Have some fun with your own metamorphic rocks.
The study of landforms offers a wide variety of hands-on activities in which students can see geological processes at work. Used in conjunction with videos, textbooks and supplementary materials, hands-on geological activities will give students a thorough understanding of the nature of landforms and the processes that create and modify them.
Making Metamorphic Rock Pancakes
Heat and pressure combine to fuse differing types of rock together to create a new type: metamorphic rock. Students will remember this process when they create metamorphic rock pancakes. Use this activity as the culminating event of a unit on landforms. This is a suitable activity for elementary age students. The materials needed are a frying pan or griddle, spatula, oil, pancake batter, plates and napkins, chocolate chips, raisins, marshmallows and banana slices. Mix the pancake batter, pour it on the griddle and add the other ingredients to the batter. Students will see how heat is a factor in the process of making metamorphic rocks as well as how all the ingredients blend together to create a new object. Students will also be able to observe that some materials will melt and others will not. Eat the pancakes, then follow up with questions about how they can relate this activity to what they know about metamorphic rocks.
Papier Mache Landforms
This activity is very popular with students. Students from grade 2 and up can work individually or in groups. Students make a list of the landforms that they have studied and choose three to focus on. The main activity is making a papier mache model of one of the continents. Give each student a square of plywood about 12 inches by 12 inches. Students can photocopy the outline of a continent from an atlas, then trace the outline onto the plywood. They build the base of the continent first, then add three landforms from their list, such as mountains, rivers and peninsulas. Paint the landform after it dries. Label the landforms on a key, using colors. Research and explain what geological processes were involved in the creation of these landforms. For example, how were the Rockies formed? What processes were involved? How long did it take to create the Rockies? The results of the research can be presented in a variety of formats, such as a PowerPoint presentation.
Temperature Change and Weathering
Students enjoy this activity because they get to burn marbles in the name of science. It is important to follow safety procedures; these should be discussed at the start of this activity. Materials needed for this activity are one can of Sterno for each group, matches, aluminum cups, one marble per student, one bowl of ice water, goggles and safety tongs. Divide the students into groups. Assign a job to each student. Appropriate jobs are the materials manager, who takes care of gathering all the materials; the safety manager, who gets the goggles for each group and makes sure safety procedures are followed; the recorder, who writes down and takes photos of the process; and the principal investigator, who is the leader and makes sure everyone does his job. Students gather all the materials. Older students can light the Sterno can themselves; teachers may want to do this for younger students. Burn the marbles for five minutes in an aluminum can. Hold the can with the safety tongs. Dump the marbles into ice water. Record the size and structure of the cracks that appear in the marbles. Students can take photos of the marbles after they crack or make detailed drawings. Ask students to relate this activity to the heating and cooling of rocks in nature. Students can do a short writing exercise after this activity that demonstrates their understanding of how heat and cold work in the weathering of landforms.
Tags: this activity, metamorphic rocks, Students will, each group, each student, geological processes
