After space, rocks might be my favorite part of science. My top rock is the Texas blue topaz - the ONLY place you can find this beauty in the whole world is Mason Country in the Texas Hill Country.
When it comes to helping students find their love of rocks, there are lots of possibilities. Iconic places are great to investigate in person or virtually. Here are a few of my top choices:
- Enchanted Rock in Texas, known as the heart of Texas, is a beautiful example of igneous rock and is home to thousands of visitors each year. This site has a great overview. It's amazing to think that beautiful ground was once hot molten lava. Imagine how long it took for Enchanted Rock to cool down and become the incredible landmark it is today!
- The Grand Canyon is a fantastic example of sedimentary rock layers telling a geological history throughout time. It's like the Earth's own scrapbook. Check out The Grand Canyon National Park guide for great info!
- The Rocky Mountains are filled with metamorphic rocks, especially schist and gneiss. They display a zebra striped pattern due to the alignment of minerals under pressure. This National Park Service site can tell you more!
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For some fun activities you can do anywhere, here are some other rock cycle resources you can try in your classroom:
- NASA eClips: “Our World: The Rock Cycle”
- This fascinating video is a nice review of the three rock-types found on Earth and explores the rock varieties found on the moon.
- It might be a good idea to preview this video with questions comparing the rock cycles on Earth and the moon. "How would the rock cycles be different? What factors influence rocks on Earth that would not be present on the moon? If scientists know there are three different rock types on the moon, how do you think they form?"
- Rock Cycle Relay
- In this activity, students tour the classroom to visit 5 different stations labeled, "igneous rock, sediment, sedimentary rock, magma, and metamorphic rock." You can print out these signs and post them to different parts of your classroom walls.
- Students are split into 5 groups with one group starting at each station. Every station has an envelope with cards that describe different changes that rock can undergo.
- The card describes how one form of rock converts into another. During subduction and burial, for example, metamorphic rock converts to magma. Students will go to the rock station that shows the result of their change. As they go, the track their journey in a travel log. After about 10 minutes of station work, the students will have experienced all of the changes a rock can go through on Earth!
- Rock Cycle Interactive
- This fun interactive site allows students to make virtual collections of different rock types. The site starts students off by giving common characteristics associated with each rock type. Sedimentary rocks, for example, may contain fossils while metamorphic rock might have ribbon-like layers.
- Students accumulate authentic-looking rock samples, complete with the actual rock or mineral name, and are tasked with assigning the sample to the correct group.
- This would be an excellent preview to a real rock collecting activity. Once students get a handle on how to spot the different rock types, they can test their skills with rocks found on your school grounds!
- Starburst Candy Science Experiment
- You can really help the process of rock formation sink in by helping students model with candy. If students start with candy, chop them up into small bits, and smoosh them together, they've just made sedimentary rock.
- If students take their sedimentary candy rock and place it in a zippered plastic bag, they can make some serious changes by squeezing the starbursts while applying heat from their hand. This is similar to how heat and pressure from Earth's crust create metamorphic rock.
- Modeling igneous rock is a little trickier. You'll need something to melt the candy similar to how rock melts into magma to cool down as volcanic rock later. Putting starbursts in the microwave for 30 seconds works, if you place it on a plate.
Hope these fun connections and activities turn your students into "rock stars"! 😂
Are you looking for more complete resources on the rock cycle that you can bring to your students with minimum prep? Take a look at my complete rock cycle lessons and activities:
💎 Rock Cycle Complete Middle School Lesson Plan
💎 Rock Cycle Reading Comprehension