SECTION II: Rocks and Fossils

PART A: ROCKS
• At first glance all rocks look similar:
*inorganic: = not consisting of,
• They may be different colours, and some may be harder than others, or deriving from living matter.
• but, almost all rocks are *inorganic substances, made of minerals.

• Rocks don’t stay the same forever;

• they change over time,
• albeit, sometimes slowly.
• Key points:
• 1. There are three types, or classes, or rocks.
• 2. Rocks undergo changes through a
• process called the
• Rock Cycle

• Watch the video that follows …

Video: types of rock and the rock cycle
Video: What is the Rock cycle

There are three types of rocks:

What are the three types of rock and the Rock cycle?

The classification of rocks is based on how the rock was formed.

Rocks are then described by their The *texture has to do with the sizes and shapes

*TEXTURE and COMPOSITION. of mineral grains and other constituents in a rock,

and how these sizes and shapes relate to each other..

SECTION II: Rocks and Fossils: Types of Rocks

• IGNEOUS Rocks
• Igneous rocks form from
• the cooling of molten (melted) rock
• (either lava or magma) into solid form. Extrusive igneous
• There are two types of igneous rocks: rock formation

• 1. If the cooling occurs on the earth’s surface,

• the rock is an extrusive or volcanic rock.
• This rock cools quickly and has small crystals

• 2. If the cooling occurs underground,

Intrusive igneous
• And DOES NOT ERUPT, rock formation
• the rock is an intrusive, or plutonic, igneous rock.
• This rock cools slowly and has large crystals

• Geologists describe different igneous rocks according to their texture and composition.
SECTION II: Rocks and Fossils: Types of Rocks

• SEDIMENTARY Rocks
• Sedimentary: Sedimentary rocks are either:
• detrital or chemical.
• 1. Detrital rocks are formed by the compaction
• and cementation of
• separate particles, or sediments, into a rock.
• The particles are pieces of a different, pre-existing rock
• that have been weathered and transported by:
• wind, water, ice, or gravity.
• 2. Chemical sedimentary rocks form from
• minerals that have been dissolved in water and
• then solidify out, forming a solid rock.

• Sedimentary rocks are usually the only rock type that contain fossils.
Video: What is an Sedimentary Rock? OPTIONAL: Detrial and Chemical (about 8 minutes)
SECTION II: Rocks and Fossils: Types of Rocks

• METAMORPHIC Rocks
• Metamorphic rocks form when existing rocks are
• subjected to intense heat and pressure,
• usually deep below the earth’s surface.
• These conditions change the original minerals
• of the rock into new minerals.
• Geologists classify metamorphic rocks according to
• how much they have been changed
• from the original, or parent, rock.
• Low-grade metamorphic rocks
• still appear very similar to the parent rock,
• while high-grade metamorphic rocks
• have been changed so much that they look very different from the parent rock.
SECTION II: Rocks and Fossils: Types of Rocks
• Use this flow chart and the following videos to classify rocks
building blocks of
MINERALS ROCKS
Classified on how they form
Video: What is an Igneous Rock?
Video: What is an Sedimentary Rock?
Video: What is an Metamorphic Rock?
Summary: the three types of rocks
SECTION II: The Rock Cycle

• The ROCK CYCLE

• This continual transformation of rocks
• from one type to another
• is called the rock cycle.
• Through processes such as:
• weathering,
• heating,
• melting,
• cooling, and
• compaction,
• any one rock type can be changed into
• a different rock type as its
• chemical composition
• and physical characteristics
• are transformed.
SECTION II: The Rock Cycle

• The ROCK CYCLE

Describe what
happens at each
‘change’
SECTION II: The Rock Cycle
Describe what
• The ROCK CYCLE happens at each
‘change’

• 1………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
6………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
7………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
8. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The Rock Cycle: Read the information and use it and the diagram to answer the multiple
choice questions that follow:

The rock cycle describes the change and movement

of materials on and inside the Earth.
The cycle is essentially a loop; stating that materials
are neither created nor destroyed, they only change
form when the environment changes.
Sediments eroded from solid rocks are transported to
a new location; in this diagram, the sediments are
carried into the ocean where they settle and
compact.
Sedimentary rocks are created at the end of this
stage. As the sedimentary rocks are buried deeper
and deeper, heat and pressure cause physical or
chemical changes in the rock, and they change to
metamorphic rock.
When the rock is pushed deep into the Earth, they
can melt into magma. Once this magma solidifies,
either inside the crust or after being expelled by a
volcano, they change to igneous rocks.
Eventually the rocks are worn down through
weathering, and the process begins anew with the
erosion and transport of the new sediments.
The Rock Cycle
• Circle the best answer:
•
1. The Nile river carries sediments to the ocean. Over time, the sediments are compressed as more sediments are deposited on
top of them. Which type of rock will be formed?
• A. Sedimentary
• B. Metamorphic
• C. Igneous

• 2. The volcano Kilauea on the big island of Hawai’i is erupting and lava is ejected from the volcano vent. The lava solidifies to
form what type of rock?
• A. Sedimentary
• B. Metamorphic
• C. Igneous

• 3. Off the coast of the Pacific Northwest in the United States, the Pacific plate is being pushed underneath the North American
plate in a subduction zone, caused by plate tectonics. As the rock from the Pacific plate is pushed under the North American
plate, it is subjected to high temperatures and pressures. Which rock will be created from this process?
• A. Sedimentary
• B. Metamorphic
• C. Igneous
The Rock Cycle
• 4. In the Arizona desert, a sudden rainstorm washes sand and sediment into the Colorado river, which eventually
deposits the sediments into the ocean. This process is called:
A. Erosion & Transport
B. Deposition
C. Weathering

• 5. In the desert, wind picks up and carries fine particles of sand and dirt. As the wind blows against the rocks, the
particles rub against the rocks and wear them down in a process called:
A. Weathering
B. Transport
C. Erosion

• 6. Which one of the following is NOT one of the three types of rock?
A. Sedimentary
B. Lava
C. Metamorphic
D. Igneous
• 7. True or False? Magma is lava that has been ejected from beneath the Earth’s crust through a volcano. True False
Video: What is the Rock cycle?
HOMEWORK Internet Research I: Types of Rocks 1

• Go to http://www.learner.org/interactives/rockcycle/ and answer the following questions:

• Name four properties that can be used to describe a rock. _________________________________________________________________________
• ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
• Click on Types of Rocks
• What are the three main types of rocks? _______________________________________________________________________________________
• _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• How are sedimentary rocks formed? Give two examples.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
• How are metamorphic rocks formed? Give two examples. _________________________________________________________________________
• _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
• How are igneous rocks formed? Give two examples. ______________________________________________________________________________
• _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
• What are the six characteristics that can be used to identify a rock? ___________________________________________________________________
• _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
• Click on How Rocks Change
• What are the two main factors that can cause a rock to change? What causes them? _____________________________________________________
• Define metamorphism. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
HOMEWORK Internet Research II: Properties of Rocks

• Part I: Go the website http://www.rocksandminerals4u.com/index.html and click on Rock Gallery.

• Complete the table below based on the information. The First rock has been done for you.
ROCK Type Colour Special Features

Basalt Igneous (volcanic) Black Hard, small crystals, flows easily when melted
Pumice
Obsidian
Rhyolite
Conglomerate
Breccia
Sandstone
Shale
Marble
Slate
Schist
Gneiss
ACTIVITY: Identifying rocks

• You will be shown samples of the earlier rocks. Each will have a number on it.
• Identify the rocks by name based on what you have learnt about rocks so far:

Assess your
determination with the
rock name
ACTIVITY:

• More questions:

• Which type of rocks (igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic) are:

• The most dense? ________________________________________

• Smoothest? _______________________________________

• Which type of rocks has?

• Layers? _____________________________________________

• Crystals? ____________________________________________

• Identify the sedimentary rocks that form these metamorphic rocks:

• a. quartzite ……………………………………………………………………………..

• b. marble ……………………………………………………………………………..

• c. slate ……………………………………………………………………………..
Video: What is the Rock cycle and weathering?
ACTIVITY: Modelling Rocks: Volcanic Pumice
ACTIVITY: Modelling Rocks: Volcanic Pumice

• Warning: This activity uses a hotplate and involves boiling a hot sugar solution. Write a risk assessment for this activity before you start
• Ingredients:
• 1 cup of sugar (white, caster, raw, and brown sugars all work well)
• 1 tablespoon of water
• 4 tablespoons of golden syrup
• 2 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda
• Equipment:
• large saucepan
• Hotplate
• A deep-sided baking tray
• Baking paper
• Wooden spoon and tablespoon
• Spray oil
• Method: What features of the honeycomb make it a good
model for pumice?
• 1. Line the baking tray with baking paper.
What type of rock does this model?
• 2. Spray the metal spoon with canola spray to stop the golden syrup sticking to it.
• 3. Place the sugar, water, and Golden Syrup into the saucepan and simmer for seven minutes.
• 4. Take the sugar mixture off the heat and quickly mix in the bicarbonate of soda, stirring gently. Watch what happens, the mixture will change colour and
bubble ferociously.
• 5. Pour the mixture into the lined baking tray. When the honeycomb is completely cool, break into bite-size pieces and eat!
ACTIVITY: Rocky Road Conglomerate rocks

• Warning: This activity uses a hotplate and involves hot molten chocolate.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfCVEcp78bU]
• The ingredients for this can vary:
• Ingredients:
• 3 cups of rice bubbles
• 160 g cooled melted milk chocolate
• 100 g melted unsalted butter
• 1 cup of desiccated coconut
• 1 packet granita or Digestive biscuits (crumbled)
• 30 g mini marshmallows
• Equipment:
• Saucepan/metal or glass bowl (double boiler)
• Hotplate
• Measuring cup
• Metal spoon and wooden spoon
• 15 small paper patty papers
ACTIVITY: Rocky Road Conglomerate rocks

• Method:
• Place rice bubbles, melted chocolate, glace cherries and mini marshmallows in a large bowl.
• Stir until fully combined and rice bubbles are coated.
• Spoon the mixture into small patty cases.
• Chill for 25 minutes or keep in fridge, covered for up to two days.

What type of rocks does this activity model?

What features of the rocky road make it a good model
for conglomerate rock?
Igneous rocks: How does the rate of cooling affect the crystal size?
Igneous rocks: How does the rate of cooling affect the crystal size?

plutonic volcanic

inside the crust outside the crust

magma lava

slow fast

large small

granite basalt, obsidian

Experiment: Observing crystals under magnification

• Aim: to observe salt crystals under the microscope.

• Method:
• Add a few drops of brine (very salty water) on a glass slide
• Place the slide on a warm hot plate and allow water to evaporate.
• Setup the microscope under low power.
• Observe the slide under the microscope.
• Draw what you see.

• Suggest a way to form larger salt crystals.

• ________________________________________________
Rocks and the use of apostrophes

NOTE: it’s is a contraction of it is

Part B: FOSSILS

• Paleontologists are scientists who study ancient life forms, most of which are now extinct.
• They rely on fossils to learn about life in the past.
• Fossils are the remains of living things
• that have been transformed and preserved
• sometimes for millions of years.
• Fossils are only found in sedimentary rock.
Video: What is a palaeontology
Part B: FOSSILS

Most living things are quickly recycled when they die.

• Scavengers and bacteria usually consume all but bones and shells.
• Even these hard structures are often crushed or scattered over time.

Here is time lapse

photography of a fox
decomposing over
time
Part B: FOSSILS

• However, there are several processes that can preserve plants and animals or their parts,
• preventing decomposition.
Video: Fossilisation

Outline the four

steps in becoming a
fossil.
Video: Fossil types for beginners
 Fossil formation

• Freezing (refrigeration)
• Although rare, sometimes animals are frozen.
• This is the best means of preservation, but the animal must be continually frozen
• from the time of death until discovery.
• This is generally limited to animals from the last ice age.
• Mammoth and wooly rhinoceros,
• found in Alaskan and Siberian ice,
• still have flesh, skin and hair intact.
 Fossil formation

• Drying (desiccation)
• Mummified bodies of animals,
• including humans, have been discovered in
• arid parts of the world.
• The soft tissues including skin and organs
• are preserved for thousands of years if they are
• completely dried.
Fossil formation

• Asphalt
• Tar pits were formed by crude oil seeping through fissures in the earth.
• The bodies of animals that become stuck in the sticky asphalt pits have been excellently preserved.
• Most fossils date between 10 and 40 thousand years old.
• Bones, teeth, shells, the exoskeletons of insects,
• and even some plant seeds have been pulled from these
• asphalt pits.
• In a similar way fossils have also been created by peat bogs,
• paraffin deposits, and volcanic ash.
The La Brea tar pits are located in Los Angeles, USA. These tar
pits have yielded one of the biggest collections of Ice Age fossils
in the world, and collectively, the statistics are stunning. More
than 600 species have been found, from snakes and molluscs to
sloths and mountain lions. Of the mammals found at La Brea,
around 90 percent are carnivores.
 Fossil formation

• Amber
• Insects, spiders and other small animals have been found,
• nearly perfectly preserved in amber.
• Amber is the hardened sap from ancient trees.
• Small creatures that become stuck in the sap
• become covered and entombed.
• When the tree dies,
• it gradually is transformed into coal deposits
• with the small amber globules embedding in it.
• Through erosion or mining, amber nuggets
• are sometimes found with tiny prisoners still perfectly preserved inside.
 Fossil formation

• Carbonization (distillation)
• In this process of fossilisation
• plant leaves,
• and some soft body parts of fish,
• reptiles and
• marine invertebrates
• decompose leaving behind only the carbon.
• This carbon sometimes creates a detailed impression in the rock outlining the fossil.
 Fossil formation

• Premineralisation
• Most fossils are found in sedimentary rock.
• The fossils are made when living things die and get buried by sediments
• before the hardest parts of the animal have a chance to decompose.
• As sediments accumulate, pressure causes the sediments to harden into rock.
• Fossil forms in the rock when groundwater carrying minerals
• seeps into empty places in the cells of the once living thing and forms crystals.
• These crystals cause the remains to harden
• along with the rock that it is encased in.
• The shape of the original plant or animal
• is preserved in the rock.
• Sometimes the groundwater minerals
• completely replace the remains.
• This process is call replacement.
 Fossil formation

• Moulds and casts

• Moulds are three-dimensional impressions in which
• the surface contours of an organism are preserved.
• Organisms buried in sediment slowly decompose,
• leaving a cavity that contains an exact imprint of the organisms’ shape and size.
• This called a mould.
• When this hollow space fills with material,
• this material takes the shape of the mould,
• forming a cast.
 Fossil formation

• Trace fossils
• Sometimes we don’t find the actual fossilized body of the animal we are looking for.
• Instead we find trace fossils that can tell us something about the animal
• and its behavior.
• Footprints,
• droppings,
• egg shells,
• are not part of the animal,
• but can reveal information about its
• size, diet, lifecycle, etc.
Check your understanding

• 1. What happens to the soft parts of plants and animals?

• ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

• 2. Where would you find the oldest fossil and explain why.

• …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

• 3. Where would you find the youngest fossil and explain why.

• ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

• 4. Name the type of animal that leave the best fossils.

• ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

• 5. What would you be able to infer from an animal that left a fossilised egg 10 cm long?

• …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

• 6. Compare moulds with casts.

• ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………............................................
Experiment: Making fossils
• Watch this video first:
Check your understanding
• Aim: to form a 3D imprint of a fossil.
• Material/group: Plaster of Paris, 2 foam cups, Vaseline, brush, plasticine, popsicle, scissors, shell or rock, small plastic cup.
• Safety Issues:
• Do not touch the plaster with your hands. Rinse with water in case of contamination.
• Do not tip the plaster in the sink. It can block the pipes.
• Clean up the bench at the end, using a wet towel.
• METHOD:
• 1. Cut the foam cup 1 until it is around 3 cm long. (It does not have to be perfect.)
• 2. Knead some plasticine until it is soft and then press firmly into the bottom of cup 1.
• Make sure all edges are sealed.
• Also make sure enough room is left in the cup to add the plaster of Paris.
• 3. Coat your fossil with petroleum jelly using a brush.
• 4. Press the fossil firmly into the plasticine at the bottom of the cut cup.
• 5. Take the fossil out carefully to leave an imprint.
• 6. Add 6 small spoons of plaster to foam cup 2.
• 7. Add 3 small spoons of water to the plaster and mix with a popsicle.
• 8. Pour the mixture into cup 1
• 9. Tap gently to get rid of any air bubbles and allow to settle for 24 hours
• 10. Rip off the paper cup and carefully separate the plasticine mold from the plaster.
• 11. Draw your observations.
 Check your understanding
• Results:
• Object chosen: __________________ Diagram of the ‘fossil’:

• More Questions:
• What text type is used above? ____________________________________________
• What tense (past, present, future) is used? ____________________________________________________
• Underline the verbs (action words) in the method.
• Rewrite the same experiment using a procedural recount. Remember to use the past tense.
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Check your understanding
• THINK: (Numeracy)
• What ratio of plaster to water is used in the experiment? ___________________________________________________________
• plaster: water
• Express that ratio in the simplest form. ________________________________________

• Why do you think the fossil has been coated with Vaseline? (See step 3)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Activity: Story Board
• Complete the fossil information storyboard. Remember to use colour. Complete the fossil quiz. Circle the correct answer.
Experiment: Making fossils: Watch this video, then construct a flow chart of how dinosaurs form fossils
Check your understanding
• Flow chart
Dinosaur alive and well, living millions of years ago

Dinosaur dies and is (mostly) eaten by other animals