The Composition of Rocks and Minerals

NC Standard:  2.01, 2.05, 2.06

Activity:  Rock Classification

Question: How are rocks classified?

Vocabulary: Texture, density, classify

Materials: Various rock collections, rock identification books, internet

Background: There are many sources of rock collection and many of your students may have a collection they would love to share with the class. This would be a great opportunity to let these "Rockhounds" shine by asking them to bring in their rocks and share where and when they were found. Commercially produced collections may also be available from your media center or local teacher supply store. Rocks are also available for the collecting from fileds, river banks and quarries in your community. These rocks will provide extra incentive for identification as your students will more than likely see these types of rocks again.

Procedures: Divide the students into collaborative working groups of 3 or 4. Provide each group with an assortment of different rocks to classify / sort.
Ask each team tp observe their rocks closely and sort them into groups by color. Record the results.
Ask each team to observetheir rocks for texture and sort. Are some smooth, rough, shiny, dull? Record the results.
Ask each team to examine each rock for density. Do all the rocks which are relatively the same size weigh about the same amount? Record the reults.
Ask each team to come up with another characteristic of their rocks which they could use to sort them. Record the results.

Evaluation: Look up "rocks" in the encyclopedia, the internet or other reference books and find out what characteristics geologists use to classify rocks. How do people use rocks? Which rocks are used for building materials, jewelry, etc.?
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Line of Learning:  This line is drawn to provide students with a space to share their experimental learning in words or pictures.
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