Demonstrating The Rock Cycle

Sugar Cube Rock Cycle

Each student begins with a sugar cube, which reprsents the original sedimentary rock. Compare the sugar cube to the same amount of regular sugar. 

Crush the rock/sugar cube with a hammer to represent weathering.

Put the crushed rock into a pan, to represent erosion

and heat on the stove until it melts to represent the heating that metamorphic rock goes through.

Set the melted sugar aside for several minutes to cool just as igneous rock forms.

Break the new, igneous rock into pieces. This represents weathering of igneous rocks.

Fudge Rock Cycle

Ocean and Uplift, the force from within the earth that push rock up to form mountains, add the following sediment to the bowl one layer at a time: organic sediments (1 Tab. margarine), quartz crystals (1 cup sugar) and silt (1/3 cup evaporated milk). This will take some time. The sediments are laid down on the ocean floor to form sedimentary rock.

Weathering, the breaking down of rocks by wind and water, break the sandstone pieces (1/2 cup nuts) into smaller pieces.

Plate Tectonics, the movement of the crust's plates, mix the sediments in the bowl with a spoon. When the crust's plates are part of a convergence or the movement of two tectonic plates coming closer, pieces of the plate get mixed up. Place the bowl in the microwave to heat (45 seconds) and then add pressure by stirring it. Repeat twice. It will change the sedimentary rock to metamorphic rock..

Weathering, the breaking down of rocks by wind and water and Ocean put together in a bowl 

basalt (1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips), sandstone (the nuts), limestone (1 cup mini marshmallows)

 and crude oil (1 tea. vanilla). Stir the sediments as they undergo the change. 

The limestone and basalt will melt back into magma to form igneous rock. This takes time.

Plate Tectonics, the movement of the crust's plates, will hold the bowl as uplift, the force from within the earth that push rock up to form mountains, scrapes the magma onto the earth surface (wax paper) with a  spoon. Place another sheet of wax paper over the cooling igneous rock and press down a little. It will take time to cool.

Crayon Rock Cycle

You will need  some crayons in at least two different colors. Unwrap the crayons and use the sharpener to create shavings.

Sedimentary rocks are formed from sediments (tiny rock particles that were created by weathering or erosion) that were layered and then compressed, and often have distinguishable layers. They also may have fossils of organisms or other visible rock particles in them. To replicate this with the crayon shavings, take a small square of aluminum foil and have your child sprinkle the  different colors of shavings into the middle of the square, one at a time so they will form the layers. Fold the aluminum foil up tightly around the shavings and then compress it. To do this, they can press on it with their hands, step on it,  use a hammer or add compression in any other way you can think of. Unfold the foil and remove the sedimentary rock carefully as this is the most brittle of the rocks that you are making.

Metamorphic rocks are formed when existing rocks are exposed to heat and/or pressure and often have distinct bands or blocks of crystals in them. To mimic this, use a foil baking cup or just take another square of aluminum foil and fold up the sides to make a boat.  Pile the different colors of shavings in the center. Pour boiling water into a metal bowl or mug and float the boat in the hot water for 15 to 20 seconds, just until the shavings have started to melt.

Quickly remove the boat and fold the foil in half so that the shavings are compressed a bit. Let it cool and solidify and then open the foil and remove the metamorphic rock.

Igneous rocks are formed when magma cools. To make an igneous crayon rock, repeat the steps for making the metamorphic rock, except leave the the aluminum foil floating on the hot water for a minute or more until all the crayon sediments have melted. Then take the boat out and use a popsicle stick to represent the movement the magma goes through to go to the surface by stirring the shavings until they are all mixed together.

 Let the crayon cool and solidify, and then pop it out. 

sources: 

• sugar cube rock cycle at Science Matters
• Crayon Rocks at Momma Owl's or the Exploratorium
• make fudge to represent rock cycle at Treasures for Teachers

Related posts: 

• Rocks Are Made of Minerals at Dottie's Homeschool Universe
• weathering demonstration with soap at Science Matters
• demonstration of how ice can break rocks at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Oreo Plate Tectonics

In physical science, the earth is typically viewed as being made up of five sections: the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the lithosphere, the mantle and the core. The lithosphere is the top  portion of the earth, sometimes just called the crust. The lithosphere, however, actually has three sections called soil, sediment and crust. Under the lithosphere, we find the mantle and under the mantle is the core, which is further split up into inner core and outer core. We have made a model of the lithosphere, mantle and core and making an interesting dessert in the process. After seeing this on Pinterest, I thought we could have some more fun learning about geology using Oreo cookies.

Plate Tectonics

Plate Tectonics is a field of study within geology that deals with plates, or large unbroken slabs of rock, sliding over the upper portion of the mantle, called the asthenosphere.

Divergent Plate Boundary

At divergent boundaries, two plates move apart from each other and the space that this creates is filled with new material from the crust made from molten magma that formed below. Large quantities of hot asthenospheric material near the surface and the kinetic energy is enough to break apart the lithosphere.

Convergent Plate Boundary

Convergent Plate Boundary is a region where two or more tectonic plates or fragments of lithosphere move toward one another and collide. As a result of pressure, friction, and plate material melting in the mantle, earthquakes and volcanoes are common near convergent boundaries. 

You can learn more about how earthquakes happen using hard-boiled eggs.

Transform Plate Boundary

Transform Plate Boundary is a type of fault in which the motion is mostly horizontal in either a left or right direction. Transform faults relieve strain by transporting it between ridges or places where one plate slips under another. They are always connected on both ends to other faults, ridges or plate movement.

You can also learn how mountains are made using graham crackers.

Summer Days #39 -Gem Mining At Home

With high temperatures, the kids are always wanting to get wet. I like to vary the activities, however, so I set up a gem mine in our back yard.

You can read how to set up one here. It is easy and only requires a bag of mixed rocks, minerals and gems, some garden stones, a large container or pool and a water source.

It's like a treasure hunt!

Then they get to come inside to happily identify the gems, crystals and fossils.

Physical Science for K-8

Here is my Physics/Physical Science lesson plans for a twice a week science course for those of you interested in seeing/using them. I used the GEMS guide: Earth, Moon and Stars , The Handbook of Nature Study (click on the link for a free download) and I used a simple machines kit. You could put together your own simple machines kit, however, by purchasing some pulleys and a balance that you can adjust. At the end of the year, there is scheduled a quick run through Exploring Creation with Astronomy by Jeannie Fulbright, but for younger children, you might want to go through it casually throughout the year, taking about two weeks per chapter. I also used Real Science-4-Kids Physics Pre-Level I and Level I including their experiments. -Phyllis

Week 1 : Simple Machines
*Begin Simple Machines: Levers

*Simple Machines: Pulley

Week 2: Simple Machines
*Simple Machines: Inclined Plane and Wedge
*Simple Machines: Screw

Week 3: Simple Machines
* Simple Machines: Wheel

Week 4: Our Earth
*Earth, Moon and Stars, Activity 1: Ancient Models of the Earth
*Earth Moon and Stars, Activity 2: The Earth's Shape and Gravity

Week 5: Earth
*Pangaea Puzzle (Copy a map of the world and have them cut out the continents and then put them together like a puzzle. We glued ours as it fit together to a piece of paper.) or, you could do a cookie project found at Almost Unschoolers.
*Layers of the Earth Desert

Week 6: Earth
*Core Sampling
* Mountain Types and how they are formed & Plate Movements

Week 7: Earth Science

*Begin Fossils: Fossils Uncovered
*Volcanoes: Make a 3-D Volcano Book, which shows a mountain on the outside and the parts of a volcano on the inside

Week 8: Earth Science
*The Force of Volcanoes (We used a kit for our models, but one could be made out of clay or you could just experiment with the baking soda and vinegar in a bottle, if you don't care if it doesn't look like a volcano. The point is to talk about the force and pressure within a volcano that makes the lava spew forth. We also had fun with Mentos and Diet Coke/Pepsi to demonstrate pressure and force.
*Fossil Collection

Week 9: Fossils
*Fossil Find
*Fossilized Insects in "Amber"

Week 10: Fossils
* Trace Fossil Models
* Cast and Mold Fossil Models

Week 11: Fossils/Earth Science
*Fossil Footprints
*Limestone Cave & Moon Craters
Week 11: Rocks and Minerals
*Sedimentary Rocks-How Sedimentary Rocks Are Made
*Metamorphic Rocks: Metamorphic Bars

Week 12: Rocks and Minerals

*Metamorphic Rock Collection
*Igneous Rock: Volcanoes and How Igneous Rocks Are Made Pop-Up Books

Week 13: Minerals and Crystals
*Testing Minerals: Scratch Test, Streak Test, Magnetic?, Acid Test
* Begin Crystals: Crystal Shapes

Week 14: Crystals
* Color pictures of Gems and Crystals to match the Crystal Shapes
* Growing Crystals

Week 15-17 Magnets
*Minerals vs. Rocks: Granola
*Follow the section on magnets in the Handbook of Nature Study , taking one section of questions each day.

Week 18: Light
*Introduce the concept of light energy.
*When light hits an object, three things can happen: it can pass through, it can bounce off or it can be absorbed. Introduce the terms opaque, translucent and transparent. Talk about how light travels and make a pin-hole camera.

Week 19: Lenses
*Allow students to explore convex and concave lenses and demonstrate their effects on light.
*Experiment with a drop of water as a lens. Is it concave or convex?

Week 20: Bending Light
*Introduce the terms reflection and refraction. Reflection occurs when light waves bounce off an object and refraction occurs when light waves bend. Show them reflection in a mirror and a flashlight and refraction by placing a butter knife in a glass of water. What other times have you see refraction (in a swimming pool?) For older children you can discuss angle of incidence. When light hits a mirror at an angle, the wave will be reflected in the opposite direction but at an equal angle. You can use a mirror, flashlight and protractor to demonstrate this.
*Look at a periscope or make one if you do not have one. Have your students sketch it and show the path of light.

Week 21: Light & Color
*Use a prism to refract light and project the visible spectrum of colors. Glass is more dense than air, so the light bends as it passes through the prism. Each of the colors in the spectrum bends a different amount so you can see the different colors.
*Use poster board to make a color wheel. Set a compass at a radius of 2 inches. Draw a circle on the poster board and mark a point on the circle. Keep the compass setting the same. Draw six arcs around the circle. Make a point where each arc crosses the circle. Next draw lines from each point to the center of the circle. Carefully color each section a different color in this order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. Cut out the circle and carefully press a nail or screw through the center. Place the nail in a bit holder of a small hand drill. Lock it tightly in place. Let the drill turn fast and watch the color wheel. What happens?

Week 22: Light and Color
*Explain how colors are seen. The colors we see are the wavelengths of light that are reflected off an object. Explain that when light hits something, all wavelengths of the light are absorbed except the one which is the color we see. The reflection of the color we see identify the object as being the particular color.
*Demonstrate the spectrum of light on soap bubbles.

Week 23: Color, Sight & Light
*Demonstrate the separation of colors or chromatography. Use a water-soluble black marker to make a large black dot on a coffee filter. Using a dropper add drops of water to the black dot and observe the changes for a few minutes. The colors that emerge were part of the black pigment and and now beginning to separate out. Note the order the colors emerge. Is this order similar to the color spectrum order?
*Draw and label a diagram of the eye or make a paper model.

Week 24: Light & Sound

*Explain the difference between incandescent light and fluorescent light. The incandescent light is produced by heat. Fluorescent light is produced when ultraviolet rays strike phosphors inside the bulb. The fluorescent tube is filled with phosphors, chemicals which glow when ultraviolet radiation is present
*Vibration must be present if a sound is heard. Have your students touch their throat while speaking or humming. Have them whisper, talk normally and then shout. What is the difference in vibrations?
Week 25: Sound

*Draw and diagram the ear or make a paper model.

*wavelength-demonstrate using a long rope. Have a student hold one end of the rope and you take the other end and raise your arm up and then bring it down, creating a wave. Have your students then put the rope on the table in a wave. Have them sketch the wave. Have them add terms such as crest,

trough, wavelength and amplitude to the sketch.

Week 26: Sound

* Teach terms such as frequency, pitch, decibel.

*show how to make sound vibrations with a glass and water.

Week 27: Sound
*sound waves travel at different speeds through different mediums

*Just as light may reflect, so does sound. Discuss acoustics.

Weeks 28 & 29: Sound

*experiment with what affects sound

*make musical instruments: violin, stringed instruments

*Difference in time between light and sound. Calculate how far away a thunderstorm is by the time elapsed between the lightening and thunder. (Count the seconds difference and divide by 5.)

Week 30: Electricity

*Using a bulb with some wires attached from an old sting of Christmas tree lights and a C or D battery, let them figure out how to light the bulb. Discuss what a simple circuit is.

* Experiment with insulators and conductors.

Week 31: Electricity

* Experiment with switches and short circuits

* make an electromagnet

Weeks 32: Weather

*Exploring Water's Forms/Making Rain

* Making Wind, Weather: Temperature & Wind

Week 33: Weather

* Air Pressure & Weather Prediction

* Water Forms/Nature Study

Week 34: Weather/Astronomy

*Solar Power

* The Solar System: Model

Week 35: Astronomy

*Mercury

*Venus: How Radar Works

Week 36: Astronomy

*Mars/Dry Ice Investigations

*Jupiter/Moons of Jupiter

Week 37: Astronomy

*Saturn

*Uranus/Neptune

Week 38: Astronomy

*Pluto and Kuiper

*Stars and Galaxies/The Two Dippers

Week 39: Astronomy/The Moon, Stars & Consetllations

Week 40: Comets, Asteroids and Meteors, Space Travel

Understanding How Radar Works in Determining Topography

The title sounds a lot more serious and heavy than this activity really is. We had been talking about how it is hard for us to know what the surface of Venus looks like because the atmosphere is so thick. The surface,too is most like lava so our probes have melted into it when they landed, giving us few pictures. I found this project here. First I put a mystery object in a tall box and covered the box with a paper towel. I then drew a grid on the paper towel and made a matching grid on a piece of paper.

I also took a wooden skewer and colored each inch of it a different color with markers.
As the boys poked the skewer in each of the grid blocks of the paper towel, they noted what color was showing at the top when they hit bottom and colored the block on the grid paper the same color.


In this way they could determine the topography of our mystery object. Radar works the same way; bouncing back to us similar information which can then be translated into a topography map. Sam is going to translate this color schematic into a typical topography map next week. I will show you how it looks then.

Minerals are to Rocks as Oatmeal is to Cookie

We did a really fun geology activity today.

I wanted them to understand the relationship between rocks and minerals...so I turned to cookies.

They were each given an oatmeal and a chocolate chip cookie and a magnifying glass.

Also on the table were all the ingredients for making oatmeal-raisin cookies and chocolate chip cookies. Their task was to put the ingredients into three groups.One group was to be what was unique to the oatmeal-raisin cookie...another group was to be the ingredients common to both cookies and the last group was what was unique to the chocolate chip cookie.

Throughout this activity, I compared the cookies to rocks and the individual ingredients to minerals. Many rocks have components that are in common, but each have their own special combination, making a unique type. Cookies, too, have many things in common, but the addition of different spices or other ingredients will make the difference between an oatmeal-raisin cookie and a chocolate chip. With all the ingredients measured out, we made the cookies, of course.

(Another fun Geology Activity with Cookies is here.)