Rocks

Activities at the Understand Level

Learners explain, summarize, discuss, give examples, review, compare, paraphrase, predict, outline, infer, and make sense out of information

Minerals

Describe the basic structure of minerals.
Explain how cleavage, color, hardness, luster, and streak are used to classify minerals.
What is the Mohs scale of hardness and how does it work?
What is Utah’s official state mineral?  Its official state rock?  Its official state gem?
How do our bodies benefit from minerals?  Choose one mineral and list the foods that it is found in and describe how it helps us to stay healthy.
Name That Mineral Chart
Rocks are made up of minerals.  Visit Utah’s Online Library and use Gale’s Kids Infobits to locate information for the chart. In Kids Infobits, when you see the list of resources available for the rock that you are searching for, use the encyclopedia articles rather than the book resources.  The first rock is done for you.
Rock Igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary? Some of the minerals that make up the rock

limestone

sedimentary

calcite

granite

 

 

marble

 

 

limestone

 

 

quartzite

 

 

gneiss (pronounced “nice”)

 

 

chalk

 

 

shale

 

 

basalt

 

 

sandstone

 

 

schist

 

 

slate

 

 
The Statue of Liberty is made of iron, but the outside of the statue is totally covered with a thin layer of the mineral, copper.  You might know that copper is usually a bright orange-ish, dark gold-ish, brown-ish color.  Utah has lots of copper!  In fact, it is famous for its huge copper mine in Salt Lake County.  If the Statue of Liberty is made of copper, why is it green? 
The Cave of Crystals in Mexico is home to some of the biggest crystals in the world.  Remember that crystals are minerals.  What mineral are most of these amazing crystals formed from?
The crystals in minerals form in many different kinds of shapes.  Which mineral forms crystals into shapes called desert roses?
We’ve probably all seen pictures of pointed icicle-like stalactites and stalagmites in caves.  Did you know that stalactites and stalagmites are minerals?  How do they form?  Drop by drop by drop, in a very slow process over thousands of years, these fascinating formations make caves interesting places to visit and learn.  What mineral are they made from?
Gems are crystals of minerals.  There is a mineral called corundum that forms blue crystals that are the gem called sapphires.  Corundum also forms red crystals that are called rubies.  What mineral forms crystals called emeralds?

Rocks and Rock Cycle

Explain the process of how an igneous rock is formed.
–Explain the process of how a metamorphic rock is formed.
–Explain the process of how a sedimentary rock is formed.
–How does the rock cycle work?
What is the difference between a rock and a mineral?
Marble is a metamorphic rock.  What sedentary rock did marble used to be and how did it change into marble?
What kinds of information can geologists gather from looking at the layers in sedimentary rocks?
The Giant’s Causeway is a famous landmark in Northern Ireland. It is a tribute to igneous rocks.  Explain how it was formed.
How are glaciers part of the rock cycle?
Is limestone an igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary rock?  Why do scientists like to study limestone?  Why is limestone often light colors such as white, tan, or gray?
Caves are all about rocks and minerals.  How do caves form?  What is the name of a famous limestone cave in Utah?  Have you ever visited it?
Why is the igneous rock called pumice able to float?
Geodes are so interesting!  They are igneous or sedimentary rocks that have hollow centers that are filled with crystals.  Explain how their interesting “insides” came to be.
Utah has lots of hoodoos!  What are they?  What type of rock are they – igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary?  How did they form?
The Grand Canyon has one of the world’s most impressive displays of sedimentary rocks.  How was the Grand Canyon formed?
Explain how pebbles on a beach become sand.  Explain the process in terms of the rock cycle.
What is the name for rocks that land on earth that originated in outer space?  What minerals are often found in these rocks?
Igneous rocks can be categorized into two different types: extrusive igneous rocks and intrusive igneous rocks.  All igneous rocks begin when magma (melted rock) cools and hardens. Extrusive igneous rocks are those rocks that harden on the surface of the earth after the magma has oozed or erupted from a volcano or hot spot in the earth’s crust.  How is the formation of intrusive rocks different from extrusive rocks?
Moab, Utah is famous for Arches National Park.  Delicate Arch is one of the most striking arches found there.  How did it form?  What type of rock is it – igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary?
Explain the relationship between metals, minerals, rocks, and ore.
How are geodes like Tootsie Roll Pops?  How do they form?
Fascinating Rocks in Natural Wonders Throughout the World Chart
Check out these awesome rock formations.  Indicate the main type of rock in the natural wonder. The first example is done for you.
Rock Location Predominant Kind of Rock Igneous, Metamorphic, or Sedimentary?
(The website will not tell you if the main building material rock is igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary. You will need to use your geology skills to figure that out.)

Badlands National Park in South Dakota

sandstone

sedimentary

Slopes of Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii

 

 

The Bungle Bungle in Kimberly Australia

 

 

Denali (also known as Mt. McKinley) in Alaska— this is the tallest mountain in the United States

 

 

White Cliffs of Dover in England

 

 

Giant’s Causeway in Ireland

 

 

Uluru Rock (also called Ayer’s Rock) in Australia

 

 

Stone Mountain in Georgia

 

 

The peak of the Matterhorn-- these are tall mountain in the Alps Mountains which run north to south across Europe

 

 

Monument Valley in Utah

 

 

Devil’s Tower in Wyoming

 

 

Half Dome in Yosemite National Park in California

 

 

Pike’s Peak in Colorado

 

 

Hoodoos in Goblin State Park in Utah

 

 

Wave Rock in Australia

 

 

King’s Peak in Utah --this is the tallest mountain peak in Utah

 

 

Vermillion Cliffs in Utah and Arizona

 

 

Pariah Rimrocks in Utah

 

 

Painted Desert in Arizona

 

 

Wave rock formation in Arizona

 

 

Split Apple Rock in New Zealand

 

 

Horseshoe Bend in Arizona

 

 

Ashima in Shilin Yunnan in China (also known as Stone Forest National Park)

 

 

Cappadocia in Turkey (also called Fairy’s Chimneys)

 

 
A delta is a wetland that forms when rivers and streams empty into larger bodies of water.  What type of rock---igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary is likely to be formed at the deltas of large rivers?
Ancient peoples often used flint, a type of sedimentary rock, to make arrowheads, knives, scrapers, axe tips, and other tools.  What are the characteristics of flint that make it useful for this purpose?
How did ancient peoples use the igneous rock called obsidian?
Examining the mineral crystals in rocks can be a helpful method to help identify rocks.  How are the crystals in intrusive igneous rocks such as granite different than the crystals in extrusive igneous rocks such as basalt?
How is a chunk of petrified wood really a chunk of rock? The Petrified National Park in Arizona is a terrific place to see many area of petrified wood.

Weathering/Erosion

What is the difference between weathering and erosion?
Describe some of the reasons that soil erodes or washes away.
How can plants and other vegetation help to control the impact of soil erosion?
Why are almost all rocks found in rivers and streams smooth with rounded edges?
Even though rocks seem very strong, over time, wind and water are even stronger.  Give examples of the weathering process on rocks and how such things as wind, rain, waves, hot/cold temperatures, and ice can weather rocks.  How is this part of the rock cycle?
Water is an enormous factor in weathering and erosion.  Describe some of the ways that water in all its forms impacts weathering and erosion.
Sinkholes are large, naturally-occurring holes in the earth that develop in certain part of the United States.  Florida is particularly susceptible to sink holes. Explain how sinkholes form in terms of weathering.
Chemical weathering occurs when elements such as oxygen or carbon dioxide react with the minerals in rocks.  What is the result of these chemical reactions?
The flow of large rivers carries huge amounts of sand, soil, silt, and gravel.  The Amazon River, the longest river in South America and the second largest river in the world deposits vast amounts of sediment into the ocean every day.  Is this movement of sediment weathering or erosion?
Arches National Park in Moab, Utah is famous for its arch formations.  Are the arches permanent?  Can they ever fall down?  What might cause an arch to fall?
Erosion is the movement of rocks and soil and other materials from one place to another.  Each year, dust storms in Africa carry enormous amounts of soil across the Atlantic Ocean and deposit the soil in across South American rainforests. How do the rainforests benefit from this African soil?
Erosion from wind and water can cause fertile soil to blow away, wash away, and become less capable of growing plants and providing habitats for animals. What kinds of responsible choices can humans make to help preserve the earth’s soil?
Southern Utah is especially prone to flash floods.  In areas where the soil is usually very dry, when there is a large and sudden amount of rain, the ground simply cannot absorb all of the water.  This results in water rushing through the landscape and rapidly making normally small streams and rivers quickly overflow their banks. The state of Utah has prepared a booklet that gives information about what to do in the case of a flood.  The booklet, on page 8, states that flash floods are very common in Utah because it has “large amounts of impervious surface”.  Impervious means not allowing fluid to pass through.  What do you think this means in terms of Utah’s soil?  What are some likely places that the booklet indicates where flash floods can occur in Utah?
Erosion is different from weathering.  Weathering is the wearing down of rocks.  Erosion is the movement of the weathered rocks and soil from one place to another.  What part do glaciers play in both weathering and erosion?
In American history, the Dust Bowl period was a time when enormous amount of topsoil in the central United States blew away because of drought and other weather phenomena.  Why will soil erosion in this important crop-growing part of the U.S. probably never again be as bad as it was during the Dust Bowl?  What are some other places in the world where scientists are concerned about serious soil erosion?
Weathering and erosion are not the same thing.  Explain how both weathering and erosion created the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

Soil

Most of the soil that we see is composed of layers : topsoil, subsoil, and bedrock.  What are the characteristics of each of these layers.
Soil contains 3 types of rocks mixtures: sand, silt, and clay.  How are they different from each other?
Topsoil, subsoil, bedrock.  Topsoil is the most fertile (able to successfully grow healthy plants) of the layers of soil.  What are the characteristics of topsoil that make it so advantageous?
Describe the benefits of soil to our planet.
We know that Utah has an official state bird, insect, tree, and animal.  Did you know that Utah also has an official state soil?  What is this soil, where is it commonly located, and why is it important?  Soil comes in a variety of colors depending on the geological features from which is was formed.  Utah’s state soil is often what particular color?
The USDA indicates that “Healthy soil gives us clean air and water, bountiful crops and forests, productive grazing lands, diverse wildlife, and beautiful landscapes.”  How does soil accomplish these things?
Worms poop, and their poop is called castings.  How do worm castings enrich the soil?  How is this enrichment beneficial to plants?
A large component of soil is tiny particles of rocks.  But just a square foot of soil also contains billions of microorganisms.  What is the purpose of these microorganisms and how do they enrich the soil?
What is hydroponics?  How is it used to help plants grow?
Why are bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms important to the formation of healthy soil?
To grow, plants need sunlight and, of course, water and air and nutrients.  Explain how soil provides the necessary nutrients that plants require. Rainforests look so green and lush, and they are filled with a huge variety of plants.  Yet rainforest soil is some of the poorest soil on earth in terms of the nutrients in the soil.  Why?