1. Chapter 8 Rocks and Minerals
4th Grade Earth Science
Chapter 8
Rocks and Minerals

2. Minerals
___________ - a natural, non-living solid with a definite chemical structure.
Earth’s crust contains more than _________ minerals – only two dozen are common.
Examples: diamond, quartz, emerald copper
Minerals are made up of ______.
Particles of _______ are arranged in a particular repeating pattern.
Mineral
4,000 kinds
crystals
crystals

3. Crystals _______ form when minerals are made in nature
Each type of mineral has its own unique chemical __________.
Differences in minerals result from the way that particles are arranged.
Brass – Copper + Zinc –____________because it does not occur naturally
Mineral
structure
Not a mineral

4. Identifying Minerals Minerals are identified by their ____________
_______________ - a scale to measure hardness of a mineral
The range of the harness scale is from 1 (_______) to 10 (______)
Talc has a harness of __ / diamond is a _____
________ - refers to how difficult it is to scratch its surface
characteristics
Moh’s hardness scale
Softest
Hardest 1 10
hardness

5. Other Mineral Characteristics
_______ - a mineral may have different crystals depending on the kinds of materials that make up its ______.
The color of a mineral can be seen in its ______.
A mineral can also be identified by the ______ of its crystals.
_______ - minerals show particular patterns when they are broken along flat planes.
Color
crystals
streak
shape
Cleavage

6. Luster ______ - the appearance of a mineral in reflected light.
A mineral may appear:
__________
Luster
Metallic
Nonmetallic
Greasy
Glassy
Waxy

7. Rocks
_____ - a solid, natural material made up of one or more minerals
___________ - as time passes, rock break down, and the minerals in them are recycled – pattern of change
The rock cycle takes place over ________ of years.
There are three types of rocks: __________, __________, and __________
rock
Rock cycle
millions
sedimentary
igneous
metamorphic

8. Sedimentary Rock
______________ - made from pieces of rocks and minerals
Sedimentary rock forms in ________ - the oldest rock at the bottom and the newest rock on top.
Sedimentary rock is like a “_________” - past events captured in each layer.
_____ - remains of once living animals or plants
Sedimentary rock
layers
History book
fossils

9. Sedimentary Rock Continued
Fossils are ONLY found in _____________
Example of sedimentary rock = ________
Limestone is made from _________________
or from dissolved __________ that settle out of seawater.
Sedimentary rock
limestone
Shells of tiny sea animals
minerals

10. Igneous Rock
__________ - forms from magma – molten rock inside of the earth that cools and hardens
Some igneous rock forms ______________ and is only exposed after rocks above have worn away
Other igneous rocks form when _____ cools at the Earth’s surface
When lava cools fast - _______________
When lava cools slowly - _______________
Igneous rock
Below Earth’s surface
lava
Fine-ground rocks form
Coarse-grained rock

11. Metamorphic Rock
_____________ - forms when heat, pressure, or chemical reactions change one type of rock into another type of rock.
Metamorphic rock is made from ___________ or _________.
Example: ______ is a metamorphic rock made from________ (sedimentary rock)
Metamorphic rock
Sedimentary rock
Igneous rock
marble
limestone

12. Compare and Contrast
How are the three types of rocks similar and different?

13. Clues to the Past
Scientists can tell a great deal about Earth’s history by looking at _____.
______________ - scientists look at the layers of sedimentary rock and learn about the relative age of each layer and the minerals found in it.
Relative dating allows scientists to place past events in ____________
rocks
Relative dating
Sequential order

14. Rock Cycle