Berkshire Museum
Backyard Rocks
You don't have to travel far to learn about rocks, just step outside, pick up a stone, and begin investigating. After taking a class walk around the school grounds collecting rocks, young scientists practice their skills of observation...
Curated OER
Metamorphic Rock Pancakes
Students identify the properties of a metamorphic rock. They make delicious pancakes on a hot griddle at school to simulate how metamorphic rocks are made.
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The Big Squeeze
Young scholars observe what happens as crayon shavings are melted and/or pressed together. They compare this to the process some rocks go through as they are heated and compressed naturally on earth.
Curated OER
How to Make a Rock
Second graders watch demonstrations and conduct experiments that show the three different types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.
Curated OER
Geology: How to Make a Rock
Second graders examine the various kinds of rocks and make a flipbook about them. They draw pictures of the rocks and write several sentences about how each type of rock is made. They discover the differences in the rocks by making...
Curated OER
The Rock Family
Young scholars research the characteristics of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks using the Internet. They evaluate websites for use before they organize the research information into a table. They use software to complete a...
Project SMART
Rocks and Minerals: Touch the Earth
Students complete a unit of lessons on rocks and minerals. They conduct research, write e-mail questions to geologists, write daily journal entries, label maps demonstrating types of rocks/minerals found, and create a web page that...
Curated OER
What is the Rock Cycle?
Students investigate the rock cycle. For this geology lesson, students read about the rock cycle on a website and discuss the steps of the rock cycle. Students visit a rock cycle website to complete a quiz. This is the first introductory...
Curated OER
Everybody Needs a Rock
Students, after making quantitative and qualitative observations of their rocks, construct a Venn diagram or dichotomous key to classify their rocks.
Curated OER
Metamorphic Rock: Melting Rocks
Students observe and gain a better understanding of the metamorphosing power of heat. They mix mini-marshmallows and chocolate chips in a bowl and add just enough peanut butter so the mixture clumps together.