A CLOSER LOOK AT ROCKS AND MINERALS Topic: Rocks and Minerals Strand: Understanding Earth and Space Systems

Grade level: 4 New knowledge gained: Rocks Vs Minerals Minerals: - Made up of the same substance all the way through. - Solids - Made up of crystals - Almost all have straight edges and flat surfaces - Can have different colours, hardness and crystal forms - About 2000 types of minerals Rocks: - Made up of two or more minerals - Composition can vary; flecks and grains of different sizes and colours can be seen - Only three types: metamorphic, sedimentary, igneous Metamorphic Vs Sedimentary Vs Igneous Igneous: - Formed from cooled lava. Lava is the name for magma (melted rock) that has reached the Earths surface out of a volcano. Rocks melt and become magma deep inside the Earth under the high temperatures of the Earths core. - Granite, Rhyolite, and Obsidian are all examples of igneous rocks - Extrusive igneous rocks are those formed when magma reaches the surface (at which point it is called lava), cooling and solidifying quickly. Intrusive igneous rocks are formed when magma slowly cools deep below the surface of the earth. o Different sized grains form, depending on the conditions of the rock formation. Intrusive rocks are generally more coarse-grained than extrusive. Sedimentary: - When rocks break down from weathering, their bits and pieces are later formed into sedimentary rock. The sediment is cemented into sedimentary rock at the Earths surface under pressure of ocean water or layers of sediment on top of it - The layers can easily be seen in the striations of the rock - Can include dinosaur fossils, sea shells etc. - There are three different grain sizes in sedimentary rock. Coarse, which you can see with the naked eye. Medium, which you can see with a hand lens, and fine which you can see with a microscope. - Sedimentary rocks are split into three different categories. o Chemical refers to rocks containing minerals produced by chemical precipitation.

o Detrital refers to rocks which contain particles from preexisting rocks. o While biogenic rocks contain fossil and shell fragments. Sandstone, Shale, and Limestone are examples of sedimentary rocks

Metamorphic: - Formed when underground rocks are pressed and heated, but not enough to melt the rock and turn it into magma. Rocks deep under the surface of the Earth are subjected to immense pressure (from the weight of everything piling on top of it). - The lines in a metamorphic rock can be wavy and bent, from the pressure and heat that changed the layers of sedimentary rock. - Contact metamorphoric rocks are formed in just heat and crystals are randomly arranged. - Regional metamorphic rocks are formed in both heat and pressure, and have crystals that are aligned. - Some examples of metamorphic rocks are Slate, Marble, and Granulite. The Rock Cycle: The following diagram shows how the formation of each rock type leads to a rock cycle.

Rock Properties (useful for identification): Hardness Cleavage

Luster Color Streak Texture

Learning strategy: In my process of learning about rocks and minerals, I relied on two main facets of learning. The first was research and readings accessed through online websites, books, and textbooks. This was a really great introduction to the topic and to see what categories information on rocks and minerals was broken down into. For instance, I learned there are types of rocks and properties for rocks. I was able to read in depth and to my level of understanding (not just to the grade 4 level) about what rocks are composed of and the science behind how they are formed. The second strategy I employed was getting up close and personal with samples of rocks. My friend is a geologist at the Queens geology museum and he has access to the labs that undergrads use for their geology identification classes. It was here that I was able to feel the different properties of the types of rocks and see the difference in layers for sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. My geologist friend is an expert in his trade and having access to the knowledge in his brain was invaluable as well! This was a very rich experience for a learner and so much fun to get to do! I happened to go to the museum after having done my research and reading so this consolidation of what I had learned cemented my understanding. Through my experience, I can appreciate the value of research and independently driven learning. This was a topic I had particular interest in and was engaged in learning and so I was able to direct my questioning to take my understanding further and more complete. I found that as a student I wanted to be

in charge of what my educational experience to a degree. The opportunity to visit the geology museum and the rock lab was by far the most fun and interesting aspect of the whole experience. It has only confirmed for me that hands on experience has truly no substitute. As an added bonus, having a professional guiding me through the museum and rock lab was so helpful in my understanding. This really complimented the other strategies I used for learning. Resource: http://www.science-fest.org/Rock%20On!%20--%20Final%20Edition%20%20Debbie%20Cubillos.pdf - While this is an American site, it has some really great ideas for activities you can do with students. One in particular that I thought was a neat idea was the Rock Journal/Diary/workbook that students create with their favourite rocks. What a great idea to connect learners to a topic that may be considered dull and far removed (not for me, for some people!) http://www.mrcollinson.ca/4%20science/rocks%20and%20minerals/4_science_r ocks_minerals_complete.htm - This website is super helpful in developing lessons or units for grade 4 science. The teacher publishing the work has posted his entire unit online to share with other teachers. It is really useful because, while I wouldnt use it in its entirety, it is a good start to work from to decide what you want to touch on throughout the unit and maybe getting an idea or two about lessons.

http://mrmichaelbrodie.ca/index.cfm?page=Grade4Rocks - This is another teacher that has posted the information he used to develop his rocks and minerals unit. The type of information he has

included is a great starting point to plan a lesson outline. It is also presented in a clear way and I found it was a good summary to look at when I, myself, was learning about rocks. http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/earth/inside-the-earth/mineralsgems/ - One of my favourite reads was this article in National Geographic about minerals and gems. I think gems would be a topic to touch on during a unit because they are considered by the layperson to be the pretty and expensive rocks and looking at them could pique interest for some students.