20-question multiple choice unit assessment with one short answer question.  Covers the rock cycle/types, classification, plate tectonics and Earth's layers.  **Please be sure to make a copy of the Google Doc prior to using.  **

20-question multiple choice unit assessment with one short answer question.  Covers the rock cycle/types, classification, plate tectonics and Earth's layers.  **Please be sure to make a copy of the Google Doc prior to using.  **

This resource provides a 5E style lesson (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) over the rock cycle, including a single-period lab using crayons to model the cycle.  It’s often a difficult concept for students to imagine that over millions of years, one kind of rock will change into another kind of rock.  This lab allows students to see the changes taking place, and learn important qualities of each type of rock and how they are formed.Photo:  Rainbow of Crayon Shavings by Richie Girardin via Flickr

Rocks cover the earth's surface, including what is below or near human-made structures. With rocks everywhere, breaking rocks can be hazardous and potentially disastrous to people. Students are introduced to three types of material stress related to rocks: compressional, torsional and shear. They learn about rock types (sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic), and about the occurrence of stresses and weathering in nature, including physical, chemical and biological weathering.