The Rock Cycle

CONCEPTUAL

Science›Volcanoes & Earthquakes|Ages 9—11|ID: mt_z7AJZapsJj

Understand the rock cycle: rocks slowly change from one type to another over millions of years — igneous rock weathers into sediment, sediment becomes sedimentary rock, heat and pressure create metamorphic rock, and melting starts the cycle again

Mastery Evidence

Describe the rock cycle as a continuous process with no beginning or end
Trace at least one complete path through the cycle from igneous to sedimentary to metamorphic and back
Explain that the rock cycle operates over millions of years through weathering, pressure, heat, and melting

Assessment Prompt

“If [child] saw igneous rock, sandstone, and marble side by side, could they explain how each type forms and how rocks slowly transform from one type to another in a never-ending cycle?”

Prerequisites3

Earth's Layers
softAges 7—9
Types of Rock
hardAges 7—9
Erosion and weathering
softAges 9—10

Show full prerequisite tree

Earth's Layers soft
Rock cycle benefits from knowing Earth's internal heat drives melting
- What Is a Volcano hard
  Understanding layers requires knowing what a volcano is (motivation for internal structure)
- Earth Is Made of Rock hard
  Earth's layers builds on knowing Earth is made of rock
Types of Rock hard
The rock cycle connects the three rock types already learned
- Earth's Layers soft
  Rock types benefit from knowing Earth has hot interior (explains melting for igneous)
  - What Is a Volcano hard
    Understanding layers requires knowing what a volcano is (motivation for internal structure)
  - Earth Is Made of Rock hard
    Earth's layers builds on knowing Earth is made of rock
- Properties of materials soft
  Volcanic rock types topic parallels curriculum rocks classification
  - Grouping Materials soft
    Grouping materials by properties supports grouping rocks by properties
    - Describing Material Properties hard
      Must describe properties before using them to group materials
      - States of Matter Vocabulary soft
        Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
      - Naming Everyday Materials hard
        Must name materials before describing their properties
        
        Objects vs Materials hard
        Must distinguish objects from materials before naming specific materials
- What Is a Volcano hard
  Igneous rock concept links to lava cooling from volcanoes
- Earth Is Made of Rock hard
  Rock types build on knowing Earth is made of rock
Erosion and weathering soft
Rock cycle concept benefits from prior understanding of weathering and erosion
- Types of rocks hard
  Measuring weathering and erosion rates requires 'weathering', 'erosion', and 'deposition' vocabulary
- Preventing Erosion hard
  Must understand erosion prevention before measuring weathering/erosion effects systematically
  - Shapes of land and water hard
    Must know about landforms before designing solutions to prevent wind/water erosion
    - Seasonal changes soft
      Seasonal observation supports understanding land and water features
      - Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
        Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
        
        Ordering Events in Time hard
        Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
- Properties of materials soft
  Rock properties knowledge supports understanding how weathering breaks down different rocks
  - Grouping Materials soft
    Grouping materials by properties supports grouping rocks by properties
    - Describing Material Properties hard
      Must describe properties before using them to group materials
      - States of Matter Vocabulary soft
        Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
      - Naming Everyday Materials hard
        Must name materials before describing their properties
        
        Objects vs Materials hard
        Must distinguish objects from materials before naming specific materials

Unlocks1

Volcanoes & Mass Extinctions
hardAges 13—14