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Week 30 - Rocks, Minerals and the Rock Cycle

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Course: Science 7 LearnNet
Book: Week 30 - Rocks, Minerals and the Rock Cycle
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Date: Thursday, 18 September 2025, 3:24 PM

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Week 30 - Rocks, Minerals and the Rock Cycle

Table of contents

Tab: Exercise 2.1


Lesson 2.1: What are Rocks and Minerals?


ACTIVITY A: Minerals and Rocks



Required Readings

Science in Action 7
pages 368 - 376
or
Science Focus 7
pages 354 - 360

What are rocks made of? We walk all over them, but how often have you stopped and really thought about what gives each of these rocks different characteristics?

Rocks have different characteristics as they are made up of different minerals. On the Earth there are over 3500 different naturally occurring minerals. Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic substances with predictable chemical and physical properties.

Although there are numerous minerals, only a few form the majority of rock in the Earth's crust. Most minerals are very rare. Only a few are commonly found throughout the crust.

Minerals can be elements or compounds. Elements are pure substances such as gold. Compounds are a combination of two or more elements. Quartz is a compound mineral which consists of two elements - silicon and oxygen.


ACTIVITY B: Using Properties to Identify Minerals



Required Readings

Science in Action 7
pages 371 to 376
or
Science Focus 7
pages 355 to 360

Let's pretend for a moment that you are a geologist and have been sent some samples of mineral to find out what they are composed of. What could you do to test these samples? If you were to look at the minerals you will notice that each mineral has certain properties or characteristics which can be tested and measured.

Some of the common properties which can easily be tested for include the following:

  • colour
  • hardness
  • lustre
  • streak
  • cleavage
  • fracture
For this exercise you will need to refer to the readings in your textbook. Click here to try a virtual mineral identification lab.
Exercise 2.1: Identify Minerals Quiz
Click on the icon below and using the list of terms provided to fill in the blanks. The terms may be
used more than once. 

Terms:

  • Crystals
  • Colour
  • Lustre
  • Mineral
  • Mohs
  • Streak
  • Cleavage
  • Fracture
  • Rocks
  • Transparent
  • Opaque
  • Element
  • Hardness

Extra: For more Mineral Identification Labs click here.

Tab: Exercise 2.2


Lesson 2.2: Three Classes of Rocks; Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic


INTRODUCTION: Three Classes of Rock
Up to this point we have looked at the building blocks of rock. Now it is time to see how rocks are formed and reformed over time. There are three classes in which rocks can be categorized as, based on how they were formed. They are igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock.

Some of these rock forming processes may take millions of years and some can occur very rapidly. Due to the way each is formed, it can usually be identified by its appearance. Let's a closer look at the three classes...



ACTIVITY A: Igneous Rock


Required Readings

Science in Action 7
pages 377 to 378
or
Science Focus 7
page 361

Rock is always being cycled in the core of the Earth. When this liquid rock, Magma, rises to Earth's crust and is cooled and solidified Igneous Rock is formed.

Any rock or mineral that is heated at great depths can melt into magma. Sometimes the magma melts away the mantle and crust of the Earth to create a entry point on the surface.

Igneous rock is classified into two groups based on where it is formed. If it forms below the surface it takes longer to cool and harden. This type of igneous rock is called intrusive rock. This type of rock is only found on the surface, when the surface rocks are eroded away. The picture below shows intrusive rock after the outer cone has eroded away. This is Devil's Tower a US national monument in Wyoming.

Extrusive rock forms when magma breaks through the Earth's surface in volcanic eruptions. Rock forms when lava cools.

The size of the crystals in igneous rock depends on how fast or slow the rock cools. Molten rock which cools slowly underground has longer to create crystals, therefore, the crystals or grains in intrusively cooled igneous rock are larger than those cooled extrusively on the surface.



ACTIVITY B: Sedimentary Rock


Required Readings

Science in Action 7
pages 379 to 380
or
Science Focus 7
pages 364 to 365

Over 70 percent of the Earth's surface is made up of sedimentary rock. With the help of wind and water, sediment is deposited as layers which are slowly compacted under pressure to form rock. This process is called compaction. Another similar process is called cementation. In this process minerals dissolve as water soaks into the rocks which forms a natural cement and bonds the layers together.

Sedimentary Rock becomes closely packed in layers and these layers can often be seen along canyons where erosion has taken place. Stratification is the term used to describe the visible layers.

Some of the more common forms of sedimentary rocks consist of Shale, Limestone, Sandstone, and conglomerate. Shale is formed from mud under pressure. Sandstone is formed from sand which is usually quartz. Pebbles and stones can become cemented together to form conglomerate. Limestone, which is mainly composed of calcite and the organic material deposited at the bottom of bodies of water from animals which have died, is the best material to find fossils in.

 


ACTIVITY C: Metamorphic Rocks


Required Readings

Science in Action 7
pages 380 to 381
or
Science Focus 7
pages 366 to 367
Yosemite National Park in California is home to some of the most majestic granite peaks such as the one to the left, El Capitan and the famous Half Dome. Granite is a metamorphic rock. The word metamorphic means to change form. These rocks start out as another class of rock such as sedimentary or igneous and they are changed by intense heat and pressure deep within the earths crust.

Often metamorphic rock is difficult to find on the Earth's surface, unless top layers have eroded away. Nonetheless, metamorphic rock can be strong and beautiful building materials when found. Marble, granite, and slate are all metamorphic rocks. All of which are used in many construction projects.

Read the section on Metamorphic rock in your textbook and answer the following questions.

Exercise 2.2: Rock Types



Exercise 2.3


Lesson 2.3: The Rock Cycle


ACTIVITY A: The Rock Cycle



Required Readings

Science in Action 7
pages 385 to 387
or
Science Focus 7
pages 368 to 369

Just like the water cycles through the environment time and time again, rocks also cycle. This process is much slower, but it does occur on a continuous basis.

Refer to the diagram of the rock cycle in your textbook and then visit this website to watch "The Rock Cycle" Animation
Exercise 2.3: Chocolate Rock Cycle



Section 2 Notes

You have two options for your Section 2 Quiz - a multiple choice quiz or a written response quiz. You may choose to write the multiple choice or the written response. You only need to write one of them, so the choice is up to you! You are allowed to try both quizzes if you want, but it is not required.

The quiz attempt with the highest grade will be the one that is recorded on your report card.

The multiple choice quiz has 10 multiple choice, matching, and true/false questions. You have 15 minutes to complete it. As soon as the quiz submitted it will be auto-graded and you will receive a grade immediately.

Click the image above to start your quiz

The written response quiz has 5 short answer questions. Your responses must give a complete and detailed answer to the question. You have 20 minutes to complete the quiz. This quiz needs to be manually marked by your teacher, so you may have to wait a few days to get feedback and a grade.

Click the image above to start your quiz