Learning Activity

Rock Cycle WebQuest

Subject Area

Science
Digital Literacy and Computer Science

Grade(s)

9, 10, 11, 12

Overview

This activity covers the rock cycle.  It incorporates the transformation of rocks into sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic. It also incorporates activities for identification of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks.  It includes videos (with questions) that reinforce the rock cycle. 

This activity results from the ALEX Resource Gap Project.

Digital Literacy and Computer Science (2018) Grade(s): 09-12

DLCS18.HS.R5

Locate and curate information from digital sources to answer research questions.

Unpacked Content

UP:DLCS18.HS.R5

Vocabulary

  • curate

Knowledge

Students know:
  • how to find valid sources to answer a given research topic.
  • how to cite sources.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • locate valid digital resources to answer given research questions.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • a great deal of information is available.
  • it is important to validate information and to cite the source of information.
Science (2015) Grade(s): 09-12 - Earth and Space Science

SC15.ESS.10

Construct an explanation from evidence for the processes that generate the transformation of rocks in Earth’s crust, including chemical composition of minerals and characteristics of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks.

Unpacked Content

UP:SC15.ESS.10

Vocabulary

  • igneous
  • sedimentary
  • metamorphic
  • minerals
  • ore
  • magma
  • quartz
  • feldspar
  • mica
  • intrusive rock
  • extrusive rock
  • basalt
  • volcanic eruption
  • obsidian
  • clastic rock
  • conglomerate
  • chemical rock
  • organic rock
  • calcium carbonate
  • limestone
  • foliated rock
  • cleavage
  • nonfoliated rock
  • marble
  • rock cycle
  • weathering
  • erosion
  • heat
  • pressure
  • melting
  • coal
  • shale
  • pumice
  • sandstone
  • slate
  • granite
  • rhyolite
  • schist

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Minerals make up rocks.
  • Rocks are formed in many environments upon and within the Earth's crust.
  • Igneous rock is formed by the cooling of magma inside the Earth or on the surface.
  • Sedimentary rock is formed from the products of weathering by cementation or precipitation on the Earth's surface.
  • Metamorphic rock, is formed by temperature and pressure changes inside the Earth.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Construct an explanation that includes specific cause and effect relationships for formation of each type of rock.
  • Identify and describe evidence to construct an explanation such as cooling of magma at different rates form various types of igneous rocks, cementing of materials together or precipitation to form different sedimentary rocks, and pressure and temperature changes within the crust and upper mantle to form metamorphic rock.
  • Use reasoning to connect the evidence to explain transformation of rocks in the Earth's crust.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Earth is a complex system of interacting subsystems: the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere.
  • The geosphere includes a hot and mostly metallic inner core: a mantle of hot, soft, solid rock: and a crust of rock, soil, and sediments.
  • Solid rocks can be formed by the cooling of molten rock, the accumulation and consolidation of sediments, or the alteration of older rocks by heat, pressure, and fluids.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

Crosscutting Concepts

Stability and Change

Phase

Before/Engage
During/Explore/Explain
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

The student will be able to explain the processes that change one rock type into another.

The student will be able to correctly identify the two main types of igneous rocks based on location and crystal composition.

The student will be able to understand the characteristics that are used to identify rock types.

Activity Details

Please click link for complete handout of activity.     Title: Rock Cycle Webquest code: earth

Materials: Computer, tablet, cellphone with internet capabilities, paper, pencil, colored pencils or crayons

Part 1:

1. Go to the following website:  http://www.learner.org/interactives/rockcycle/index.html   

2. Click on “Begin with Types of Rocks.” Read over the description of Igneous, Metamorphic and Sedimentary rocks. Then scroll to the bottom and examine the “What to look for” chart. 

3. Write down the six clues below (they are in red): 

a) ___________ 

b) ___________ 

c) ___________ 

d) ___________ 

e) ___________ 

f) ___________ 

 

4.  Then click “Next: Start your collection.” Click Begin. Click on each of the six rocks to identify them and read a brief description. 

   Name of Rock                 Share two facts about this rock!                Igneous, Metamorphic or Sedimentary? 

(Do your best to use your knowledge to classify each rock!)

a)      _________                                __________________________                   _________________________________

b)      _________                                __________________________                   _________________________________

c)       _________                                __________________________                   _________________________________

d)      _________                                __________________________                   _________________________________

e)      _________                                __________________________                   _________________________________

f)       _________                                __________________________                   _________________________________

 

5. Now click “Next: Identify Rock Types” and read the directions on how to play. 

Characteristic                                                      Type of Rock  (circle one)

 a)      ___________________________                Igneous              Metamorphic          Sedimentary

b)      ___________________________                Igneous              Metamorphic          Sedimentary

c)       ___________________________                Igneous              Metamorphic          Sedimentary

d)      ___________________________                Igneous              Metamorphic          Sedimentary

e)      ___________________________                Igneous              Metamorphic          Sedimentary

 

6. Now click on the next chapter, titled “How Rocks Change.” Read the section on how heat and pressure changes rocks and watch the animation by clicking Start.  

a) Heat and pressure causes _______________ rock to turn into ______________ rock. 

 7. Click “Next.” Read the section on Heating and Cooling. Click on the animation for Melting.  

a) Melting causes _______________ rock to turn into ______________. 

 8. Click on the animation for Cooling. You may need to replay the animation more than once to answer the following questions.  

a) How does extrusive igneous rock form?  _____________________________________________________.

b) How does intrusive igneous rock form? _____________________________________________________.

c) Which cools faster? __________________ 

d) Which has crystals? __________________

9. Click “Next.” Read the section on Weathering and Erosion and Compacting and Cementing. Watch both animations. Take notes from animations in the space provided. 

Weathering and Erosion:

 

Compacting and Cementing:

 

10. Click on “Transform the Rock.” Read the directions for how to play and press “Begin.” IMPORTANT: Fill out the table (column 1 and column 3) below BEFORE submitting each answer. The words disappear very quickly!   

 

a)      _______________________           +             _____________________        =             _______________

b)      _______________________           +             _____________________        =             _______________

c)       _______________________           +             _____________________        =             _______________

d)      _______________________           +             _____________________        =             _______________

e)      _______________________           +             _____________________        =             _______________

f)       _______________________           +             _____________________        =             _______________

g)      _______________________           +             _____________________        =             _______________

h)      _______________________           +             _____________________        =             _______________

i)        _______________________           +             _____________________        =             _______________

11. Go onto the next chapter. Explore the rock cycle diagram. When ready, click the Next to “Complete the Cycle!” Read the directions to learn how to play. You do not have to write your answers down, the computer will score you. 

 

12. After completing the diagram you are ready to test your skills. Click Begin. Final score ____ / 15.  

 

Part 2:

Use these terms to fill in the blanks:

1.            Compaction & Cementation

2.            Deposition

3.            Erosion

4.            Extrusion

5.            Intrusive Crystallization

6.            Melting

7.            Metamorphism

8.            Uplift

9.            Uplift

10.          Uplift

11.          Weathering

 

Part 3: Rock Cycle Videos 

Rock Cycle (NASA):                              https://youtu.be/SRaInMDNyE8

Rock Cycle Animation (Kelly Dunham):   https://youtu.be/9lyCYXXIHT0

Rock Cycle (Kartic Kumar):                    https://youtu.be/LiN5lL1CWPA

Watch the videos and answer the following questions (they are not in order).

 

1) What are the three types of rocks that are part of the rock cycle? ______________________________ 

2) What do you need in order for an igneous rock to form?       ___________________________________ 

3) What does erosion have to do with the rock cycle? __________________________________________ 

4) What is the difference between magma and lava? ___________________________________________ 

5) When metamorphic rock melts what does it form? ___________________________________________ 

6) What can you infer about metamorphic rocks from their name? ________________________________ 

7) How are metamorphic rocks formed? _____________________________________________________ 

8) What has to happen to sediment in order for it to form sedimentary rock? _______________________ 

9) List an example of a sedimentary rock. ________________________________________ 

10) When does a sedimentary rock become a metamorphic rock? _________________________________

11) What is deposition? ___________________________________________________________________

12) Where are extrusive igneous rocks formed? ________________________________________________

13) Where are intrusive igneous rocks formed? ________________________________________________

14) What is the process of the rocks changing from one form to another called? ______________________

15) What are the two types of igneous rocks called? ____________________________________________

Assessment Strategies

Assessment Strategies

Open-Ended Questions: 

1. Write a 5 sentence paragraph (in the space below) about what you have learned about the rock cycle from this activity. POSSIBLE ANSWERS: (1) metamorphic rock formation (2) sedimentary rock formation (3) igneous rock formation  (4) intrusive vs extrusive (5) characteristics of rock identification (6) lava vs magma (7) rock cycle etc… Students should have complete sentences.

2. Sketch a quick rock cycle (in the space below) including the 3 rocks and the 3 processes that dictate their formation. POSSIBLE ANSWER: http://sci.gallaudet.edu/Mary/Rockcycle.html

Quiz: (choose 5-10 questions from the activity and develop a quick quiz)

 1) What are the three types of rocks that are part of the rock cycle? POSSIBLE ANSWER: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary

2) What do you need in order for an igneous rock to form? POSSIBLE ANSWER:   weathering and erosion  

3) What does erosion have to do with the rock cycle?  POSSIBLE ANSWER: without erosion there would be no sedimentary rock formation and thus effecting metamorphic and igneous rock formation

4) What is the difference between magma and lava? POSSIBLE ANSWER: magma is underground and lava is above ground

5) When metamorphic rock melts what does it form? POSSIBLE ANSWER: magma

6) What can you infer about metamorphic rocks from their name? POSSIBLE ANSWER: meta- means after or beyond and morph- means to change or transform.  Thus metamorphic rocks means a rock that has changed or transformed from another rock after something happened to it.

7) How are metamorphic rocks formed? POSSIBLE ANSWER: from igneous or sedimentary rocks that have undergone high heat and pressure

8) What has to happen to sediment in order for it to form sedimentary rock? POSSIBLE ANSWER: compaction and cementation

9) List an example of a sedimentary rock. POSSIBLE ANSWER: breccia, conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, and shale

10) When does a sedimentary rock become a metamorphic rock? POSSIBLE ANSWER: when sedimentary rocks have undergone high heat and pressure

11) What is deposition? POSSIBLE ANSWER: Deposition is the geological process in which sediments, soil, and rocks are added to a landform or land mass. Wind, ice, water, and gravity transport previously weathered surface material, which, at the loss of enough kinetic energy in the fluid, is deposited, building up layers of sediment.

12) Where are extrusive igneous rocks formed? POSSIBLE ANSWER: Extrusive igneous rocks form when magma reaches the Earth's surface a volcano and cools quickly. Most extrusive (volcanic) rocks have small crystals.  

13) Where are intrusive igneous rocks formed? POSSIBLE ANSWER: Intrusive, or plutonic, igneous rocks form when magma cools slowly below the Earth's surface. Most intrusive rocks have large, well-formed crystals.

14) What is the process of the rocks changing from one form to another called? POSSIBLE ANSWER: the rock cycle

15) What are the two types of igneous rocks called? POSSIBLE ANSWER: extrusive and intrusive

Writing: 

Write a story about the rock cycle from a rock's perspective. (Ensure you give the students guidelines on what vocabulary you would like used and how long it should be.) POSSIBLE ANSWER: Students may create their storybook on the website: https://www.mystorybook.com/

Variation Tips

The teacher may consider doing this activity as a whole group where they follow the activity on the smart board instead of individually working it. I have had success with this process when the ability level of the class is not high enough to let them work on their own. Also, you can split a varied class into working as a small group with you and letting the more advanced students work ahead.

Students may create their storybook on the website: https://www.mystorybook.com/

Background and Preparation

Background / Preparation

Please click link to handout of activity.       code: earth

The teacher needs to make sure each person or group (2 people) have a copy of the Rock Cycle Webquest activity instructions prior to the start of the activity.

The teacher also needs to make sure all students/groups have access to a BYOD or classroom device that can access the internet.

Part 2 may require the teacher to print off the rock cycle for the students (if they do not have adobe flash player). An alternative is to have the students draw out a rough drawing of the completed cycle.

The teacher needs to review the BYOD/Internet acceptable use policies established by the teacher, school, district, or variation of the above.

Digital Tools / Resources

My Storybook Creation Site
https://www.mystorybook.com/

Approved Date

Owner (Author)

vhall
ALSDE LOGO

This site may contain links to other websites or content belonging to or originating from third parties or links to websites and features in banners or other advertising. Such external links are not investigated, monitored, or checked for accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness by us. WE DO NOT WARRANT, ENDORSE, GUARANTEE, OR ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY INFORMATION OFFERED BY THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES LINKED THROUGH THIS SITE.
Alabama Learning Exchange © 2002-2023 by Alabama State Department of Education is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International

Design by Adaptive Theme