ROCK CYCLE

REACH OUT

YEAR 4

name: class:
 Knowledge Organiser • Rock Cycle • Year 4

Vocabulary Weathering processes

Mineral A natural substance that makes up rock. Caused by physical processes such as
Physical
Rock Made from one or more minerals. changes in temperature, freezing and
weathering
thawing, and the effects of wind, rain
Magma Hot liquid rock. and waves.
Organic Made up of both living and decaying Chemical
Caused by rain water reacting with
matter animals and plants. weathering
the mineral grains in rocks to form new
Hard Resistant to scratching and pressure. minerals (clays) and soluble salts.
Density How compact an object is. Biological Caused by animals and plants. For
weathering example, rabbits and other burrowing
Permeable Allows water to pass through.
animals can burrow into a crack in a
Erosion Wind and rain gradually wear down rocks rock, making it bigger and splitting the
forming sediment. rock.
Sediment Small pieces of land that break down.
The sediment can be grains of sand, mud,
pebbles, minerals, fossils or plants. Fossilisation process
1. Animal dies, its skeleton settles on the sea floor
Types of rock and is buried by sediment.
2. The sediment surrounding the skeleton thickens
Igneous rock Made when magma cools to form rock. and begins to turn to stone.
Sedimentary
Made when layers of sediment settle on 3. The skeleton dissolves and a mould is formed.
rock
top of each. Over millions of years the
bottom layers turn into rock. 4. Minerals crystallise inside the mould and a cast is
formed.
Metamorphic Heat and pressure inside the earth can
rock change igneous and sedimentary rock 5. The fossil is exposed in the Earth’s surface.
into metamorphic rock.

2
Lesson Question You will learn Learning Review

How is igneous rock • Describe how igneous rock is created

formed?
• Explain what intrusive and extrusive igneous
rocks are
• Know how to classify different types of
igneous rock

How is sedimentary • Describe how sedimentary rock is formed

rock formed?
• Describe how fossils are formed
• Explain how we can tell the age of a
sedimentary rock

How is • Describe what metamorphosis is

metamorphic rock
• Describe how metamorphic rock is formed
formed?
• Give the properties and uses of different
metamorphic rocks

How can we • Describe what a geologist is

identify different
• Describe how geologists identify rocks
rocks?
• Draw an identification key

How do rocks on • Describe the effect that water can have on

our Earth’s surface rocks
change? • Describe what chemical weathering is and
what it does
• Explain how large earth movements can
cause rocks to change

What are the steps • Understand how the processes in the rock
in the rock cycle? cycle fit together
• Know how to correctly order the processes in
the rock cycle
• Give comparisons between the rock cycle
and the water cycle

3
Lesson

01 How is igneous rock formed?

Retrieval practice: previous units

1. Draw lines to match the description to the correct state of matter.

Solid Particles are very close together

Liquid Particles are far apart from each other
Gas Particles are close together

Solid Particles can slide past each other

Liquid Particles are moving constantly in all directions
Gas Particles cannot move but can vibrate

4 • Lesson 1
 1. How many objects can you list 2. Read the following passage about
that are made from rocks? rocks

• •
We can think of rocks as being made
• • of grains that fit together. Rocks can be hard or
soft, as small as a grain or as large as a building.
• • The grains in a rock can have different: colours,
shapes and sizes. There are three main types of
• • rock that are made in different ways. These are:
• • 1. Igneous rock
2. Metamorphic rock
• •
3. Sedimentary rock

3. Answer the following questions based on the passage above

1. What can we think of rocks as being made of?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. What are the three main types of rock?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________

4. Read the following passage about the structure of the Earth

Before we can understand how igneous rock is

formed we need to recap the structure of the
Earth.
The Earth is made up of different layers. The
inner core is in the centre and is the hottest part
of the Earth. It is solid and made up of iron and
nickel. The outer core is the layer surrounding
the inner core. It is a liquid layer, also made up
of iron and nickel.

Lesson 1 • 5
The mantle is the thickest section of the Earth
and it is made up of semi-molten rock called
magma. The crust is the outer layer of the
Earth. The crust is the solid rock layer upon
which we live.
A volcano is an opening in the Earth’s crust that
allows magma, hot ash and gases to escape.
When magma is on the Earth’s surface it is
called lava.

5. Answer the following questions based on the passage above

1. What would be the correct labels to A

add to the letters on the diagram of B
the structure of the Earth? C

D
A = ___________________
B = ___________________
C = ___________________
D = ___________________

2. What is the crust made from?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

6. Watch the following video explaining igneous rock formation (until 1:47)

6 • Lesson 1
 7. Read the following passage about
igneous rock formation

Igneous rock is formed when magma or lava

from volcanoes cools and solidifies. Examples
include basalt and granite. Most igneous rock
is very hard.
Some of the most spectacular rock formations
on our planet are made of igneous rock; in
Britain we see granite shapes called tors in
south-western locations like Bodmin Moor,
Dartmoor and Land’s End.

8. Answer the following questions based on the passage above

1. How is igneous rock formed?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. What are two examples of igneous rock?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

3. Where in Britain can you find spectacular examples of igneous rock formation and
which type of igneous rock are these formations made from?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

9. Watch the following video showing igneous rock formation

Lesson 1 • 7
 9. Look at the examples of igneous rocks below. What are the physical differences
you can observe between the two rock types?

Intrusive igneous rock Extrusive igneous rock

• •

• •

• •

• •

10. Discuss the physical differences between intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks.

8 • Lesson 1
 Intrusive rocks cool slowly without ever reaching
11. Read the following passage
the surface. They have large crystals that are
classifying igneous rocks
usually visible without a microscope.

The two main categories of igneous rocks

are extrusive and intrusive. Extrusive rocks
are formed on the surface of the Earth from
lava, which is magma that has emerged from
underground.
Intrusive rocks are formed from magma that
cools and solidifies within the crust of the
planet. When lava comes out of a volcano
and solidifies into extrusive igneous rock, the
rock cools very quickly.
Crystals inside solid volcanic rocks are small
because they do not have much time to form
until the rock cools all the way, which stops the
crystal growth.

12. Answer the following questions based on the passage above

1. How is intrusive rock formed?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. How is extrusive rock formed?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

3. Complete the gaps in the explanation below:

Intrusive rocks have _______________ crystals because they cool _________________.
Extrusive rocks have _________________ crystals because they cool _______________.

Lesson 1 • 9
 13. Look at the different images of igneous rocks on the bottom and classify
them by filling in the table. Consider the crystal formation observed to help you
describe them.

Name of rock Description Type of igneous rock:

Intrusive or extrusive?

Diorite Dacite Basalt

Gabbro Obdisian Peridotite

10 • Lesson 1
Lesson

02 How is sedimentary rock formed?

Retrieval practice

1. What are the three main types of rock?

a. _____________________
b. _____________________
c. _____________________

2. How is igneous rock formed?

3. Igneous rocks can be classified into intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks. Complete
the gaps in the explanation below:
Intrusive rocks have _______________ crystals because they cool ______________.
Extrusive rocks have _______________ crystals because they cool _____________.

From previous unit:

4. Draw the particles in each container to match their state:

Solid Liquid Gas

Lesson 2 • 11
 These processes eventually make a type of
1. Read the following passage about
rock called sedimentary rock. It may take
sedimentary rock formation
millions of years for sedimentary rocks to form.

Sedimentary rocks are formed from sediments

- broken remains of other rocks that become
joined together.
A river carries, or transports, pieces of broken
rock as it flows along. When the river reaches
a lake or the sea, its load of transported rocks
settles to the bottom. We say that the rocks
are deposited. The deposited rocks build up in
layers, called sediments. This process is called
sedimentation.
The weight of the sediments on top squashes
the sediments at the bottom. This is called
compaction. The water is squeezed out from
between the pieces of rock and crystals
of different salts form. The crystals stick the
pieces of rock together. This process is called
cementation.

2. Answer the following questions based on the passage above

1. How is sedimentary rock formed?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. How long can it take for sedimentary rocks to form?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

12 • Lesson 2
 3. There are many steps in the process of sedimentary rocks forming. Complete the
flow chart below to show this process in chronological order.

Add key words next to the bullet points for each step to help you remember the process.
Use the passage above to help you.

T______________________________ •
•
•

•
D______________________________
•
•

•
S______________________________
•
•

•
Co_____________________________
•
•

Ce_____________________________ •
•
•

4. Watch the following video explaining sedimentary rock formation

Lesson 2 • 13
 5. Look at the diagrams below showing the 3 main steps in the formation of
sedimentary rocks and discuss this process with your talk partner.
Can you memorise the 3 main steps?

6. Watch carefully as your teacher demonstrates the formation of sedimentary rocks using
beans, rice, flour and water in a clear jar.

7. In the table below, draw a diagram and write a sentence for each step in the
formation of sedimentary rock.

1. Sedimentation 2. Compaction 3. Cementation

1. 2. 3.

14 • Lesson 2
 8. Watch the following video explaining how fossils are made

After an animal dies, the soft parts of its body

9. Read the following passage about
decompose leaving the hard parts, like the
fossilisation
skeleton, behind. This becomes buried by small
particles of rock called sediment.
A fossil is the preserved remains or traces of a As more layers of sediment build up on top,
dead organism. The process by which a fossil is the sediment around the skeleton begins to
formed is called fossilisation. compact and turn to rock.
It’s very rare for living things to become The bones then start to be dissolved by water
fossilised. Usually after most animals die their seeping through the rock. Minerals in the water
bodies just rot away and nothing is left behind. replace the bone, leaving a rock replica of the
However, under certain special conditions, a original bone called a fossil.
fossil can form.

10. Add a number in each box to put the steps of fossilisation into chronological
order. Use the passage above and the video you watched to help you.

Lesson 2 • 15
 11. Read the following passage
palaeontology

Palaeontology is the study of plants and animals

that lived millions of years ago. Scientists called
palaeontologists study the remains (fossils) of
these ancient organisms, preserved in rocks.
Palaeontologists look for fossils all over the
world. They use special tools to carefully
remove fossils from the surrounding rock. They
note exactly where the fossils were found. This
helps them figure out how old the fossils are.
Palaeontology shows how plants, animals,
and other living things evolved, or changed
over time. Fossils help scientists to build models
of dinosaurs, early humans, and other early
animals.
Palaeontology can also tell scientists about
how Earth itself has changed - for example, how
climates were different in the past. Scientists
use this information to understand events that
are happening now and what might happen
in the future.

12. Watch the following video about Mary Anning: Fossil Hunter

13. Answer the following questions based on the passage and video above

1. What does a palaeontologist do?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. How was the ichthyosaur fossil that Mary Anning discovered different to those
discovered before?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

16 • Lesson 2
 14. Look at the diagram below and discuss how palaeontologists can tell the ages of
fossils.

15. Complete the sentence below by filling in the gaps to explain how
palaeontologists can tell the ages of fossils.

Overall, the closer the rock is to the surface, the _____________________ the rock is.
This means, the fossils found here are _______________________.

Lesson 2 • 17
Lesson

03 How is metamorphic rock formed?

Retrieval practice

1. How is igneous rock formed?

2.How is sedimentary rock formed?

3. There are many steps in the process of sedimentary rocks forming.

Complete the flow chart below to show this process in chronological order.

From previous unit:

4. What do the particles in a substance if it is heated?
If a substance is heated, the particles begin to ___________________________.

18 • Lesson 3
 In the diagram below, you can see that igneous
1. Read the following text about
rock can undergo metamorphosis, changing it
metamorphosis
from igneous to metamorphic rock. Similarly,
sedimentary rock undergoes metamorphosis
to become metamorphic rock.
The term ‘metamorphosis’ is most often used
in reference to the process of a caterpillar Igneous rock: basalt to hornfels
changing into a butterfly. However, the word Sedimentary rock: limestone to marble
‘metamorphosis’ is a broad term that indicates
a change from one thing to another. Even
rocks, a seemingly constant substance, can
change into a new type of rock. Rocks that
undergo a change to form a new rock are
referred to as metamorphic rocks.

2. Answer the following questions based on the passage above

1. What is metamorphosis?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. What are metamorphic rocks?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Lesson 3 • 19
 3. Draw a diagram to represent the metamorphosis of metamorphic rock.

a. Include labels
b. Use a ruler

4. Read the following passage about

metamorphic rock formation

Metamorphic rocks are formed from other

rocks that are changed because of heat or
pressure.
Earth movements can cause rocks to be deeply
buried or squeezed. As a result, the rocks are
heated and put under great pressure. They
do not melt, but the minerals they contain are
changed chemically, forming metamorphic
rocks.
Metamorphic rocks rarely contain fossils. Any
that were present in the original sedimentary
rock will not normally survive the heat and
pressure.

20 • Lesson 3
 Pressure from layers of
sedimentary rock

Metamorphic rock
forming

Heat from magma

rising through rock

5. Watch the following video about how metamorphic rocks are formed

6. Answer the following questions based on the passage above

1. What are the two things you need to turn sedimentary and igneous rock into
metamorphic rock?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. Explain how metamorphic rock is formed.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Marble is formed from limestone and contains

7. Read the following passage
tiny interlocking grains. Marble is beautiful for
about the properties and uses of
statues and decorative items such as vases.
metamorphic rock
Quartzite and marble are commonly used for
building materials and artwork. Ground up
marble is also a component of toothpaste,
plastics, and paper. The layers in slate, formed
from shale, are arranged in layers. This makes
slate useful for making roof tiles because it can
be split into separate flat sheets.

Lesson 3 • 21
 8. For each rock type, fill in the gaps to complete the sentence to explain why its
properties make it fit for its use. Use the passage above to help you.

Rock type Properties and uses

Marble:
__________ is a type of rock that is used for
___________.

It is __________________ and _____________

which is why it is a good choice for
__________________________.

Slate:
__________ is a type of rock that is used for
___________.

It is __________________ and _____________

which is why it is a good choice for
__________________________.

Quartzite:
__________ is a type of rock that is used for
___________.

It is __________________ and _____________

which is why it is a good choice for
__________________________.

22 • Lesson 3
Lesson

04 How can we identify different rocks

Retrieval practice

1. How is igneous rock formed?

2. How is sedimentary rock formed?

3. How is metamorphic rock formed?

4. What are the two things you need to turn sedimentary and igneous rock into
metamorphic rock?

Lesson 4 • 23
 1. Look at the images below. What do you think a geologist is?

2. Read the following passage about

geologists

Geologists are scientists that study rocks to

understand things about the world. A geologist
is a scientist that studies the surface of the Earth
and what it is made of.
This branch of science is called geology, which
means the study of rocks. If you like digging in
the dirt, then this may be the job for you!
Geologists do many things, not just study rocks.
Being a geologist may bring you to some
interesting places around the world to study
landforms and other geologic sites.

24 • Lesson 4
Here are a few things geologists do:
• Collect samples of rocks, soil, and even
fossils like dinosaurs from all over the world
• Study how the Earth changed over time
to look like it does today
• Measure the impacts of natural disasters
like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
• Monitor soil quality for the best farming
Geologists use skills from many other types of
science like chemistry, physics, and biology
to make connections between the causes
and effects of Earth processes. For example,
geologists may study how erosion in an area
may impact the water quality and animals
that live there.
Erosion occurs when soil or rock is worn down
and carried away by wind or water. You may
have seen areas of erosion on the beach after
a storm.

3. Answer the following questions based on the passage above

1. What is geology the study of?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. As a geologist, what does your job role entail?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

3. What is erosion?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

4. Watch the following video recapping our knowledge so far on the classification of rocks

Lesson 4 • 25
 5. Today WE are going to be geologists! We are working in the field to identify
different rock types at Rainier National park in the USA but we have a problem!

Our identification key that we would normally use to identify our rocks has blown away!
We will have to make careful notes and observations of the rocks we find and take them
back to our lab to identify them there.

When making observations today, we will focus on 4 key features:

Colour What colour is the rock? Is it one solid colour or a mixture of

colours?

Grain size How big or small are the individual sediments/grains making
up the rock?

Pattern Has the rock formed a design because of the conditions it
was created in?
Texture What would the rock feel like?

26 • Lesson 4
 6. Complete the table on the bottom in groups of 3. Use the word bank of
observations to help you take notes to identify what you can see for each rock type.
Leave the ‘name of rock’ column blank for now, you will identify this after!

Rock 1 Rock 2 Rock 3

Rock 4 Rock 5

Name of rock Rock number Colour Grain size Pattern Texture

Lesson 4 • 27
 7. We are now back at the lab/field station where we have some descriptions of
rocks that might help us to identify them. Use the notes you made in the table and
see if you can match your observations to the descriptions of each rock type.

Once you have identified the rock from the description, go back to the table and add
this in the ‘Name of rock’ column. Your table should now be complete!

28 • Lesson 4
 8. Read the following passage about identification keys

Geologists work with rocks in lots of different We’re going to make a dichotomous key. That
ways and they have lots of techniques means each branch of our key will only have
and tools. One of the things they use is an two options. Follow the steps below to help
identification key. you make your dichotomous key!

9. Step 1: list down the main characteristic

Recap our main findings with your talk partner.

10. Step 2: put the characteristics in orde

When creating your dichotomous

key, you need to start with the most
general characteristics first, before
moving to the more specific ones.
So it helps to have identified the
more obvious and less obvious
contrasting characteristics among
the specimen before creating your
dichotomous key.
For example, there is only ONE
rock that is black, there is only ONE
rock that is smooth. So colour and
texture should be first.

Lesson 4 • 29
 11. Step 3: create questions

Next, we need to create questions that

will divide our specimens. We are starting
with a question about colour.
We want to try and create a yes or no
question that will single out one of our
rock samples.
This example is a good question to start
with because if the answer is ‘yes’ then
it can only be marble.

12. Make a list of questions you could use in your dichotomous key.
Hint: think of a question for each feature: colour, texture, pattern and grain size.

________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

Examples of questions:

30 • Lesson 4
 13. Step 4: draw key

Now we can put the questions together to create our dichotomous key!
Use the first question below as your starting point. Continue to add the questions you created
to complete the identification key.
Hint: you know you have asked the correct questions if you are able to identify ALL of the
rocks from your dichotomous key.

Lesson 4 • 31
Lesson

05 How do rocks on our Earth’s surface change?

Retrieval practice

1. How is igneous rock formed?

2. How is sedimentary rock formed?

3. How is metamorphic rock formed?

4. What is geology the study of?

Previous unit:
5. Label of the diagrams below to say if they show a hot or cold solid/liquid/gas

______________ ______________ ______________

______________ ______________ ______________

32 • Lesson 5
 1. Look at the diagrams of pebbles and stones below and discuss with your talk
partner how you think pebbles, stones and grains of sand are made.

2. Read the following passage about

weathering processes Term Cause

Physical
Caused by physical
The Earth’s rocks do not stay the same forever. weathering
processes such as changes
They are continually changing because of in temperature, freezing and

processes such as weathering, erosion and thawing, and the effects of

large earth movements. wind, rain and waves.
Weathering is the process where rock is Chemical Caused by rain water
dissolved, worn away or broken down into weathering reacting with the mineral
smaller and smaller pieces by the action of grains in rocks to form new

rainwater, extremes of temperature, and minerals (clays) and soluble

biological activity. There are 3 types of salts.

weathering processes: physical, chemical and
Biological Caused by animals and
biological weathering.
weathering plants. For example, rabbits
and other burrowing animals
can burrow into a crack in a
rock, making it bigger and
splitting the rock.

Lesson 5 • 33
 3. Watch the following video explaining the process of weathering

4. Answer the following questions based on the passage on previous page

1. What is weathering? Draw a diagram to support your answer

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. List 3 examples of things that can cause weathering.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

5. Watch carefully as your teacher drops a penny in vinegar. What do you predict will
happen to the penny over the next few days?

6. Read the following passage about

erosion

Once the rock has been weakened and

broken up by weathering, it is ready for erosion.
Erosion happens when rocks and sediments
are picked up and moved to another place
by ice, water, wind or gravity.
As the rocks are moved, the rocks will be
tumbled together. This causes the softer rocks
to break into even smaller pieces.

34 • Lesson 5
 7. Watch carefully as your teacher demonstrates erosion with sugar cubes and stones

8. Draw a line to match the key term to its diagram and definition

Erosion

Weathering

9. Answer the following questions based on the passage above

1. What is erosion?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the main difference between erosion and weathering?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Lesson 5 • 35
 10. Can you remember the structure of the Earth?

Label the diagram. A

B
C
A = ___________________
B = ___________________ D
C = ___________________
D = ___________________

In some places the crust is destroyed. In other

11. Read the following passage
places new crust is formed. Depending on the
about large earth movements
direction of movement at the plate boundary,
rocks can change in different ways. If the rock
Crust is made of solid rock. Magma is made of is moved to where the temperature is hot (such
molten rock. Crust is also made up of tectonic as in the mantle) the rock will melt. If the rock
plates. Heat from the core causes convection is moved towards the surface of the crust, the
currents in the mantle. These currents slowly rock will start to solidify.
move the crust around, causing movement
between the plates.

36 • Lesson 5
 12. Answer the following questions based on the passage on previous page

1. What is the crust made of?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the mantle made of?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

3. What happens to rock at a plate boundary?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

4. Draw a diagram to show one way that rock can change at a plate boundary.

Lesson 5 • 37
Lesson

06 What are the steps in the rock cycle?

Retrieval practice

1. How is igneous rock formed?

2. How is sedimentary rock formed?

3. How is metamorphic rock formed?

4. What is erosion?

5. What is weathering? Draw a diagram to support your answer.

38 • Lesson 6
 1. Watch the following video demonstrating the rock cycle

2. Read the following passage

explaining the rock cycle

Rocks are constantly changing from one type

of rock into another. They do this in cycles over
millions of years.
A volcano erupts and carries magma to the
Earth’s surface, when it cools down it forms The sedimentary rocks will eventually get
an igneous rock. The rocks on the surface of covered over by other rocks and end
the Earth are broken down into small pieces of up in the Earth’s crust. When they face
sediment by weathering (wind, rain, snow…) or high temperatures and pressure they will
by a river. These sediments build up layer after metamorphose (change) into a metamorphic
layer over many years and become hard. The rock. If hot magma touches them they will melt
result is a sedimentary rock. and when they cool down they will become
an igneous rock. The cycle will keep repeating
but it can follow any order.

Lesson 6 • 39
 3. Answer the following questions based on the passage and diagram on previous page

1. When magma cools down, what does it turn into?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. What are the names of the processes that break down igneous rock into sediments?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

3. Over many years, sediments build up layer after layer (compacting) and become hard
(cementing). What type of rock does this result in?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

4. What are the names of the processes that break down igneous rock into sediments?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

5. Sedimentary rock eventually becomes part of the crust and when faced with high
temperature and pressure, will metamorphose into which type of rock?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

4. With your talk partner, discuss the steps in the rock cycle, starting with magma
erupting from a volcano.

Use the diagram on the previous page to help you. Don’t forget to include how all 3 rock
types are created (igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic).
Can you memorise and recall the steps in the rock cycle? Test one another!

40 • Lesson 6
 5. Use the knowledge you have acquired in this topic of the rock cycle to drawing
the complete rock cycle on this page. Use the labels from the word bank below to
annotate your diagram of the rock cycle.

Word bank:
• Igneous rock • Cooling • Pressure
• Sedimentary rock • Weathering • Compacting
• Metamorphic rock • Erosion • Cementing
• Melting • Heat

Lesson 6 • 41
 6. Read the following passage
comparing the rock cycle and the
water cycle

Climate has influence on weathering and

erosion on the rock cycle. Weathering is the
breakup of rock due to physical and chemical
processes, while erosion is the transport
of weathered rock particles by wind and
water. The primary way that climate affects
weathering and erosion through its connection
to the water cycle.
When water freezes in cracks and crevices
in rock and expands, the rocks are physically
broken apart. The amount of rainfall will affect
weathering as will the types of plants in the area
(which are greatly affected by the amount of
rainfall), whose roots break rocks apart and
may chemically dissolve some rocks.

7. Use your previous knowledge of the water cycle, your knowledge learnt in this
topic of the rock cycle, the diagrams below and the passage above to write a short
paragraph comparing the rock cycle to the water cycle.
How do the cycles interlink?

42 • Lesson 6
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Lesson 6 • 43
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