Welcome to 4th Grade Science !

Below is the Pre-Study Guide for our learning about:

The Rock Cycle

 Things I Must Know 

 core - the innermost layer of Earth

inner core - made of solid iron

outer core - made of liquid iron

mantle - middle layer of Earth - made of mostly melted rock

crust - thin outer layer of Earth - made mostly of solid rock

landform -  a shape of the rock or soil on Earth's surface caused

     by natural forces

volcano - an opening in Earth's crust where melted rock can rise

     to the surface

magma - melted rock inside Earth's crust

lava - melted rock on Earth's surface

earthquake - a shaking of Earth's surface when parts of the crust

     move and rub together

weathering - the breaking and changing of rock by water, wind,

     ice, plant roots, or chemicals

physical weathering - weathering by water, wind, ice, or plant roots

chemical weathering - weathering caused by chemical reactions

erosion - moving of weathered rock, or soil, by water, wind, ice

deposition - as water and wind slow down, particles they are carrying

     are dropped and make new landforms

mineral -  non-living solid matter found in Earth's crust

rock - a non-living solid made of two or more minerals

igneous rock - rock that is formed when melted rock cools

     and hardens

sedimentary rock - rock formed when layers of soil, sand, shells, and

     the remains of dead plants and animals are pressed together

     underwater

metamorphic rock - rock formed when existing rock is carried back

     down into the crust and is changed, chemically, by heat and pressure

     into a different kind of rock

crystals - the orderly arrangement of atoms as melted rock or mineral

   cools and hardens

melted rock that cools slowly will have larger crystals

melted rock that cools quickly will have smaller crystals

soil - loose mixture of rock and mineral particles, remains of dead

     plants and animals, water, and air, on Earth's surface

Things I Must Understand 

why Earth's inner core is solid iron, and not liquid, even if the

     temperature is hot enough to melt iron

how volcanoes, earthquakes, weathering, erosion, deposition, and

     other natural forces work together to make landforms

the difference between magma and lava

the difference between weathering and erosion

some ideas about what rocks can tell us about Earth's past

that any kind of rock can be changed, naturally, into any other kind of rock

 Things I Must Do 

make a high quality drawing of the layers of Earth

plan, build, and erupt a volcano model with a group of classmates

     (all in class)

participate in a "physical weathering / chemical weathering"

   experiment in class

bring in to class some rocks or crystals that I have collected or that

   are important to me (voluntary)

take announced quizzes on small groups of terms and definitions

complete a Review Guide in class

take a test on all knowledge and understanding

THIS PRE-STUDY GUIDE IS COMPLETE and will not be changed

or updated until near the end of March.

You will receive a detailed letter describing the volcano model activity

well before the activity is to begin.  Do not take any action on this until

you have read the letter.

Quiz and test dates have not yet been established.  You will be

notified by seperate message when those dates are known.