Lesson 8 of 84 · Earth Systems
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🌋 Rock RealmThe Rock Cycle
Earth Systems.
🎯 Your mission
Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).
⚡ The twist
Today's mountain was yesterday's ocean floor.
Mind = Blown
🌋 There are 1,500 active volcanoes on Earth right now.
Make a hypothesis first
Guess: where will the water go first?
What You'll Learn
Erosion moves weathered rock and soil from one place to another by water, wind, ice, or gravity. Rivers carve valleys, wind shapes sand dunes, and glaciers grind mountains.
Key Words
- fossil
- mineral
- igneous
Materials Needed
- cotton balls
- food coloring
- clear container
- rocks
- sand
- clay
Safety First
- Handle glass items carefully to avoid breakage.
- Do not mix unknown chemicals together.
- Tie back long hair before starting the experiment.
Steps
Read the introduction and identify the main idea of this lesson.
Investigate soil layers: fill a jar with soil and water, shake it, and let it settle overnight. Identify the layers of clay, silt, sand, and organic matter.
Observe what happens and describe it in detail.
Record your observations in your science journal with measurements and descriptions.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What is the rock cycle?
Where you see this in real life
This is shaping the ground you walk on, slowly, every single day.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Find a rock outside and try to guess how old it is.
For the dinner table
“What's the slowest change you can think of?”
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
Share this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
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