Rocks

Think about all the parts of life that depend on soil. 

• How does soil help provide the chicken nuggets from your favorite fast-food restaurant? 
• What part does soil play in your favorite breakfast cereal? 
• What does soil have to do with pizza?
• What is the relationship between soil and the paper you use to do your math homework?
• What does soil have to do with your favorite tee-shirt?

Become a soil examiner.  Grab a notebook to write down your observations. In your yard or in yard in which you have permission to do observations, choose a section of dirt at least 24 inches by 24 inches.   List the different kind of plants you see in the soil.  List any insects, spiders, or other creatures that you see.  List the number of rocks that you see and write a description of them.  Dig up a small amount of soil and list any additional insects, spiders, or other creatures that you find.  How are the creatures on top of the soil different than those below the soil?  What is the texture of the soil—sandy? silty? clay-like?  Is there any rotting material in the soil?  How do decomposing materials contribute to the makeup of soil?

Investigate soil appearance and color.  Why is some of the soil in southern Utah red?  Why do some ocean beaches have black sand?  Why do some ocean beaches have tan sand?  Why do some ocean beaches have white sand?  Why are some sands in Bermuda orangeish-pink?

Gather rocks in your yard, your neighborhood and distinguish what kind of rocks they are.

Pumice rock can be found in the cleaning aisle or sometimes the beauty aisle of the grocery store.  Obtain a piece of pumice stone and drop it into a bowl or sink of water.  You will see that it floats!  Examine the stone and describe why you think this particular rock can float.

Make a chart that compares soil types in various ecosystems.  How is desert soil the same or different than soil in a tropical rainforest?  What types of plants grow in these different soils?  Include the soil in a cold rainforest like the Hoh Forest which is found in the Pacific Northwest.  How about the soil in the tundra of North America?  What about the chalky soil in the eastern part of England? Include the soil found in the prairies of the United States.

What is the relationship between weathering and soil in terms of the rock cycle?

Write a 1-page analysis of this statement from the United States Department of Agriculture: “Soils are a living, breathing ecosystem that supports our way of life.” 

Soil is important to life on earth.  Examine in detail how each of these events positively or negatively impact the conservation of healthy soil.

• overgrazing of livestock  
• cutting down forests
• composting
• plowing a field
• planting hardy shrubs on sloping hills
• planting trees
• wildfires
• overuse of chemicals
• the use of off-road vehicles building of roads
• mining

––Using a magnifying glass, examine a sampling of rocks.  You can sometimes identify whether a rock is igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary by looking at the crystals of minerals in the rock.  (Remember that rocks are made up of minerals).

With samplings of different minerals, use the Mohs Hardness Scale to help identify or gain information about what the mineral might be.  While the Moh’s scale can’t identify all minerals, it can provide basic clues using the mineral talc as the softest mineral at #1 on the scale and hard diamonds as #10 on the scale.

With your classmates, compile a list of questions you have about the rock cycle.  Under the direction of your teacher, make contact with someone from the Utah Geological Survey.  See if a representative can visit your classroom to answer your questions about Utah’s fascinating rocks and to discuss the important work of geologists.  You can also seek out geologists (rock scientists) or soil scientists at online sites such as Ask a Geologist from the US Geological Survey.

Part of geography is the study of the physical features of the earth.  Break down this quote: “Geography helps us to understand what happened to the earth in the past, how it is changing now, and what might happen in the future” in terms of what you know about the rock cycle and about the formation and characteristics of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rock.

The sand on beaches comes in many different colors--black, pink, white, tan, and even green.  Why does sand come in different colors?  Using your background knowledge of the rock cycle, explain the existence of sand in terms of the rock cycle.
One way to identify minerals is to look at the color of the mineral and also at the luster (shininess) of the mineral.  There is also a test called the streak test where you rub a mineral across a piece of white tile to see what color streak it leaves behind.  Examine a sampling of rocks and experiment with the streak test as well as observing the luster of the sampling.

Earth Processes Chart
As either slow or fast, categorize some of the different processes that shape the surface of the earth and contribute to the rock cycle.  Use these processes: 

• weathering
• earthquakes
• landslides
• erosion
• volcanic eruptions
• depositing of sediments

 

Limestone is a sedimentary rock.  Its layers are often largely composed of the tiny shells of ancient seas creatures.  There is limestone on the top of Mt. Everest.  How is this possible?

 “Rocks are the pages in the history book of the earth.” (source of quote)  Analyze this statement in terms of what you know about how rocks are formed.