Week 10: Rocks and the Rock Cycle

  1. What did you do in lab today?

    Today in lab we talked about plate tectonics and how convection cells/currents affect the movement of them. We also talked about the layers of the Earth and how they work and change over time. For our activity, we created different types of rocks out of starburst by using different temperatures and pressures. Last, we discussed the curve of our test. 

2. What was the big question?

    The big question was, how do the layers of the Earth affect how it works and changes over time? OR What is a rock?

3. What did you learn in Thursday's discussion?

    In Thursday's discussion we learned what a rock is and different ways on how to characterize them. We also learned that sand comes from distant mountains and landforms. This happens because of wind and water, which can also be characterized as erosion. 

    Not only did we talk about rocks, but we also talked about the layers of the Earth, which are inner core, outer core, mantle, and crust. There are two different kinds of plates within the layers of the Earth, continental and oceanic.   

Textbook Chapter 15

1. What did you learn?

     I learned that rocks have a cycle that they go through and within this cycle, they can be sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic. They change to and from these different stages from things like heat, pressure, weather, compaction, cementation, and erosion. 

2. What was most helpful?

     What was the most helpful was the section on sand. It explains how sand it created and also how it is classified. Sand is classified as being bigger than silt, but smaller than gravel. It is created when rocks are weathered or broken down either by wind or water. 

3. What do you need more information on?

      I need more information on is the Archimedes Principle. I am just a little confused on how and when to use the specific gravity equation.

1. What questions, concerns, and/or comments do you have?

    I don't have any!