Download Rock Activity

EXTENSION ACTIVITY
Rock Stuff
A rock is any naturally formed solid in the crust of the earth, made up of one or more
kinds of minerals. You can often see mineral crystals in a rock. A rock's color, density,
and texture result from how the rock was formed. What do DENSITY and TEXTURE
mean?
Rocks can be grouped into three types according to how they were formed.
Molten rock deep below Earth's surface is called magma. Magma is less dense than the
material surrounding it, so it rises toward the surface. Have you ever seen two
materials come together and one rises to the top of the other? Why might that be?
Before it reaches the surface, magma may cool and harden into solid rock. Rocks that
form when melted rock material cools are called igneous rocks. ( IG-NEE-US)
Sedimentary rocks ( SAID-EH-MEN-TREE) are made of small bits of matter joined
together. Most sedimentary rocks are formed when sediment is compacted or pressed
together. Peat in swampy areas was packed together and pressed tightly over the years
to form one of the most important rocks in Cape Breton’s history…coal.
The weight of layer upon layer of sediment on top of each other squeezes the
sediments together. Sedimentary rocks are very useful in helping to piece together
Earth's history. They often contain fossils, which are clues to life long ago. A fossil is
any remains or imprint of living things of the past. Almost all fossils are found in
sedimentary rocks.
Great heat and pressure can change one rock into another rock. A rock formed under
heat and pressure is called a metamorphic rock. ( MET-AH-MORE-FIK)
Soil is a mixture of many things. The main ingredient in soil is weathered rock. Soil may
also contain water, air, bacteria and humus. Humus is decayed animal or plant
material in the soil.
Soil is Earth's greatest treasure. All rooted plants need soil to grow. People depend on
soil. However, people often get rid of hazardous wastes by burying them in soil. They
also spray chemicals on the soil to kill unwanted plants and animals. These kinds of
materials add up to pollution which comes from adding any unnatural substances to
Earth's land, water, or air.
All rocks come from other rocks. Rocks are changing from one form to another in a
never-ending series of processes called the rock cycle. Rocks are a non-renewable
resource. Every time you walk outside, you’re leaving an impression on your future!
EXTENSION:
Research safe internet sites, to find some other non-renewable resources of the earth.
Copy and past the information to your word processor, as well as the URLs of the sites
you used. When you are finished, edit it to make a list with an appropriate title and
present it to an audience. GCO 10 10.3, 10.4, 10.5 Language Arts BOC 3.1, 3.2 PTS 3.1, 3.2,
3.3 CT 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 RPSD 3.1, 3.5
ICT Learning Outcomes