Challenge 1: Science
Geology is the study of the earth. Through studying the earth you will find both constancy and change. You can even use the rock cycle figure above to explain both aspects. The rocks can change from one type to the next and can change back. This cycle has been active since the beginning of time. This is the principle of Uniformitarianism, "the past is the key to the present." Basically this states that all the biological, chemical, and physical processes that were going on millions of years ago are still going on today. In Challenge 1 we are going to use this example to study one of the littlest aspects of geology, the rock, and the little things that make up different types of rocks.
Activity #1
Rocks are divided by origin. There are three groups:
1) Igneous 2) Sedimentary 3) Metamorphic. Your job is to go to http://www.science.ubc.ca/~geol202/petrology/rock.html
to find the definitions of these three main rock
groups. Give an example of each type of rock. There are also
pictures on this page, so make sure you take the time to look at several
and compare their appearance.
Activity #2
For activity #2, use the above link and this one:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/collect1/collectgip.html
Create a table in Microsoft Word for Igneous, Sedimentary,
and Metamorphic rocks in which you will state the definition of the rock,
the main "little things" that make up the rock (for example, dirt or magma),
its major characteristics, and finally their general shapes, contours,
and even the colors. To do this last task you will need to look at
the pictures in the web site for Activity #1. It may help to sketch out
the table by hand before putting it on Microsoft Word: figure out how you
will organize the rows and columns and what will go in each.
If you need help making a table in Microsoft Word, here is a tutorial. Scroll down the page to find the tutorial labeled "The Draw Table Tool in Word 97" and click on it. The "Formatting a Table in Word 97" tutorial on the same page might also be helpful.