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Geological Processes: Teacher’s Guide
Grade Level: 3-5
Curriculum Focus: Earth Science
Lesson Duration: Two class periods
Program Description
In 1989, Northern California felt the effects of an earthquake that measured 7.0 on the Richter
scale—powerful evidence of the Earth’s inner turmoil. Segments cover earthquakes, types of
rock, identification of minerals, and plate tectonics. The Rock Cycle—Takes students around the
United States to find examples of the three types of rock: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary.
How To Identify Minerals—Travels with a geologist who explains how a rock found in Namibia is
identical to one found in Argentina. Plate Tectonics—explains why the surface of the Earth looks
the way it does as a result of the activity that goes on below it.
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The Rock Cycle (7 min.)
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How To Identify Minerals (7 min.)
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Plate Tectonics (5 min.)
Onscreen Questions
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What can rocks tell scientists about changes on Earth?
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What are the three main types of rocks?
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Describe the characteristics of each type.
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How can mining minerals contribute to the economy of a country?
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What physical properties classify minerals?
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What minerals have great economic value?
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How do scientists learn about Earth’s history?
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What are the four basic layers of Earth?
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How does Earth’s crust move?
Geological Processes: Teacher’s Guide
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Lesson Plan
Student Objectives
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List the three different kinds of rocks.
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Explain how each rock type is formed.
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Compare and contrast the three rock types.
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Cite examples of each rock type.
Materials
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Geological Processes video and VCR, or DVD and DVD player
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White construction paper (one 9x11-inch sheet per student)
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Pencils
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Rulers
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Scissors
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Geography texts, encyclopedias, or travel magazines with photographs of rock formations
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Colored markers or crayons (optional)
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Computer with Internet access (optional)
Procedures
1. Begin the lesson with a class discussion about rocks. Ask students: Where do rocks come from?
How are they formed? What are some different kinds of rocks?
2. After watching Geological Processes, discuss what your class learned from the show. Ask
students general questions about the three different types of rock (igneous, metamorphic, and
sedimentary).
3. Give each student a piece of white construction paper, and explain that they will be making a
comparison chart of the three rock types. Have students use a ruler and pencil to create four
rows, lengthwise. The top (header) row should be much smaller than the next three rows, which
should be as close to evenly spaced as possible. Once the rows have been created, have students
divide them into five evenly spaced columns.
4. In the header row, have students label the five columns as follows: Type of Rock, Formation,
Characteristics, Examples, and Image. Tell students they need to complete this chart with
information about the three rock types. For example, under “Formation” they should tell how
that particular type of rock is formed, and beneath “Examples” they should list rocks (granite,
sandstone, etc.) that are examples of that particular rock type. In the “Images” column,
students should attach photos or drawings of the rock type or famous rock formations made
from that particular type of rock. Be sure to answer all questions before students begin the
activity.
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Geological Processes: Teacher’s Guide
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5. Allow students time in class to begin their rock charts; have them finish the charts as a
homework assignment. Students may use crayons or markers to make their charts more
decorative and creative. In addition to geographic texts, encyclopedias, and travel magazines,
the following Web sites have good information on the types of rock:
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http://jersey.uoregon.edu/~mstrick/AskGeoMan/geoQuerry13.html
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http://www.fi.edu/fellows/payton/rocks/index2.html
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http://www.peel.edu.on.ca/~havenwd/types.htm
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http://www.zephyrus.co.uk/rocktypes.html
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http://interactive2.usgs.gov/learningweb/explorer/topic_rocks.htm
6. In the next class period, have students share examples of the different types of rock from their
completed charts. Talk about the similarities and differences between the three rock types, and
discuss how different rocks are formed and how the rock cycle works. Ask for volunteers to
share and discuss their images. Display students’ charts in the classroom for further viewing.
Assessment
Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students’ work during this lesson.
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3 points: Students actively participated in class discussions; used the Internet and research
materials wisely; created unique, legible, and complete rock charts that correctly identified
the three rock types and their characteristics, explained how each rock type is formed, and
included photographs or illustrations of each rock type.
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2 points: Students somewhat participated in class discussions; were able to use the Internet
and other research materials with little teacher direction; created legible but incomplete rock
charts.
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1 point: Students did not participate in class discussions; were unable to use the Internet
and other research materials without teacher direction; and created illegible or unfinished
rock charts.
Vocabulary
erosion
Definition: Condition by which the Earth’s surface is worn away by natural forces, such as wind
or water
Context: The Grand Canyon was formed by millions of years of erosion.
igneous rock
Definition: Rock formed by the cooling and solidification of magma
Context: If the conditions are right, hot lava cools and becomes igneous rock.
magma
Definition: Molten rock in the Earth’s crust
Context: Earth’s surface has hot, molten rock called magma.
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Geological Processes: Teacher’s Guide
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metamorphic rock
Definition: Rock formed from the partial melting of other rock due to intense heat and pressure
Context: Metamorphic rock is formed deep within Earth, when heat and pressure change
igneous or sedimentary rock.
sedimentary rock
Definition: Rock formed from the compacted and cemented particles of other rocks, shells, or
animal bones
Context: The massive sandstone formations that rise in Monument Valley in southeastern Utah
and northeastern Arizona are examples of sedimentary rock.
weathering
Definition: Chemical or physical alteration of a rock over time
Context: Weathering and erosion are the natural processes that gradually break down rocks.
Academic Standards
National Academy of Sciences
The National Science Education Standards provide guidelines for teaching science as well as a
coherent vision of what it means to be scientifically literate for students in grades K-12. To view the
standards, visit http://books.nap.edu.
This lesson plan addresses the following science standards:
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Earth and Space Science: Structure of the earth system; Earth’s history
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
McREL’s Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education
addresses 14 content areas. To view the standards and benchmarks, visit http://www.mcrel.org/.
This lesson plan addresses the following national standards:
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Science—Earth and Space Sciences: Understands Earth's composition and structure
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Language Arts—Viewing: Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret
visual media
Support Materials
Develop custom worksheets, educational puzzles, online quizzes, and more with the free teaching tools
offered on the Discoveryschool.com Web site. Create and print support materials, or save them to a
Custom Classroom account for future use. To learn more, visit
•
http://school.discovery.com/teachingtools/teachingtools.html
Published by Discovery Education. © 2005. All rights reserved.
Geological Processes: Teacher’s Guide
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DVD Content
This program is available in an interactive DVD format. The following information and activities are
specific to the DVD version.
How To Use the DVD
The DVD starting screen has the following options:
Play Video—This plays the video from start to finish. There are no programmed stops, except by
using a remote control. With a computer, depending on the particular software player, a pause
button is included with the other video controls.
Video Index—Here the video is divided into three parts (see below), indicated by video thumbnail
icons. Watching all parts in sequence is similar to watching the video from start to finish. Brief
descriptions and total running times are noted for each part. To play a particular segment, press
Enter on the remote for TV playback; on a computer, click once to highlight a thumbnail and read
the accompanying text description and click again to start the video.
Curriculum Units—These are specially edited video segments pulled from different sections of the
video (see below). These nonlinear segments align with key ideas in the unit of instruction. They
include onscreen pre- and post-viewing questions, reproduced below in this Teacher’s Guide. Total
running times for these segments are noted. To play a particular segment, press Enter on the TV
remote or click once on the Curriculum Unit title on a computer.
Standards Link—Selecting this option displays a single screen that lists the national academic
standards the video addresses.
Teacher Resources—This screen gives the technical support number and Web site address.
Video Index
I. The Rock Cycle (7 min.)
Take a close look at igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks and explore the geological
processes that create them.
II. How to Identify Minerals (7 min.)
Scientists have identified thousands of kinds of minerals, but only about 30 of the most common
form most of Earth’s rocks.
III. Plate Tectonics (5 min.)
Investigate the science of plate tectonics and see how the inner workings of our planet create
changes on Earth’s surface.
Published by Discovery Education. © 2005. All rights reserved.
Geological Processes: Teacher’s Guide
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Curriculum Units
1. Rock Formations
Pre-viewing question
Q: Describe rock formations that you have seen?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What do you think our planet would look like without rock formations?
A: Answers will vary.
2. Rock Changes
Pre-viewing question
Q: How do rocks change shape and form?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What kinds of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock are visible where you live?
A: Answers will vary.
3. Earth’s Crust
Pre-viewing question
Q: What are some uses of rocks and minerals?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Describe Earth’s crust.
A: The crust is the planet’s outermost layer; continental crust makes up the landmasses land, and
oceanic crust is the ocean floor. New crust constantly forms as magma, or hot molten rock deep
inside the Earth, rises and erupts at the surface, where it is called lava.
4. Classifying Minerals
Pre-viewing question
Q: What do you think are the most important rocks and minerals on Earth?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What are the seven chemical categories that classify minerals?
A: Minerals are categorized based on their chemical components.
(1.) native elements, about 50 minerals in a pure or nearly pure form
(2.) silicates, the most common, grouped by the combination of metallic elements with oxygen
and silicon
(3.) oxides, more than 250 minerals that combine metallic elements with oxygen
(4.) sulfides, in which sulfur combines with metal or metal-like elements
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Geological Processes: Teacher’s Guide
(5.) halides, in which metals combine with minerals such as bromine, fluorine, or iodine to
form compounds
(6.) carbonates, in which a metal combines with carbonate
(7.) sulfates, created by of sulfur and oxygen combining with one or more metals
5. Moving Plates
Pre-viewing question
Q: What do you know about plate tectonics?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Describe the relationship between the lithosphere and the asthenosphere?
A: The lithosphere includes Earth’s crust and the solid, uppermost layer of the mantle. The
asthenosphere lies under the lithosphere, and it is made up of hot, semi-solid material that can
soften and flow. Scientists believe that the rigid lithosphere floats on the slowly moving
asthenosphere, which has caused Earth’s crust to break into plates.
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