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  • Activities: Check out this page for fun online activities that support the learning in Chapter 7.

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Fourth Grade Science: Chapter 7--The Rock Cycle

Lesson 1: What are the types of rocks?

Objectives:

  • Make a model to see how sedimentary rock forms.
  • Describe what minerals are.
  • Identify the three types of rocks (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic).
Lesson 2: What Is the Rock Cycle?

Objectives:

  • Model the steps in the rock cycle.
  • Explain what the rock cycle is.
  • Describe the processes that take place during the rock cycle.
Lesson 3: How Do Weathering and Erosion Affect Rocks?

Objectives:

  • Experiment to see how rocks break down.
  • Describe how weathering affects rock.
  • Explain how erosion affects rock.

Lesson 4: What is Soil?

Objectives:

  • Compare particle sizes in different types of soil.
  • Describe what soil is.
  • Explain how soil forms, and how soils differ. 

Science Vocabulary

mineral: A solid substance that occurs naturally in rocks or in the ground.

rock: A solid substance made of one or more minerals.

igneous rock: A type of rock that forms from melted rock that cools and hardens.

sedimentary rock: A type of rock that forms when layers of sediment are pressed together.

metamorphic rock: A type of rock that forms  when heat or pressure change an existing rock.

rock cycle: The sequence of processes that change rocks from one type to another over long periods.

weathering: The breaking down of rocks on Earth's surface into smaller pieces. 

erosion: The process of moving sediment from one place to another.

humus: the remains of decayed plants or animals in the soil.

horizon: A layer in the soil.

bedrock: The solid rock that forms Earth's surface.

sand: The largest particles that make up soil.

clay: THe smallest particles that make up soil.