Unit 4:
The Rock Cycle
Lauren Ard
Santa Clara High School
Tucson, Arizona
Instructions: Below are the
activities you can choose from to earn points for this unit. Start with
the C activities. These will help you learn the basics of the unit.
Activities in bold are required for every student. After you have
enough points in the C section, move on to section B and then A for
more challenging activities. Here's how to get the grade you want:
F: 0 - 140 C points
D: 141 - 160 C points
C: 161 - 180 C points
B: 180 C points and 5 - 20 B points
A: 180 C points, 20 B
points, and 5 - 20 A points
When you are finished with
an activity, you must sit down and discuss what you've learned with
Mrs. Ard. You may not turn in more than two activities on the last
day of the unit.
C Activities
| Description | # of Periods | Points | Score |
| Take Cornell notes for this entire unit. | - | 10 | |
| Do the “Rock Cycle” activity with the rest of the class on Nov 13. | 0.5 | 10 | |
| Do the “My Sediments Exactly” activity with the rest of the class on Nov 14. | 1 | 20 | |
| Do the “Make a Sedimentary Rock” activity with the rest of the class on Nov 15. | 1 | 20 | |
| Do the “Igneous Rocks” activity with the rest of the class on Nov 19. | 1 | 20 | |
| Do the “Metamorphic Rocks” activity with the rest of the class on Nov 20. | 1 | 20 | |
| Do the first four steps of the Scientific Method for your Science Fair Project. | 3 | 40 | |
| Do the short “Chemical and Physical Erosion” activity. (You will learn about the different kinds of erosion using a piece of chalk.) | 0.5 | 6 | |
| Watch the 20 minute video titled “Bill Nye: Soil” and take one side of a page of Cornell Notes while watching. | 0.5 | 10 | |
| Watch the 20 minute video on “Weathering and Erosion” and answer the questions on the worksheet given. | 0.5 | 10 | |
| Do the “Sedimentation Jar” activity. (You will learn about how different size sediments are deposited at deposited differently.) | 0.5 | 10 | |
| Read F36 – F39 in the hardcover Earth Materials and Processes book and answer questions 1-5 on page F39. Then read F40-F43 and answer questions 1-5 on page F43. | 1 | 20 | |
| Read F45 – F48 in the hardcover Earth Materials and Processes book and answer questions 1-5 on page F48. Then read F49-F55 and answer questions 1-5 on page F55. | 1 | 20 | |
| Do the “Rock Cycle” internet activity. (You will learn about the Rock Cycle and answer some questions.) | 1 | 20 | |
| Make a comic or children's story about “Ricky the Rock” going through the rock cycle. You must include at least five facts in your comic and your drawing should be neat. | 1 | 20 | |
| Play the “Rock Cycle” game and answer the questions on the worksheet provided. | 1 | 20 |
B Activities
| Description | # of Periods | Points | Score |
| Borrow the clear bag labeled “B Activity Rocks.” Look at each rock and describe its path through the rock cycle, and what type of rock you think it might be (sedimentary, igneous, or metamorphic). Write at least five sentences about each rock. | 0.5 | 10 | |
| Do the “River Erosion” activity. Please clean up when you are finished!! (You will learn about how a river erodes away sediments.) | 1 | 20 | |
| Do the “Crayon Cycle” activity. (You will come up with a way to demonstrate the rock cycle using melted crayons.) | 1 | 20 |
A Activities
| Description | # of Periods | Points | Score |
| Take a look at rocks from each of the three different rock types on the table at the front of the room. Use the Venn diagram at the back of the room and compare and contrast the properties of the different types of rock. | 0.5 | 10 | |
| Come up with a lesson plan that would demonstrate the rock cycle using one type of food. Write a description of each step of the rock cycle and how you would use that food to show the rock cycle step. | 1 | 20 | |
| Do the “Make a Fake Rock” activity. (You will make a paper mache rock and make it look like a sedimentary, metamorphic, or igneous rock.) | 1 | 20 |