Rock Types & the Rock Cycle
Name: Period: Date:
REF STUDY GUIDE: Big Ideas Use to answer form questions
1.Fossils are more than bones and shells. They include trace fossils (footprints, burrows), molds, casts, petrified wood, insects in amber, and even soft-bodied organisms preserved in fine-grained sediment — any preserved evidence of ancient life counts.
2.Rocks transform continuously through the rock cycle. Igneous (cooled magma/lava), sedimentary (compressed sediment), and metamorphic (heat + pressure) rocks convert into one another over millions of years — driven by Earth's internal heat and surface processes like weathering, erosion, and uplift.
3.Layer order can lie — tectonic forces disrupt strata. Folding, faulting, and igneous intrusions can flip, tilt, or interrupt the original horizontality of rock layers, so depth alone doesn't determine age. Marine fossils high on mountain peaks are evidence of seafloor uplift across geologic time.
DRAW KEY TERMS Google each → Images tab → sketch what you see
OTHER VOCAB: weathering · uplift
igneous rock
Rock formed from cooled magma or lava
sedimentary rock
Rock formed from compressed layers of sediment
metamorphic rock
Rock changed by heat and pressure
rock cycle
Continuous process of rock formation and transformation
WRITE FOCUS QUESTION Your initial thinking
In the Himalayan mountains, climbers at over 25,000 feet have cracked open rocks and found perfectly preserved seashells and marine fossils -- ocean creatures locked inside stone at the roof of the world.
How can you find seashells on top of a mountain?
I think...
WRITE AFTER HOOK FORM Reflect before continuing
I learned that...
Station 1 — Rock Classification Lab
I observed that...
This shows that...
The key concept is...
CHECK DAY 1 CHECK-IN Before you leave
Q1: Based on today's investigation of rock types & the rock cycle, explain one key finding using evidence from your data. Connect your answer to this week's focus question: How can you find seashells on top of a mountain?
Confidence:
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Rock Types & the Rock Cycle (Day 2)
Name: Period:
Station 2 — Rock Cycle Modeling
The data shows...
This connects to...
The main idea is...
This connects to what we learned because...
I can apply this by...
DRAW CONCEPT MODEL Show your understanding visually
Draw a model that shows the main concept. Include labels and arrows to explain relationships.
Labels included
Relationships shown
Key terms used
CHECK TEST YOUR THINKING Rate each: FALSE ← 1-2-3-4-5 → TRUE
1. Fossils are only bones or shells — soft tissue and soft-bodied organisms never leave traces.
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2. Rocks don't change once formed — they stay the same type forever.
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3. Deeper rock layers are always older than the layers above them.
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4. All three rock types -- igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic -- can transform into each other through the rock cycle.
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5. Tectonic forces can fold and flip rock layers, disrupting their original order.
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Pick any TWO statements -- especially any you rated 2, 3, or 4. Justify your rating with evidence:
Statement #___ -- I rated it ___ because:
Statement #___ -- I rated it ___ because:
THINK SCIENTIST CIRCLE DEBRIEF Reflect after your Scientist Circle discussion
AHA! Moment
The one I changed my thinking most about is...
Remaining Question
I still wonder...
WRITE FOCUS QUESTION REVISIT Final written response
How can you find seashells on top of a mountain?
Word Bank: igneous rock · sedimentary rock · metamorphic rock · rock cycle · weathering · uplift
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