Igneous Rock Lab

Igneous Activity 1: Crystal Cooling Activity

In the space below summarize the differences between how the three salt solutions
you mixed on the previous days cooled.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________
Data Collection: Look into the microscope and describe what you observe about the
crystals.

Crystals cooled in ice bath Crystals cooled in room Crystals cooled in cotton
temperature conditions

Reflection

1. Describe what differences you observed between the three different sets of
crystals:

2. Describe what similarities you observed between the three:

3. How do you think this activity models cooling of igneous material?

4. How would you say this model connects to the activity you did in the beginning of
class with the post-its?

5. Based on what you observed what control does temperature of cooling

environment have on the mineral crystals in a solution?
 Igneous Rock Lab

Igneous Activity 2: Silica content model

Silica and igneous rocks: One way of classifying igneous rock and igneous magma is
related to the amount of the element silica in the material. In the following activity
you are going to model making igneous magmas with different elemental content.

1. Based on the labels at your station what do each of the materials represent?

Marshmallow fluff: _____________________Chocolate syrup: __________________________

2. Procedures: You want to determine what impact silica content has on magmas
and igneous rocks. You are to create three different mixtures with different silica
contents that are the same volume each. Describe the content of each mixture
below.
Mixture 1 Mixture 2 Mixture 3
Content

Observation
related to color
of material

Observations
related to
movement

3. Make observations on the appearance of each and how each material flows, and
record those observations above.

4. Igneous materials that have high silica content are called felsic materials and
igneous materials with low silica content are called mafic materials. Answer the
following questions, and make sure to use the words mafic and felsic in your
responses.

-How do you infer mafic and felsic magmas flow?

- How do you infer mafic and felsic magmas and rocks compare to one another in
terms of color?
Igneous Activity 2 continued: Bowens Reaction Series and igneous Rocks

Observe the Bowens reaction series on page 114 in your textbook, and discuss with
your partners answers to the questions below. Once you have agreed on the best
response to each question, write your answers below related to silica content in
igneous rocks.

1. In your own words describe what the Bowens reactions series shows about
the formation of different igneous rocks:

2. What is the difference between the minerals and the right side of the series
and minerals on the left side of the series?

3. What similarities do the two sides of the series have?

Igneous Rock Lab

Igneous Activity 3: Igneous Rock Observations Activity

1. Igneous rock texture does not relate to how the rock feels it connects to the size of
the crystals in the rock. Look at the samples labeled with the following textures
and describe what each sample looks like. Make sure to add details once we review
these as a class.

Fine grained texture:

Glassy texture:

Vesicular texture:

Coarse texture:

Very coarse texture:

Record detailed observations related to the color of the rock and the texture
of the rock. Fill in the labels for the groups after completing the :

Group A : Label what types of rocks these are ________________________(fill this in after
completing the questions on the next page)
Rock Name Gabbro Diorite Granite
Color description

Texture
description

Group B: Label what types of rocks these are _____________________(fill this in after
completing the questions on the next page)

Rock Name Basalt Andesite Rhyolite

Color description

Texture
description

Rock Name Pumice Obsidian

Color description

Texture
description
After making your observations complete the following reflection activities:

1. Read the short summaries of igneous intrusive rocks and igneous extrusive rocks
and describe the differences between how the two cool and how they look below.
Make sure to use the underlined terms in your description:

2. Based on the descriptions of both, which rock group above are igneous intrusive
rocks and which are igneous extrusive rocks and why do you say that? Think about
the activities we did related to cooling rates. Fill in the correct labels on the
previous page.

3. Based on your observations in activity 2, which rocks in this activity do you think
are mafic and which rocks do you think are felsic? Why do you think that?

4. Explain if you think the temperature of the cooling environment seems to impact
if it is a mafic or felsic igneous rock? What does seem to impact if it is a felsic or
mafic rock?

Elaboration reflection:
The rock provided to you is very similar to rock that can be found at Old Rag
Mountain in Shenandoah National park an hour and a half west of our school. After
observing the rock, respond to the prompts below.

- Write out your observations about the rock.

- Based on your observations and what youve learned about igneous formation
environments in this lab, what can you infer about how the rocks at Old Rag
Mountain formed?
 Sedimentary Rocks Lab

Activity 1: Forming stratigraphy (layers) and clastic sedimentary rocks

Procedures
1. Each group should obtain a sedimentation settling tube
2. Shake the tube and let it settle
3. Observe the tube after it had some time to settle. This will take some time, you
will check this at the end of class and in the beginning of class the next day.

Data chart
Right after you shook it At the end of class In the beginning of class
the next day.

Reflections:
1. All of the materials in tube are considered clasts. What do all the materials in
the tube have in common and what do you think clasts are?

2. What appears to have happened to the materials as they settled?

3. What pattern(s) do you notice in how the sediments settle?

4. Infer: Based on what you observed what types of sediments would settle first
in moving water?
 Forming Non-Clastic Sedimentary rocks

Activity 2: Forming non-clastic chemical precipitate sedimentary rocks

Procedures: You will have participated in preparing borax decoration crystal

ornaments.

- Explain how your borax crystal decorations formed:

- Look at the other crystal decorations that were grown and notice their differences.
What differences did you notice, and why do you think they are different (you can
draw pictures too if those are helpful)?

- Look at the short article near the ornaments and read through how non clastic
chemical rocks form and explain how those processes can relate to the processes
you saw happen in terms of your borax decorations.

- We watched a video clip on Naica Caves in Mexico as class. Explain why you would
or would not classify the rocks in those caves as non clastic chemical rocks:
Activity 3: Forming non-clastic organic sedimentary rocks

Procedures obtained from

https://www.dvusd.org/cms/lib/AZ01901092/Centricity/Domain/4994/Sediment
ary%20Rock%20Formation%20Models.pdf

1. On a paper towel, layer three pieces of bread on top of each other like a pancake
stack. The bread layers will represent sediment layers that form over millions of
years.
2. Next, insert a few gummy animals in a middle layer. (The gummy animals
represent animals that died, became trapped in sediments and later fossilized.)
3. Wrap the entire bread fossil in a paper towel.
4. Then stack a layer of heavy books on top of the bread fossil. For best results, apply
more pressure. Let it sit overnight. Do not disturb or peek!

Prediction: How do you think the fossil bread will look after having the books on it
for a day?

Reflection after process:

1) Describe how the materials changed over time:

2) What eventually happened to the animal material when it was trapped in the
porous bread layers?

3) What is in the porous bread layers? Can you easily separate them?

4) What type of formation processes do you think results in a non-clastic organic

materials to form?

5) How do you think this model connects to how coal forms from ancient plants?
Activity 4: Sedimentary rock identification lab
Now you will be responsible for looking at different types of sedimentary rocks,
describing them, and researching how they form.

1. Each person in the group will be in charge of researching how one or two of the
below rocks form and teaching their group about those formation environments.
Write what rock(s) you were in charge of researching and describe how it forms
below.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. After each student has done their research, they should each teach their group
about the processes that form their rocks. All students will fill in the chart below
based on what their fellow teammates taught them about the rock formation, and
they will fill in their observations for each rock.

Clastic Sedimentary rocks

Conglomerate Breccia Banded Arkose

Sandstone Sandstone
Observations

Formation
Environment

What is the
rock made up
of?
Non Clastic Chemical Sedimentary rocks
Rock Gypsum Rock Salt
Observations

Formation
Environment

What is the
rock made up
of?

Non Clastic Organic Sedimentary rocks

Bituminous Coal Limestone
Observations

Formation
Environment

What is the
rock made up
of?

Reflection: Complete the following reflection questions after you complete the above information
charts.

1. Based on the information you collected: What are the main differences between clastic and
non-clastic sedimentary rocks?
Name:_______________________________ #___________

Sedimentary Rock Elaboration

Look at the pictures below of conglomerate and limestone (they are also projected on the board
and there are samples at your desk) to answer the questions below. **hint: it may help to look
back in your labs**

Conglomerate Limestone

1) What do these two rocks have in common (related to how they form and their
classification)?

2) How do these two rocks differ (related to how they form and their classification)?

3) We have enough limestone in Stafford county for people to make a business from mining it.
What type of environment must have existed here for limestone to form?
 Metamorphic Rocks Lab

Introduction: Look at the metamorphic rocks up in front of the class. Compare and
contrast the lines in the metamorphic rocks and the lines in the sedimentary rocks?

Activity 1: Foliation vs Non foliation string model

Procedures:

1. Each pair of students should have string at their table and pieces of flat plastic to
push the materials around while answering the reflection questions.

Reflection

1. What happens to the string if you push the pieces together from opposite
directions from two sides?

2. What happens to the string if you push it together from four directions?

3. Foliated metamorphic rocks have minerals that are lined up in the same
direction, what type of pressure application caused that to happen to the
string? Explain why:

4. Non-foliated metamorphic rocks have minerals that are not lined up in the
same direction, what type of pressure application caused that to happen to the
string? Explain why:
Activity 2: Regional vs Contact metamorphism

Regional Metamorphism

Procedures:

- Layer different color modeling clay on top of one another and compress
them in a way that would form structures like folded minerals. This type of
deformation of a large area of land is called regional metamorphism.

1) Describe what you think would happen to the rock in the mountains
(represented by the clay). Do you think this would form foliated or non
foliated metamorphic rock? Explain your answer

Contact Metamorphism

Procedures

- Watch as the teacher puts a marshmallow near the flame.

Reflections

1) Describe what happens to the marshmallow

2) How do you think the marshmallow model connects to what happens to

rocks when they come in contact with magma during contact metamorphism?

3) What do you think is the difference between contact metamorphism and

regional metamorphism?
Look at each of the labeled rocks in your kit. Use the chart handed to each group to
determine the parent rock each metamorphic rock formed from.

Slate Schist Gneiss

Parent rock

Observations

Do you think
this mineral is
foliated or
non foliated,
why?

Marble Quartzite
Parent rock

Observations

Do you think
this mineral is
foliated or
non foliated,
why?
Elaboration reflection to be done on the next day: Look at the mystery
metamorphic rock provided to you.

The rock provided to you is very similar to rock that can be found in the Blue Ridge
Mountains in Virginia. After observing the rock, respond to the prompts below.

- Write out your observations about the rock.

- Based on your observations and what youve learned about metamorphic rock
formation environments in this lab, what can you infer about how the rocks in the
Blue Ridge Mountains formed?