Science: Rocks Minerals and the Rock Cycle
Identifying minerals, rock types, and how rocks change over time
Science: Rocks Minerals and the Rock Cycle
Identifying minerals, rock types, and how rocks change over time
Science - Grade 4-5
- 1
What is a mineral? Give two traits that all minerals have.
Think about what makes a mineral different from a man-made material.
A mineral is a naturally occurring, nonliving solid found in Earth. All minerals have a definite chemical makeup and a crystal structure. - 2
How is a rock different from a mineral?
A rock is made of one or more minerals or other natural materials, while a mineral is a single natural substance with specific properties. - 3
Name the three main types of rocks.
These groups are based on how the rocks form.
The three main types of rocks are igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. - 4
A rock forms when melted rock cools and hardens. What type of rock is it?
It is an igneous rock because igneous rocks form when melted rock cools and hardens. - 5
A rock is made from layers of sand, mud, and tiny pieces of shell pressed together over time. What type of rock is it?
Look for clues about layers and pieces settling.
It is a sedimentary rock because sedimentary rocks form from sediments that are pressed and cemented together. - 6
A rock changes because of heat and pressure deep underground, but it does not melt. What type of rock does it become?
It becomes a metamorphic rock because metamorphic rocks form when existing rocks change under heat and pressure without melting. - 7
What is magma, and where is it usually found?
Magma is melted rock found below Earth's surface. It is usually found underground where temperatures are very high. - 8
What is lava, and how is it different from magma?
Both words describe melted rock in different places.
Lava is melted rock that has reached Earth's surface. Magma is below the surface, and lava is on the surface. - 9
Explain how weathering helps start changes in the rock cycle.
Weathering breaks rocks into smaller pieces. These smaller pieces can become sediment and later form sedimentary rock. - 10
What does erosion do to rock particles and sediment?
Erosion moves rock particles and sediment from one place to another by wind, water, ice, or gravity. - 11
Why do some sedimentary rocks show layers?
Picture sand and mud settling at the bottom of water.
Some sedimentary rocks show layers because sediments are dropped over time in different amounts and materials, building up one layer on top of another. - 12
How can an igneous rock become a sedimentary rock?
An igneous rock can be broken down by weathering and erosion into sediment. Then the sediment can be compacted and cemented to form a sedimentary rock. - 13
How can a sedimentary rock become a metamorphic rock?
Think about what happens deep inside Earth.
A sedimentary rock can become a metamorphic rock when it is buried deep underground and changed by heat and pressure. - 14
A student says the rock cycle always follows one path in the same order. Is that correct? Explain.
That is not correct. Rocks can change in different ways, so the rock cycle has many possible paths depending on heat, pressure, melting, cooling, weathering, and erosion. - 15
Why is the rock cycle called a cycle?
It is called a cycle because rocks can change from one type to another again and again over long periods of time.