Module 4: Rocks
Lesson: The Rock Cycle
APK:
Analyze the two pictures, what is the name of the process happening in them?
● The left picture illustrates the recycling process for plastic materials, which involves
collection, separation, shredding, washing, melting, and reforming into new
products.
● The right picture represents the recycling process for electronic waste, showing
disassembly, shredding, magnetic separation, and processing into reusable materials
such as metals, plastic, and glass.
Think of how this process could connect to the rocks?
This process connects to rocks through the rock cycle, where materials are transformed over time:
● Collection and Separation: Like rocks breaking down into smaller pieces through
weathering.
● Shredding and Washing: Similar to how sediments are moved and compacted.
● Melting and Pelletization: Like rocks melting to form magma, which becomes new rocks.
We Do:
Name at least 3 other uses of rocks
1. Art and Sculpture: Rocks such as marble and alabaster are commonly used in
sculpting and creating artistic works.i
2. Jewelry and Ornamentation: Precious and semi-precious stones like diamonds,
rubies, and quartz are used in making jewelry.
3. Industrial Uses: Rocks like granite and basalt are used in the manufacturing
of countertops and tiles, while others like gypsum are used in producing
cement and plaster.
You Do - Research it!
Use your research skills to find out how
rocks record Earths history
Fossils are the preserved remnants, imprints, or traces of organisms that once lived,
typically discovered in sedimentary rocks. They offer insights into ancient life forms
and their environments.
Identify Fossils How are fossils different than Index fossils?
Index fossils are a distinct category of fossils. They come from species that were
widespread but existed for a brief period. These traits make index fossils highly
valuable for determining the age of rock layers, enabling scientists to match the ages
of rock formations across various regions
Guided Activities - Green Group
Study Case (Continued) :
1- After Identifying the rock name which is the present, think of this rocks
past; What types of rocks it could have been?
Before becoming granite, the rock could have been a sedimentary rock like
sandstone, which formed from compacted sand and later melted into magma, or a
metamorphic rock like shale or gneiss, where shale transformed into gneiss under
heat and pressure, and if gneiss melted, it turned into magma that eventually cooled
into granite.
2- How long has it take to turn from these types of rocks to your current
Rock?
The transformation process can take tens to hundreds of millions of years
The transformation into granite takes millions to over 100 million years, as
sandstone or gneiss turns into magma due to heat and pressure, and then slowly
cools and crystallizes into granite.
3- What are the processes that could have happened in that time that led
to the formation of your rock?
The processes that could have led to the formation of granite include heat and
pressure causing sandstone or gneiss to melt into magma, which then cooled slowly
underground to form granite.
4- What are the rocks that might form from your current rock?
Mention not only the type but also give specific names of the possible
rocks.
1. Sedimentary rocks: Over time, granite can break down into sediments, which
may form rocks like sandstone or shale.
2. Metamorphic rocks: If granite is subjected to more heat and pressure, it can
transform into a gneiss.
5- Determine the timeline for that as well as the processes that lead to
the formation of these rocks
1. Granite formation (300-500 million years): Sandstone or gneiss melts into
magma, which cools slowly to form granite.
2. Erosion and Sedimentation (Millions of years): Granite breaks down into
small pieces, forming sediments that become sandstone or shale.
3. Metamorphism (Millions of years): Under heat and pressure, granite changes
into gneiss.
This cycle takes millions of years.
6- Finally use your designing skills (canva / paper/digital drawing) to
create your timeline.
