Weathering and Soil

Weathering and SoilChapter 26th Grade Science

Standards

StandardS. 6.2 Topography is reshaped by the

weathering of rock and soil and by the transportation and deposition of sediment.

6.2.a Students know different natural energy and material resources, including air, soil, rocks, minerals, and know how to classify them as renewable and non renewable.

6.2.c Students know the natural origin of materials used to make common objects

Anticipatory Set

Language of the Discipline

MineralCrystalRock Cycle Igneous RockSedimentary Rock

SedimentMetamorphic RockNonrenewable ResourceOreSmelting

What Is A Mineral? (Input)

Mineral- a naturally occurring, inorganic solid that forms on or beneath Earth’s surface. (highlight in note-taking book)

Inorganic- means to contain no materials that were once part of living things

All minerals have a crystal shapeEach mineral has a definite chemical composition.

Mineral Characteristics (Input)

In order for it to be a mineral it must contain 5 of the following characterizes:1. Inorganic Solid2. Naturally Occurring3. Forms on or beneath the Earth’s surface4. Crystal Shape- shaped like cubes

A solid made up of particles that line up in a pattern that repeats over and over again

5. Definite Chemical Composition - it is made up of certain elements in definite proportions.

Rocks and the Rock Cycle (Input)

Rock- solid material made up of one or more minerals or other substances.

How are different rocks formed? Deep inside the Earth and at the surfaces, a

process occurs that slowly change rocks into different forms.

Geologists classify rocks into 3 major groups: igneous rock, sedimentary rock, and metamorphic rock. The rocks in each group form through different steps in the rock cycle.

Igneous Rock

Igneous rock- form from molten (magma) material deep inside the earth. It cools slowly beneath the Earth’s surface and large crystals form.

Other igneous rocks form when molten material erupts onto Earth’s surface.

Basalt forms when molten material cools and hardens on the surface. It cools quickly, so the crystals are smaller.

Sedimentary Rock

Definition- made from pieces of rocks that have been broken down by processes involving water and weather.

Sediment- contains remains of plants and animals

How it’s formed: Water and wind carry the sediment and deposit it in layers. These layers build up and squeeze together by their own weight. Minerals in the rocks slowly dissolve in water. This sediment slowly changes in sedimentary rock

Metamorphic Rock

Rock that is formed when a rock is changed by heat, pressure or chemical reactions

Earth’s forces push rocks down to the Earth’s interior and the deeper it becomes buried, the greater the pressure on the rock.

Under heat and pressure, the minerals in a rock can be changed into other minerals.

If the heat and pressure are too great, the rock cycle starts again.

Pathways of the Rock Cycle (Input)

Checking for Understanding

What is a crystal? What is an inorganic mineral? What is it the term for the repeating pattern of a

mineral’s particles that form a solid called? What rock is formed from magma (molten)

material? What rock is formed from sediment? What rock is formed from temperature and

pressure?

Using Minerals and Rocks

Nonrenewable resource- one that is not replaced in a useful time frame.

Minerals are the source of gemstones, metals and other materials used to make many products.

Minerals are also used in foods, medicines, fertilizers and building materials.

Minerals are also the source of metals such as iron, copper and silver.

Metal tools, aluminum foil and steel used to make cars, all came from minerals.

Uses of Rocks (Input)People use rocks for building materials and

industrial processes. Granite- used in floors, and kitchen counters Limestone- cut easily into blocks or slabs for

use in buildings. It is used in making cement and steel.

Slate- splits easily into flat pieces. Used for flooring and roofing

Producing Metals from Ores (Input)

Ore- a rock that contains a metal or mineral that can be mined and sold for a profit.

Most metals do not occur in pure form It is a mineral that is a combination of that metal

and other elementsCopper comes from ores containing iron, sulfur and

copper. To produce metal from an ore, the ore must be

mined or removed from the ground. Then the ore must be processed to extract the metal.

Mining (Input)

Once they locate the ore, they must decide how to remove it. 1. Strip mines – earthmovers scrape away soil to

expose the ore. 2. Open-pit mines- miners use giant earthmoving

equipment to dig a huge pit and remove the ore. 3. Shaft mines- Ore occurs in veins so miners build

a shaft mines. They are a network of tunnels that extend deep in the group.

Each has an effect on the environment

Smelting Smelting- an ore is mixed with other substances and then

melted. This is not part of the rock cycle. This is something miners do to extract ore.

Useful ore separates from the rest of the rock and pure ore is removed.

Smelting releases gases and particles of metals into the air and water.

They can be harmful. Smelters have devices called scrubbers located on exhaust

vents to release the harmful substances.

Checking for Understanding

What are gemstones?What is smelting?What is one way miners remove

ore from the ground?What do people use rocks for

today?

Guided PracticeIndependent Practice

GP NTG Page 35 # 1-7

IP NTG Page 35-36 # 8-17