1. Sandra Bright Course #75T01 brights@hartwick.edu
ROCKS ROCK!
Sandra Bright
Course #75T01

2. Rocks. They’re everywhere
Rocks. They’re everywhere! On the ground, in the ground… Different sizes, different shapes, different colors, different textures… What exactly is a rock, and why do rocks vary so much?

4. To understand why rocks vary so much, we need to know more about how they are created, and what can happen to them after they are created. To do that, we’ll travel to some of our national parks and other places.

5. We might as well get the most exciting – and the most dangerous – stop of our trip over first. Before we go, we’ll learn about how igneous rocks, one of three types of rock, is created.
The word “igneous” means fiery (which means “consisting of fire” or “burning strongly and brightly”). Can you guess where our first stop will be, and why it will be dangerous? Click the rock to find out if your guess was correct.

6. If we could go deep in the Earth, we would find magma, rock that is so hot that it has melted and become liquid. Of course, we wouldn’t be able to survive in such high temperatures, so that won’t be part of our field trip!
When magma cools, it becomes igneous rock. Igneous rock is formed when magma is forced out of the earth (for example, oozing or exploding out a volcano) and then cools. It can also form if the magma cools deep in the ground.
These are both igneous rocks, but they look very different. To learn more about igneous rocks, visit Rock Hounds:
You might also want to watch this video for another explanation of igneous rock.

7. Now, on with our field trip. Got your hard hats and running shoes on
Now, on with our field trip. Got your hard hats and running shoes on? National Geographic is ready to take us to some of the world’s volcanoes. Click the link to get transported now.
For more about volcanoes :

8. Before our next stop, we’ll look at what happens to already-formed rocks during a process called “weathering.”
Wind, rain, glaciers, and other factors wear rock away. Small pieces of rock are carried down streams and rivers into lakes and oceans.
Click the picture or word link to see an animation of this process.
weathering

9. Trees and plants can also break rock apart
Trees and plants can also break rock apart. The roots of this tree started out very small and thin, growing through tiny cracks in the rock. As the roots grow, they force their way through solid rock.
Water, too, can break rock apart. When water freezes, it expands. Just as it broke this pipe, it can crack rocks.

10. The result of this weathering can be smooth or crumbly rock.
Before we find out what happens to all of those small, weathered pieces of rock, let’s take a trip to some of our national parks to see some more spectacular results of weathering. Once at this website, click on the “Secrets of Red Rock” video link:

11. Sediment: matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid
Rock at the surface of Earth is exposed to the process of weathering. Weathering turns rock into sediment.
Sediment: matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid
Sedimentary Rock
The sediment caused by weathering settles. As more and more sediment collects, the layers on the bottom are exposed to increasingly greater weight. Over a long period of time, the sediment becomes hard rock.

12. But first, can you guess why they’re called the Badlands?
To learn more about sedimentary rock, and to see some spectacular examples, let’s go to the Badlands National Park.
But first, can you guess why they’re called the Badlands?

13. The Badlands are located in southwestern South Dakota.
The Lakota people called this area “Mako sica”, meaning “lands bad”. French-Canadia fur trappers called it “les mauvais terres pour traverse,” which translates as “bad lands to travel through”. It is a place of extreme temperatures, little water, and rugged terrain.
The Badlands are located in southwestern South Dakota.
Side Trip:
Click on the link below . Once at the website, click “Standard” to visit the Badlands.

14. Last stop: Metamorphic Rock
Some rocks become buried deep in the Earth, where they are exposed to lots of pressure (the weight of all the matter on top of them) and high temperatures. If that temperature isn’t hot enough to melt them into magma, the pressure and temperature change (“morph”) them into new forms: metamorphic rock.
Let’s visit a site that can show us just how that works:
Be sure to click the “Start” button when you get there!

15. Now let’s visit a few places that have metamorphic rock formations:
The Colorado River (above) has eroded some of the schist (a type of metamorphic rock) into these strange-looking shapes (at left).

16. Marble Cathedral in Chile Click to see more pictures of these breathtaking caves:

17. The Shawangunk Ridge New York State Quartz Conglomerate Cliffs

18. Have you noticed a relationship between the kinds of rock
Have you noticed a relationship between the kinds of rock? Think about how each kind is formed as you fill in the blanks to show what you’ve learned. Any kind of rock can be melted to become magma. If the magma cools, it becomes _________________ rock a. igneous b. sedimentary c. metamorphic

19. Any kind of rock can be weathered
Any kind of rock can be weathered. If it gets deposited and is exposed to a lot of pressure over a long period of time, it becomes _________________ rock a. igneous b. sedimentary c. metamorphic

20. Any kind of rock can end up underground
Any kind of rock can end up underground. If it is exposed to a lot of pressure and heat, it becomes _________________ rock a. igneous b. sedimentary c. metamorphic

23. We’ll be traveling to a volcano!

24. Resources
Franklin Institute (January 29, 1999). Rock Hounds. Retrieved from
Make Me Genius (April 14, 2012). Igneous Rocks. Retrieved from
Discovery: Future of Energy
U.S. Geological Survey, Riggs, N. (2004). Volcano Explorer. Retrieved from
University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences (n.d.). Weathering & Climate. Retrieved from
National Park Service, Anderson, J. (2004). Secrets of Red Rock: Arches & Canyonlands. Retrieved from
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25. National Park Service, Johndreau, J. (March 30, 2011)
National Park Service, Johndreau, J. (March 30, 2011). Badlands in Brief - Geology. Retrieved from   National Park Service (July 4, 2012). Badlands in Brief. Retrieved from   Annenberg Learner (2012). Interactives: Rock Cycle. Retrieved   Associated Newspapers Ltd: Mail Online (August 1, 2011) The Marble Cathedral of Chile: Are these the World’s Most Beautiful Caves? Retrieved