Week 1: Rock Types & Rock Cycle

Grade 7 Science | Rosche | Kairos Academies

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NGSS Standards This Week

MS-ESS1-4 (NEW this cycle)

What it means: Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize Earth's history.

In student language: I can explain how rocks tell the story of Earth's past using evidence from rock layers and the rock cycle.

Spiral Standards

  • MS-ESS2-2 (Cycle 6): Geoscience processes - plate tectonics and Earth's surface changes
  • MS-ESS2-5 (Cycle 5): Weather and climate systems - water cycle's role in weathering

Vocabulary

Key Vocabulary (6 terms) β€” Practice Tool

Cognate Strategy: Many science words look similar in English and Spanish β€” use your Spanish to learn science!

Term Spanish Definition
Igneous Rock Roca Γ­gnea Rock formed when magma or lava cools and solidifies. Examples: granite, basalt
Sedimentary Rock β€” Rock formed when sediments are compacted and cemented over time. Examples: sandstone, limestone
Metamorphic Rock Roca metamΓ³rfica Rock formed when existing rock is changed by heat and pressure without melting. Examples: marble, slate
Rock Cycle β€” The continuous process by which rocks transform from one type to another over millions of years
Weathering MeteorizaciΓ³n The breaking down of rocks by wind, water, ice, and living things
Uplift β€” The rising of Earth's crust, often due to plate tectonic forces, exposing buried rocks

Practice These Vocabulary Terms

Scientist Spotlight: Dr. Geerat Vermeij - Reading Earth's History by Touch

Dr. Geerat Vermeij (b. 1946) is a world-renowned paleontologist who has been blind since age 3. Rather than viewing this as a limitation, he turned it into a scientific superpower: his highly developed sense of touch allows him to detect subtle shell features that sighted scientists often miss. His research on mollusk shells has revealed how life and rocks have co-evolved over millions of years.

His groundbreaking work: Dr. Vermeij discovered that shells became stronger and more armored over geological time as predators evolved better crushing abilities. By "reading" thousands of fossil shells with his fingertips, he identified patterns invisible to most researchers. His work demonstrates how sedimentary rock preserves evidence of evolutionary arms races spanning hundreds of millions of years.

Connection to this week: Just as you're learning to read Earth's history through rocks, Dr. Vermeij reads evolutionary history through the shells preserved in sedimentary layers. His career proves that scientific observation takes many forms, and that different abilities can reveal different truths about our planet's past.

Hook: The Mountaintop Seashell Mystery πŸͺ¨

12 Points | ~10 Minutes

Scientists exploring near the summit of Mount Everest made an incredible discovery: marine fossils embedded in rock at 29,000 feet. How can you find seashells on top of a mountain?

[EMBED G7.C7.W1 Hook Form Here]

COMPLETE THE HOOK FORM

Complete the form below for Hook.

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Worked Example

Common Mistake

WRONG: "Any rock with crystals must be igneous."
RIGHT: "Metamorphic rocks can also have crystals! Igneous crystals form during cooling, while metamorphic crystals form during recrystallization under pressure."
KEY: Don't rely on crystals alone. Check for other features: layers (sedimentary), wavy/banded patterns (metamorphic), crystals only (likely igneous).

Step-by-Step Problem Solving

Problem Scenario

Review the problem scenario and work through each step below.

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Station 1: Rock Classification Lab πŸͺ¨

20 Points | ~15 Minutes

Your mission: Classify rocks by type using their characteristics.

Interactive Rock Cycle Explorer

Explore how rocks transform between igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic types before classifying samples:

COMPLETE THE STATION 1 FORM

Complete the form below for Station 1.

[EMBED G7.C7.W1 Station 1 Form Here]

Complete Your Worksheet

Complete the "STATION 1 NOTES" section on your worksheet:

  • Record your key observations and data
  • Answer the analysis questions
  • Write your evidence-based claim
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Station 2: Rock Cycle Modeling πŸͺ¨

20 Points | ~15 Minutes

Your mission: Trace rock transformations through the rock cycle.

[EMBED G7.C7.W1 Station 2 Form Here]

COMPLETE THE STATION 2 FORM
CER SCAFFOLD β€” Build your response in this order:
β–Ά CLAIM

Complete the form below for Station 2.

Need Hints? β€” CER Scaffold + Sentence Starters
Analysis hints to guide your thinking.

Think about what conditions are needed to transform one rock type into another β€” temperature, pressure, or melting.
"Igneous rock forms when ______ cools and solidifies, which happens at..."
"A rock transforms into metamorphic rock when ______ increases, which causes the minerals to..."
"Use the rock cycle diagram to trace the path from ______ back to ______, identifying each transformation step."

Complete Your Worksheet

Complete the "STATION 2 NOTES" section on your worksheet:

  • Record your key observations and data
  • Answer the analysis questions
  • Write your evidence-based claim
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