Rock Cycle Scavenger Hunt

p. 90 figure 1 What rocks are being shown in the picture and what did they build? The ancient Egyptians used a sedimentary rock called limestone to construct the pyramids of Giza. Granite, an igneous rock was used to construct the Texas state capital in Austin.

p.90 What is a rock? A naturally occurring solid mixture of one or more minerals and organic matter.

p. 91 Describe the 3 processes that shape the Earth. Weathering: the breaking down of rocks into small pieces by wind, water, ice, & gravity. Erosion: the process that removes sediment from its source. Deposition: after sediment is moved by erosion it is dropped and creates a layer of Earth.

Figure 2 p. 91 What happened to Bryce Canyon in Utah? It is an example of how weathering and erosion shape the face of our planet.

p. 91 What is uplift? Movement within the Earth that causes rocks inside the crust to be brought to Earth’s surface.

p. 92 – 93 Draw your own illustration of the rock cycle.

p. 94 Is there only one path to follow on the rock cycle? Does it ever end? Rocks can follow many paths on the rock cycle. It NEVER ends!

p. 94 What determines the forces that change rocks? Explain how you know. The location of a rock determines which natural forces will have the biggest impact on the process of change. At the surface weathering & erosion are more dominant. Deep underground heat & pressure are the changing forces.

p. 95 How are rocks classified? Rocks are classified based on how they are formed.

Explain how each type of rock forms. Igneous – cooling lava or magma Sedimentary – rocks are broken down, eroded, and deposited in layers then compacted & cemented together. Metamorphic – rocks are pushed deep into the crust and go through metamorphosis with intense heat & pressure.

Figure 4 p. 95 Describe the composition of Limestone & Granite by using the graphs. Limestone = 95% calcite & 5% Aragonite Granite = 10% Biotite mica, 35%Quartz, 55% Feldspar

Figure 5 p. 96 What is the difference between the 3 rocks shown? What kind of rocks are they? Each rock has a different texture. Siltstone is fine, Sandstone is medium, Conglomerate is coarse. Sedimentary rocks

p. 96 What is texture? The size, shapes, and positions of the rock’s grains.

Figure 6 p. 96 Explain the difference between Basalt and Sandstone.

Complete number 10 on p. 97 in the book. A rock with particles 2 mm would be a medium grained rock texture.