The Rock CycleA LAB

Crayon Rock Lab

Each student needs to collect the following from the front of the class:

• Crayon• Piece of foil• Plastic utensil• Rock Cycle handout

Crayon Rock Lab

You have be given a sample of crayon rock. List some characteristics about the rock:

Igneous Rock

• formed by cooling and hardening of hot liquid rock

• Characteristics– Solid– No fossils– No bands

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Igneous Rock

Crayon Rock Lab

• Unwrap your crayon and start to create a pile of crayon shavings on your aluminum foil.

• You can trade crayons if you would like to have different colours

• You will need a decent size pile, so give yourself at least 5 minutes to do this

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Igneous Rock

Weathering and Erosion

Sediments

Crayon Rock Lab

• Now fold over the foil and press down on the pile as hard as you can

• Unwrap the foil very carefully• Describe what this looks like:

Sedimentary Rock

• formed when sediments are pressed and cemented together

• Characteristics– Visible layers- curved or flat – Has pores and holes– Has fossils–Makes up 70 % of the rock on the earth

Sedimentary Rock

Sediments

Weathering and Erosion

Compaction and

Cementation

Crayon Rock Lab

• Bring your shavings to Mrs. Ashton and let the rock melt until it is soft to touch and the colours swirl but do not mix together

• now let the rock cool• Describe what your rock looks like

now

Metamorphic Rock

• formed when rocks are changed by heat and pressure

• Characteristics– Rarely has fossils– Alternating bands of light and dark rock– Rarely has pores or holes

Metamorphic Rock

Igneous Rock

Sediments

Heat and Pressure

Weathering and Erosion

Heat and Pressure

Crayon Rock Lab

• Come back to the front and heat your rock again until the wax has melted into a smooth pool of liquid wax and all the colours have blended together

• What has it turned into?

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Igneous Rock

Metamorphic Rock

Magma

Melting

Melting

Crayon Rock Lab

• Allow the wax to cool

What rock type has your crayon rock returned to?

Igneous

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Igneous Rock

Weathering and Erosion

Heat and Pressure

Melting

Metamorphic Rock

Magma

Sediments

Cooling

Sedimentary Rock

Metamorphic Rock

Sediments

Weathering and Erosion

Compaction and

Cementation

Heat and Pressure

Metamorphic Rock

Igneous Rock

Sediments

Magma

Heat and Pressure

Weathering and Erosion

Melting

Definitions

• Igneous Rock- formed by cooling and hardening of hot liquid rock

• Sedimentary Rock- formed when sediments are pressed and cemented together

• Metamorphic Rock- formed when rocks are changed by heat and pressure