Middle School Inquiry Lab on Rock Classification
In this lab students will test and compare various rock samples for classification. They will be challenged to think about why the structure of each sample matches its classification and what process created their formation.
Each inquiry lab will contain an essential question that will drive the lesson and make students think. For this lesson, the essential question is:
- What processes are involved in the formation and classification of metamorphic, sedimentary, and igneous rocks?
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND MATERIALS LIST:
Students will begin the lab by reading the essential question and background information. This can be done individually, as lab groups, or as a whole class. If you consider lab groups, you also might include some type of whole class formative checks before digging into the lab.
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Materials List:
- rock samples from each category
- igneous (such as obsidian, basalt, pumice)
- sedimentary (such as shale, sandstone, conglomerate)
- metamorphic (such as schist, gneiss, quartzite)
- stiff brush
- tongs
- paper towel
- plastic container of water
- magnifying glass
- white printer paper
PROCEDURE:
In this lab, students will get to closely examine the features of each rock sample to help determine its classification of either being metamorphic, sedimentary, or igneous.
Students will feel the texture, erode the surface, examine crystals, and test the rock's density in order to correctly classify their types.
CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING:
At this point in the lab, students will be checked for understanding by answering questions about their findings. Here is one that comes with the lab:
- Name the three types of rocks and one difference between them.
CONCLUSION
Students will go back to the essential question and write a CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) to conclude the lab. Once completed, students will reflect back on their learning by answering the following questions:
- Name the type of rock that has ribbons or bands of colors and explain why they form.
- How do igneous rocks differ from sedimentary? What causes this?
- What allows a rock to reform and reshape over and over again?
MODIFIED AND INDEPENDENT INQUIRY VERSIONS
All of the Kesler Science inquiry labs come with three different modification levels. Each lab is differentiated using the icons below.
STANDARDS ALIGNMENT
TEKS: 6.10B – Classify rock as metamorphic, igneous, or sedimentary by the process of their formation.
