Choose one task from each column
Draw and classify the rocks at station 1
(appendix 1.)
Draw and label your own rock cycle.
In 1-2 sentences, state how each of
these types are created
Complete the Rock crossword
OR
Create your own crossword and share
with a partner
Classify and create a Mohs scale of the
rocks at station 2
(appendix 2.)
Using one of the following, create a
timeline on the life cycle of a rock type
(igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic)
• Thinglink
• Prezi
• PowerPoint
(other by negotiation)
Complete the Match the Mineral
worksheet (appendix 4)
Classify and sort the rocks at station 3.
Complete the worksheet
(appendix 3.)
Pick one of the following rock types to
research:
 Acasta Gneiss
 Banded Iron Formations
 Stromatolites
 Uluru
Create a narrative on what the earth was like
when your rock was formed.
As a starting point think about:
 How was your rock formed?
 What did earth look like then?
 Was there life? What kind?
Choose from poem, story, rap, article etc
Create a pen pal profile for one of the above
rocks using the Rock’n’Rendezvous worksheet
(appendix 5)
 In 1812, a man named Fredrich Mohs invented a scale of hardness that later became known as the Mohs Scale which is still used
today to help classify minerals. The theory of Mohs scale is that each mineral can scratch only those below it on the scale,
creating a scale rating of 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest).

Your task is to complete the below table by using common items and other rocks to scratch the mineral samples and determine
the hardness rating. You are to then create your own hardens scale by placing the sample minerals in order from softest to
hardest.

You will need:

Mineral samples of amethyst, azurite, calcite, lodestone, mica, pyrite, quartz, and talc

Your fingernail

A copper coin

A steel nail

Quartz shard

Us the table below as a guide on where the mineral falls on the hardness scale. e.g If your sample can be scratched by your
fingernail but not a copper coin, the hardness rating is 2.5.

item Hardness rating

Finger nail 2
Copper coin 3
Steel nail 5
Quartz shard 7

Mineral Can be scratched by Hardness rating

Amethyst
Lodestone
Mica
Quartz
Talk
Pyrite
Calcite
Azurite
Diamond Another diamond 10

Hardness scale

1 5 10
 Type
Carbonate (sedimentary/
Name Colour/Lustre Sorting Roundness Hardness Magnetic Buoyancy Folds/Faults
minerals metamorphic/
igneous)

Marble

Sandstone

Pumice

Conglomerate

Granite

Basalt

Limestone

Slate
Rocks can be classified in three main groups: sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic. Each rock type has its own unique characteristics as seen in the table
below. Your task is to classify the rocks into their rock types using the following characteristics as guides.

Colour/Lustre: what colours can you see? Is it shiny?

Sorting: are there particle of other minerals in the rock? Refer to your sediment analysis card

Roundness: is it round or angular? Refer to your sediment analysis card

Hardness: can you scratch it with your fingernail? If yes, it is soft. Can you scratch it with a steel nail? If yes, it is moderately hard, if not it is hard

Magnetic: is the magnet attracted to it?

Carbonate Minerals: does it bubble and fizz when exposed to acid? Add one drop of acid to your rock sample to see if it reacts (use safety goggles and gloves)

Buoyancy: does it float in water? Fill a beaker with water to test if your rock floats

Folds/Faults: can you see any wobbly lines? Are the lines broken?

Sedimentary Metamorphic Igneous

 Can contain fossils, pebbles, grains of sand
 Minerals within the rock may be rounded or
angular
 Looks like its held together by ‘cement’
 Layers might be seen
 May fizz when exposed to acids
 Usually dull in appearance
 May have parallel ribbon like layers which  May be glass like in appearance
can be wobbly  Sometimes bubbles can be seen
 Shiny crystals may be seen  Holes may be present
 May contain angular minerals  May be magnetic
 May fizz when exposed to acids  Minerals are fused together with no ‘cement’
 No clear layers present
 Some can float
 Hardest rock type