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The Rock Cycle

Kit #404S
$148.50

Using a model, in the form of a game, students make sense of the different geological processes by which earth materials are cycled and the ways that these processes produce the three different types of rock. Students also consider how the flow of energy drives various geological processes that form rock. Finally, students develop a model, in the form of a diagram, that describes the cause-and-effect relationships between geological processes and the cycling of Earth’s materials.

Details at a Glance

  • 1-2 Days | 1-2 ~50 minute class periods
  • 1 Activity
  • Accommodates unlimited classes, each with 8 groups of 4 students
  • Meets our criteria for supporting literacy
  • All materials are non-consumable
  • Includes digital resources
  • Developed in partnership with SEPUP

Scientific Concepts

Disciplinary Core Ideas
•MS-ESS2.A Earth’s Materials and Systems
•MS-ESS2.C The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes
Science and Engineering Practices
•Developing and Using Models
•Analyzing and Interpreting Data
•Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
•Connections to Nature of Science: Scientific Knowledge Is Based on Empirical Evidence
Crosscutting Concepts
•Cause and Effect
•Scale, Proportion, and Quantity
•Systems and System Models
•Energy and Matter
•Stability and Change
•Patterns
•Structure and Function
•Connections to Nature of Science: Scientific Knowledge Assumes an Order and Consistency in Natural Systems
Key Vocabulary: geological time rock cycle, igneous rock sedimentary rock, lava sediments, magma subduction, metamorphic rock

Guides & Student Sheets

Our kits and modules provide you with everything you need so you can open, review, and teach the material confidently the next day.

  • Full downloadable Teacher Guide with background information, detailed instruction, example data and answers
  • Downloadable Student Sheets with age appropriate background information, full procedure(s), and analysis questions
  • All materials necessary to carry out the investigation
  • Safety Data Sheets

Kit Components

  • 1 Teacher’s Guide
  • 32 Student Worksheets and Guides
  • 32 Geologist's Notes
  • 8 Rock Cycle activity boards
  • 32 Activity pieces
  • 8 Number Cubes
  • 9 Earth Process cards
  • 8 Igneous Rock Cards, Set of 20
  • 8 Metamorphic Rock Cards, Set of 20
  • 8 Sedimentary Rock Cards, Set of 20