock
(called magma) cools and hardens. Some igneous rocks are
formed by volcanoes. Ask the student if he or she can think of
an everyday item that is liquid when it is hot and solid when it is
cool – candle wax! Ask if the student can think of a place with
volcanoes? (Hawaii)
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Sedimentary rocks are formed from very small pieces of rock
(like gravel, sand and clay), called sediment, which settle in
layers and then harden over thousands of years. Ask if the
student has ever seen sand. Where? What did the sand feel
like? (gritty) Explain that sand is very small pieces of bigger
rocks; it is a type of sediment. Sand is made when water and
wind wear down bigger rocks, and is the main ingredient in
sandstone – a common sedimentary rock.
Metamorphic rocks are igneous and sedimentary rocks that
have been changed by heat and pressure. Ask if the student
can think of an everyday item that changes when it gets hot.
(candle wax, water, wood) Ask him or her what happens when
you squeeze a pillow very hard. (It changes and gets flatter
because you have added pressure to it) Explain to the student
that heat and pressure can also change rocks, and turn them
into a new kind of rock.
3. The student will now gain a better understanding of how
sedimentary and metamorphic rocks are formed by making
pretend “rocks”. Using the PlayDoh included in the kit, have the
student make several thin layers of “sediment.” (Be sure that the
student uses different colors of PlayDoh.) Next, have the student
place the layers of PlayDoh “sediment” on top of each other, one
at a time, then slowly and gently push the layers down. Explain
that this is how sedimentary rocks are formed, only in nature it
takes thousands and thousands of years for this to happen.
To demonstrate how metamorphic rocks are formed, have the
student squeeze both hands together very hard. The student
should feel some heat (warmth) and pressure. This is like the
heat and pressure that form metamorphic rocks. Now, using
the “sedimentary” PlayDoh rock the student just made, have the
student squeeze the “rock” in both hands as hard as possible.
This action adds heat and pressure to the “rocks”. The student
can also slowly and gently slide his or her hands up and down
or side to side, while continuing to squeeze both hands together
(apply pressure). After about 10 to 20 seconds, have the
student stop squeezing hands and put down the PlayDoh
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“rocks”. Explain that by adding heat and pressure, the student
has just changed the “sedimentary rock” into a “metamorphic
rock”! Have the student look closely at the new “metamorphic
rock”. How is this new “metamorphic rock” similar to the
original “sedimentary rock”? How is it different?
4. Go back to the book and find out the names of one or two
different igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. Review
the three different rock types and how they are formed.
5. Ask the student to write about some different rocks he or she has
seen, where they were seen and what they looked like. For
example, the student might write something like: “When I went to
the beach (or river, or lake), I saw lots of smooth, round rocks.
They were all different colors. Some were white, some were tan
and some were black.” Encourage the student to draw a picture of
the rocks he or she is writing about.
6. When the student has finished writing and drawing, read together
what he or she has written. Talk about the kind of rocks you have
seen as well. If you have collected any rocks yourself, you might
want to bring some in to share with the student. Tell about where
you collected them and what they are. Ask the student to choose
a favorite and explain why it is.
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Background on Rocks and Minerals
Rocks and minerals are all around us. We see them in our
backyards, in parks, and as sand and pebbles at the seashore. They
form grand canyons, shining cliffs, flat plateaus and huge mountains
throughout the world. Many national parks (like Yosemite, Mount
Rushmore and the Grand Canyon) have been created to protect and
preserve the special natural beauty of rocks.
Sand and crushed rocks are used to produce gravel and concrete for
many of the buildings we live in, the sidewalks we stroll down, and
the roads we travel on. Rocks like granite and marble are used to
build monuments and decorate buildings. Humans have used rocks
as tools for thousands of years, and coal is still used for fuel and heat
in many parts of the world today. Gemstones have been treasured
for their beauty since the earliest civilizations and billions of dollars
are spent each year in the gem industry.
But, when is a rock not a rock? When it’s a mineral! Aren’t they the
same you may ask? Definitely not to a geologist! A geologist is a
scientist who studies rocks and minerals to understand the history of
the Earth. Minerals are non-living (inorganic) compounds of
elements. They are the building blocks of rocks, and all rocks are
made of minerals. Some rocks are made of a single mineral.
Minerals can be identified by their characteristic properties such as
color, luster, streak and hardness. Geologists classify rocks by how
they were formed. There are three kinds of rocks: igneous,
sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are formed when
molten rock from deep inside the earth cools; some igneous rocks are
made by volcanoes. Sedimentary rocks are formed from particles,
called sediment, which settle in layers and then harden over
thousands of years. Metamorphic rocks are igneous and
sedimentary rocks that have been changed by extreme heat and/or
pressure.
An interesting way to learn more about rocks and minerals is to start
your own collection! Both rocks and minerals can be found almost
anywhere – even in large cities! Once you have started your
collection, taking care of it is very important. You must learn how to
organize and protect your rocks and minerals so they will last.
Collecting and studying rocks and minerals teaches us about the
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Earth and its history and, hopefully, helps us to care more about the
unique planet we live on.
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Standards Addressed by this Tutoring Plan
National Standards for Science Education
Content Standard A (Grades K – 4)
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Content Standard B (Grades K – 4)
Properties of objects and materials
Content Standard D (Grades K – 4)
Properties of Earth materials
Changes in Earth and sky