Download Rock Wall Mystery Instructions

Rock Wall Mystery Instructions
Just like at the end of the Geology: Rock Detectives program, students are encouraged to solve the mystery of how a Rock Wall has formed. There are six different types of rock in this Rock Wall, but they didn’t all get there at once! Materials
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Rock Wall Image (Page 2)
Rock Wall Mystery Worksheet (Pages 3-4)
Writing Utensils
Laminator (optional)
Rocks and Minerals charts or books (optional)
Directions
Before class, print out the Rock Wall Mystery Worksheets (enough for everyone; worksheet is two pages and can be printed on one piece of paper, double‐sided). Next, print out the image of the Rock Wall itself (lamination is optional). You can choose to print out multiple copies if you would like the class working in groups or would like the copies passed around. You can also choose to draw the Rock Wall on the board, or place the image in a slide show to be projected in the classroom. Review with the class how rocks form, and that it takes long periods of time to get a Rock Wall such as this one in real life. The job of the students is to solve how this Rock Wall formed, with the help of the worksheets. First, students must answer the “clue” questions to begin thinking in terms of a real geologist. Next, they need to check their facts and learn about each of the six rocks. Finally, armed with those clues and that knowledge, they can place the events in order and create the history of this Rock Wall. There is more than one right answer! After the worksheet in the document, there is also a teacher’s answer guide with the possible solutions listed (Pages 5‐7). 1
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What Happened?! Solving a Rock Wall Mystery
Step One – GATHER CLUES!
Clue 1: Which rock is on the bottom? Clue 2: Which rock is on the top? Clue 3: Which rocks lay flat? Clue 4: Which rocks are angled? Clue 5: Which rocks bubble into other rock layers? Step Two – FACT CHECK!
Unscramble each rock name to learn more about it (check the names on the rock wall if you get stuck!): An igneous rock, formed from lava after it flows out of a volcano: LEOYHITR _________________ A metamorphic rock, formed when other rocks are under pressure for a long time: SESNGI _________________ A sedimentary rock, formed from sand piling up and cementing together: TNADSNESO_________________ An igneous rock, formed when magma bubbles up under the surface of other rocks: BOBRGA _________________ 3
A sedimentary rock, formed from layers of mud that dry up and harden over time: HELSA _________________ A metamorphic rock, formed when shale is heated up or pushed on: ALTES _________________ Step Three – PUT THE EVENTS IN ORDER!
A. Shale is heated from touching magma and it metamorphoses into Slate. B. Volcano erupts and lava spreads over land, cooling into Rhyolite. C. Rocks metamorphose into Gneiss. D. Mud hardens into Shale. E. Sand piles up and cements into Sandstone. F. Magma bubbles up inside a layer of rock and cools into Gabbro. G. An earthquake strikes and rock layers get tipped on their side. H. Erosion levels out the land. (This one can happen more than once!) List the letters in the order that they happened, from first (oldest event) to last (newest event): 4
What Happened?! Solving a Rock Wall Mystery
ANSWER GUIDE
Step One – GATHER CLUES!
Clue 1: Which rock is on the bottom? Clue 2: Which rock is on the top? Gneiss Rhyolite Clue 3: Which rock lays flat? Clue 4: Which rocks are angled? Rhyolite Gneiss, Shale, and Sandstone Clue 5: Which rocks bubble into other rock layers? Gabbro and Slate Step Two – FACT CHECK!
Unscramble each rock name to learn more about it (check the names on the rock wall if you get stuck!): An igneous rock, formed from lava after it flows out of a volcano: LEOYHITR __Rhyolite______ A metamorphic rock, formed when other rocks are under pressure for a long time: SESNGI __Gneiss________ A sedimentary rock, formed from sand piling up and cementing together: TNADSNESO __Sandstone___ An igneous rock, formed when magma bubbles up under the surface of other rocks: BOBRGA __Gabbro_______ 5
A sedimentary rock, formed from layers of mud that dry up and harden over time: HELSA __Shale_________ A metamorphic rock, formed when shale is heated up or pushed on: ALTES ___Slate_________ Step Three – PUT THE EVENTS IN ORDER!
A. Shale is heated from touching magma and it metamorphoses into Slate. B. Volcano erupts and lava spreads over land, cooling into Rhyolite. C. Rocks metamorphose into Gneiss. D. Mud hardens into Shale. E. Sand cements into Sandstone. F. Magma bubbles up inside a layer of rock and cools into Gabbro. G. An earthquake strikes and rock layers get tipped on their side. H. A lake forms and sand collects along the bottom. I. A lake dries up and disappears. J. Erosion levels out the land. (This one can happen more than once!) 6
List the letters in the order that they happened, from first (oldest event) to last (newest event): C, D, H, E, I, G, J, F, A, B OR C, D, H, E, I, G, J, B, F, A These two solutions are equally likely. Further notes: At the very least “J” should occur between steps “G” and “F/B”, though students may include “J” multiple times, between every single letter step. The only place “J” should not occur is between steps “F” and “A”. Also, “I” may occur before or after “E”, though it’s more likely to occur after. 7