Rocks

The forces of both weathering and erosion shape rocks and are part of the rock cycle.  Make a Venn diagram that illustrated the characteristics of weathering and erosion.  Use such characteristics as:

• rivers moving sediment
• rain
• gravity
• plants growing inside cracks of rocks
• minerals dissolving within rocks and making them weaken
• fast-moving water
• waves
• wind
• glaciers
• freezing and thawing of water

Mt. St. Helens is an active volcano in Washington.  It is very unusual for volcanoes to erupt in the United States in modern times.  But in 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted in a dramatic and memorable way.  It caused loss of life, millions of dollars of damage, and permanently changed the landscape of the area around the volcano.  Because of what you know about how rocks are formed, what type of new rock do you think has been created on the slopes of Mt. St. Helens?  Would it be igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic?

Weathering and Erosion Chart
Will the likely result of each of these events be weathering or erosion?  Remember that weathering is the process where rocks and minerals break down into smaller pieces.  Erosion is the movement of the smaller pieces of rocks and minerals that were formed from weathering. 

Event	Weathering or Erosion?
Water fills the crack in a rock and freezes
windy weather blows sand and debris against a big hunk of granite
windy weather removes topsoil from farmland
heavy rains result in a flashflood of fast-moving water that roars through southern Utah’s Canyonlands
rain beats down on sandstone rocks
glaciers slowly move across the landscape at about 3 feet per year
small streams flow toward larger rivers
waves crash against rocky seashores
rivers flow towards the ocean
high winds blow pieces of gravel and sand from your yard to neighbor’s yard

Which type of rock, igneous or metamorphic or sedimentary, is most likely to contain fossils?  Explain why.

Graphically illustrate this sentence: Any kind of rock can become any other kind of rock.

–Under the direction and supervision of your teacher, contact a staff member of the Utah Geological Survey. They have an outreach program that offers information to interested classrooms.  Inquire about a state geologist visiting your classroom and answering your geology-related questions.  Before the visit, as a classroom, write down a list of your questions.  It would be fun to learn about ancient Lake Bonneville or learn about why Utah is so rich in rock formations.  It would be fun to know the predominant types of rocks in the Uintah Mountain of northern Utah or about the predominant types of rocks in the Wasatch Mountains. How about learning about the Henry Mountains, the Tushar Mountains, or the Oquirrh Mountains? Maybe you want to know about the rocks in Utah caves or about the rocks in Bear Ears National Monument.  Maybe you have questions about weathering and erosion or about soil formation.

–The Utah Geological Association is a valuable resource that has vast amounts of information about the geology of our great state of Utah.  There is an informative map that the association uses to highlight unique “geosights” throughout Utah.  Choose a geosight that is interesting to you.  On a notecard, write down the name of the geosight, the county in Utah where it is located, and a brief description of the geosight.  Partner with another student in your classroom and share what you discovered. 

Soil is a foundation for much of life on planet earth.  Yet soil is in constant danger of being depleted, blown away, washed away, and covered up by buildings.  How can just one person or family or classroom do their part to solve some of problems with soil reduction?

Using a graphics programs such as Microsoft Paint or that is available at your school, make a visual demonstration of the rock cycle.

Make a list of the minerals found in your home.

Using what you know about the rock cycle, explain these two statements and give examples of the types of rocks in your explanation.  (Statement 1) Some rocks can be created in a few days or weeks.  (Statement 2) Some rocks take thousands or millions of years to form.

Some of the components of soil are tiny particles of rock called sand, silt, and clay.  Put a cup of soil into a glass quart jar and fill the rest of the jar with water.  Top it with a secure lid.  Give the soil and water a good stir or shake to combine it, and then leave it untouched for 2-3 days to let it settle.  You will find that the soil has settled into layers.  Examine the layers and identify them in terms of what you know about the components of soil.  Why do you think that the bottom layer is at the bottom?  Why do you think that the middle layer is taking up the middle position?  In other words, what are the characteristics of the soil’s layers that would cause them to arrange themselves in this manner?

Soil loves earthworms!  Worms make tunnels in the soil which makes the soil less dense and allows more water to run down deep in the soil.  The worms play a role in the decomposition of organic matter such as dead plants and animals.  Locate a large gallon glass or plastic jar.  Fill the jar with moist soil.  Add 2-3 worms.  On top of the soil, place 3-4 pieces of plant leaves or stems or some flower petals.  Keep the soil damp, and keep the jar in a dark area. (Worms do not like light). Observe the jar over a week.  What do the worms do with the plant material?  How is this beneficial to the health of the soil and to the growth of plants?

Yes, there are coloring books for younger children that contain cute and fluffy animals, superheroes, princesses, and famous cartoon characters. There is also a coloring book about the microbes found in soil that is sponsored by the Natural Resources Conservation Service which is part of the USDA.  Under the direction of your teacher, partner with a younger-aged classroom to share this awesome information about soil. Find a young reading buddy and share this microbe fun with your young partner.  Teach your partner some of the fascinating facts that you have learned about soil. (Rather than printing the soil booklet, teachers can order it directly from the USDA, and there are other mini microbes materials available.).

With permission from your local city park department, adopt a section of a park that contains areas other than grass or that contains a variety of plants.  Keep the soil in the area planted with flowers or shrubs, keep the area free of trash and garbage.  How might this help the soil?

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has offices in every state with a soil scientist who has expertise about state soils.  With guidance and supervision from your teacher, contact the state of Utah soil scientist, and invite him/her to your classroom to talk to you about Utah soil.  There are also soil conservation experts in local areas throughout Utah.  Contact a representative from the county or city in Utah where you live and invite him/her to your classroom to learn about how we can protect and conserve our soils.

Plant trees, shrubs, or perennial flowers to prevent soil erosion.  How do plants and grass help keep soil healthy