DOCUMENT RESUME ED 376 030 SE 054 371 AUTHOR Sarver ... · Introduction to the North Carolina State...

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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 376 030 SE 054 371 AUTHOR Sarver, Deidri TITLE Twin Peaks Monadnocks. Crowders Mountain State Park: An Environmental Education Learning Experience Designed for Grades 5-7. INSTITUTION North Carolina State Dept. of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Raleigh. Div. of Parks and Recreation. PUB DATE Sep 93 NOTE 51p.; For other Environmental Education Learning Experiences, see SE 054 364-370. AVAILABLE FROM North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation, P.O. Box 27687, Raleigh, NC 27611-7687. PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Use Teaching Guides (For Teacher) (052) EDRS PRICE MFOI/PC03 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Classification; *Environmental Education; Experiential Learning; Field Trips; *Geology; Intermediate Grades; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Mineralogy; Minerals; *Outdoor Activities; Outdoor Education; *Petrology; Teaching Guides IDENTIFIERS *North Carolina; *Rocks; State Parks ABSTRACT This learning packet, one in a group of eight, was developed by the Crowders Mountain State Park in North Carolina for Grades 5-7 to introduce students to the geology of the Kings Mountain range in the park. Loose-leaf pages are presented in nine sections that contain: (1) introductions to the North Carolina State Park System, the Crowders Mountain State Park, the park's activity packet, and the geological history of Crowders Mountain; (2) a summary of the activities that includes major concepts and objectives covered; (3) a pre-visit activity to introduce the sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rock classifications and explain the rock cycle; (4) an on-site activity to enable students to identify two rocks and four minerals; (5) a post-visit activity to enable students to understand how daily materials come from the earth's resources; (6) a list of 66 related vocabulary words; (7) necessary park and parental permission forms for the visit; and (8) blank pages for taking notes. Contains 26 references. (MDH) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ***********************************************************************

Transcript of DOCUMENT RESUME ED 376 030 SE 054 371 AUTHOR Sarver ... · Introduction to the North Carolina State...

Page 1: DOCUMENT RESUME ED 376 030 SE 054 371 AUTHOR Sarver ... · Introduction to the North Carolina State Parks F.-:.em. 1.1. Introduction to Crowders Mountain State Park. 1.2. Introduction

DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 376 030 SE 054 371

AUTHOR Sarver, DeidriTITLE Twin Peaks Monadnocks. Crowders Mountain State Park:

An Environmental Education Learning ExperienceDesigned for Grades 5-7.

INSTITUTION North Carolina State Dept. of Environment, Health,and Natural Resources, Raleigh. Div. of Parks andRecreation.

PUB DATE Sep 93NOTE 51p.; For other Environmental Education Learning

Experiences, see SE 054 364-370.AVAILABLE FROM North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation, P.O.

Box 27687, Raleigh, NC 27611-7687.PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Use Teaching Guides (For

Teacher) (052)

EDRS PRICE MFOI/PC03 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS *Classification; *Environmental Education;

Experiential Learning; Field Trips; *Geology;Intermediate Grades; Junior High Schools; MiddleSchools; Mineralogy; Minerals; *Outdoor Activities;Outdoor Education; *Petrology; Teaching Guides

IDENTIFIERS *North Carolina; *Rocks; State Parks

ABSTRACTThis learning packet, one in a group of eight, was

developed by the Crowders Mountain State Park in North Carolina forGrades 5-7 to introduce students to the geology of the Kings Mountainrange in the park. Loose-leaf pages are presented in nine sectionsthat contain: (1) introductions to the North Carolina State ParkSystem, the Crowders Mountain State Park, the park's activity packet,and the geological history of Crowders Mountain; (2) a summary of theactivities that includes major concepts and objectives covered; (3) a

pre-visit activity to introduce the sedimentary, metamorphic, andigneous rock classifications and explain the rock cycle; (4) anon-site activity to enable students to identify two rocks and fourminerals; (5) a post-visit activity to enable students to understandhow daily materials come from the earth's resources; (6) a list of 66related vocabulary words; (7) necessary park and parental permissionforms for the visit; and (8) blank pages for taking notes. Contains26 references. (MDH)

***********************************************************************

Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be madefrom the original document.

***********************************************************************

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TW N PEAKS

MONADNOCKS

U.S. DEPARTMENT L. EDUCATIONOffice or Educational Research and improvement

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER (ERIC)

X This document has been reproduced asreceived from the person Or organizationOnginatIngManor Changes have bean made to improveragrocluChon Quality

Points of new Or opinions stated in this docu.meal ao not necessarily represent offic.alOE RI positron or pohCy

Crowders Mountain State ParkAn Environmental Education Learning Experience

Designed for Grades 5-7

"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THISMATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY

James B. Hallsey

TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."

BEST COPY AVAILABLE2

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"The earth, from the time of the chalk,to the present day, has been the theater

of a series of changes as vast in theiramount as they were slow in their proms.

The area on -which we stand has beenfirst sea and then land Jr a at least fbur

alternations and has remainedin each of hese conditions for

it period qfgreat lemth."

Thomas Huxley. 1868. "On a Piece of Chalk"

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Funding for this publication was generously provided by

C P&L

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This Environmental Education Learning Experiencewas developed by

Deidri Sarver, Lead Interpretation and Education RangerCrowders Mountain State Park

N.C. Division of Parks and RecreationDepartment of Environment, Health and Natural Resources

461114:1111;21FA"......o.1111111'

C)James B. Hunt. Jr. Jonathan B. HowesGovernor Secretary

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Other Contributors .. .

Park volunteers;

Grant Gibson, Ranger III, Jordan Lake StateRecreation Area;

P. Albert Carpenter, III, N.C. Geological SurveySection, Division of Land Resources;

The N.C. Department of Public Instruction;

The N.C. Division of Water tesources;

The N.C. Department of Environment, Healthand Natural Resources;

and the many individuals and agencies who assistedin the review of this publication.

500 copies of this public documentwere printed at a cost of$1,750 or $3.50 per copy

Printed on recycled paper.11-93

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Table of Contents.

1. IntroductionIntroduction to the North Carolina State Parks F. -:.em 1.1

Introduction to Crowders Mountain State Park 1.2

Introduction to the Activity Packet for Crowders Mountain State Park 1.5

Introduction to the Geologic History of Crowders Mountain 1.6

2. Activity Summary

3. Pre-Visit ActivityHard Rock Cravola 3.1

4. On-Site ActivityRead a Rock 4.1

5. Post-Visit ActivityGeo-Scavenge 5.1

6. Vocabulary 6.1

7. References 7.1

8. Forms 8.1

9. Notes 9.1

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Introduction to the North Carolina State Parks System

preservingand protecting

r North Carolina's naturalresources is actually a rela-tively new idea. The seeds ofthe conservation movementwere planted early in the 20thcentury when citizens werealerted to the devastation ofMount Mitchell. Loggingwas destroying a well-knownlandmark - the highest peakeast of the Mississippi. Asthe magnificent forests orthis mile-high peak fell tothe lumbermen's axe, alarmedcitizens began to voicetheir opinions. Gover-nor Locke Craig joinedthem in their efforts tosave Mount Mitchell. To-gether they convinced thelegislature to pass a billestablishing Mount Mitchellas the first state park.

That was in 1915. TheNorth Carolina State ParksSystem has now been estab-lished for more than threequarters of a century. Whatstarted out as one small plotof public land has grown into59 properties across the state.including parks. recreation

areas, trails, rivers, lakes andnatural areas. This vast net-work of land boasts some ofthe most beautiful scenery inthe world and offers endlessrecreation opportunities. Butour state parks system offersmuch more than sceneryand recreation. Our landsand waters contain uniqueand valuable archaeological,geological arid biologicalresources that are importantparts of our natural heritage.

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Crowders Mountain State Park. NC 1, 1

As one of North Carolina'sprincipal conservation agen-cies, the Division of Parks andRecreation is responsible forthe more than 125,000 acresthat make up our state parkssystem. The Division man-ages these resources for thesafe enjoyment of the publicand protects and preservesthem as a part of the heritagewe will pass on to generationsto come.

An important componentof our stewardship of theselands is education. Throughour interpretation and environ-mental education services,the Division of Parks aridRecreation strives to offerenlightening programs whichlead to an understanding andappreciation of our naturalresources. The goal of ourenvironmental educationprogram is to generate anawareness in all individualswhich cultivates responsiblestewardship of the earth.

For more information contact:

NC Division of Parksand RecreationP.O. Box 27687

Raleigh, NC 27611-7687919/ 733-4181

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ijidden amongst the sprawlof urbanization and lo-

cated in the sixth most popu-lated county in North Carolinais Crowders Mountain StatePark. Many first-time visitorscome upon the park by chance.As they drive along Interstate85, they notice the rocky peaksof the park towering abovethe surruinding countryside.Curiosity brings them intothis park of over 2,500 acresof hills, trees and rocks. Thetowering twin peaks: CrowdersMountain and Kings Pinnacle,lure more than 150,000 visitorsa year. Park visitors can enjoymany outdoor activities suchas hiking, rock climbing, na-ture study, backpack camping,fishing, canoeing and picnick-ing as they enjoy nature'sbeauty.

Early in the 1970s, thebeauty and solitude ofCrowders Mountain wasthreatened by mining compa-nies. Local citizens remem-bered what had happenedtwenty years earlier at Henry'sKnob, a rounded, tree-coveredknoll in nearby York County.South Carolina. A miningfirm started strioping it for amineral deposit used in mak-ing porcelain (kyanite). Todaythe knoll is gone and in itsplace is a lifeless hole in theground. Citizen and conserva-tion groups banded togetherto draw the governor'sattention to the fact that the

mountain's natural beauty wasin danger of being destroyed.In response, the exploratorymining was halted and the firstsection of the park opened in1974.

Crowders Mountain andKings Pinnacle are the tallestpeaks in the Kings Mountainrange. This mountain rangewas formed over 570 millionyears ago, and was once tallerthan the Alps. Today, theharder, more weather resistantbasement rock is what standsabove the rolling piedmontlandscape. The Kings Moun-tain Range begins in Gaffney,South Carolina and runs ina northeastern direction forapproximately 50 miles to theCatawba River northeast ofGastonia.

With their vast areas ofexposed rock, CrowdersMountain and Kings Pinnacleoffer an exceptional opportu-nity for the student interestedin geology to study using a"hands-on" approach. Manyareas of exposed rock can beseen while hiking along parktrails. Five types of rocks areabundant in the park, andmany others can be found insmaller quantities. Rock cliffsover 100 feet tall at the summitof the two peaks are a rock-lover's "dream come true."These weathered monadnockstell the story of the changesthat have occurred in the last250 million years.

Crowders Mountain State Park. NC 1.2

The Park As An OutdoorClassroom:

Crowders Mountain StatePark abounds with naturalhistory. The park is rich withcultural resources and providesa wonderful outdoor classroomfor learning about the geologi-cal formation of the KingsMountain range and manyother themes.

A wide variety of outdooreducational programs areavailable at Crowders Moun-tain State Park. Leaders maychoose to design and conducttheir own activities, or to makeuse of the park's Environmen-tal Education Activity Packetsor this Environmental Educa-tion Learning Experience,"Twin Peaks Monadnocks."The park's primary themes aregc..,;logy, plant communities,water quality, cultural historyand resource management.Programs in these and otherareas are available to groups.

The emphasis of the park'senvironmentaleducation program,e.,is to provide i":;,1

learning oppor-tunities utilizingresources containedwithin the park.Our approach is onein which the studentsdeal directly withthe resource in away that relates \, ;;.to them. Grourst,,,:,,are encouraged to

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visit the park during allseasons of the year for hikes,exploration, environmentaleducatirn programs and activi-ties. However, as an alterna-tive, we do have an outreachprogram in which the park staffwill come to the schools.

Planning a Field Trip toCrowders Mountain StatePark:Before You Make the Trip:

1. Please contact the park atleast two weeks in advance tomake a reservation.

2. Complete the schedu'ingworksheet provided at the backof the activity packet.

3. Group coordinators shouldvisit the park without the par-ticipants prior to the group trip.This will enable you to becomefamiliar with the facilities andpark staff, and to identify anypotential problems.

4. Group coordinators shoulddiscuss park rules and behaviorexpectations with adult leadersand participants. Safety shouldbe stressed.

5. Everyone should wear aname tag. Please color-codetags (for groups) and establisha buddy system.

6. Encourage everyone towear appropriate, comfortableclothing and walking shoes.

7. The group leader is respon-sible for parental permissionforms, located at the back ofthis packet, and the group'smedical and health needs.

8. If you will be late or needto cancel your trip, notify thepark immediately.

9. Research activity permitsmay be required for activitieswhich require samples to betaken from the park.

10. Complete the pre-visitactivity "Hard Rock Crayola".

While at the Park:Complete the on-site activ-

ity "Read A Rock" if yourclass is doing the Environmen-tal Education Learning Experi-ence.

When hiking and studyingthe rocks of Crowders Moun-tain State Park, please besafety conscious. Some sec-tions of the trails are fairlystrenuous and may require aminimal amount of "scram-bling," which should be doneslowly and with care. It isrecommended that proper foot-wear and water are brought.Also, hazards such as bees,snakes, ticks, poison ivy andextreme weather conditionsdo exist. These hazards cancause problems if you are notprepared. Students with anymedical conditions should bemonitored closely by the adultleaders.

As you enjoy the naturalsetting of the park, hike thetrails, picnic or fish in the nineacre lake, remember that thepark is for your enjoyment.Please follow all safety con-cerns and obey the park rulesand regulations.

10Crowders Mountain State Park, NC I.3

Please obey the followingrules:

1. Be as quiet as possiblewhile at the park. This willhelp you get the most out ofthe experience, while increas-ing the chance of observingwildlife.

2. On hikes, the group shouldwalk behind the leader at alltimes. Running is not permit-ted. Please stay on the trails!

3. All plants and animals areprotected within the park.Injuring or removing plants oranimals is prohibited in allstate parks. This allows othersin th 2. future to be able to enjoyour natural resources.

4. No rocks should be takenfrom the park.

5. Picnic only in the desig-nated picnic areas. Helo keepthe park clean and natural bynot littering and by properlydisposing of any litter youfind.

6. In case of accidents oremergencies, contact the parkstaff immediately.

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Following the Trip:

1. Complete post-visit activity"Geo-Scavenge".

2. Build upon the field experi-ences and encourage partici-pants to seek answers to ques-tions and problems encoun-tered while at the park.

3. Relate the experience toclassroom activities throughreports, projects, demonstra-tions, displays and presenta-tions.

dd

4. Give tests or evaluations, ifappropriate, to determine if stu-dents have gained the desiredinformation from the experi-ence.

5. Write a follow-up note to thepark informing the park staff ofpositive aspects of the experi-ence and any suggestions forimprovements.

Park Information:Address:

Crowders Mountain State ParkRoute I, Box 159Kings Mountain, N C 28068Tel: 704-853-5375

Hours of Operation:Nov - Feb 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.Mar. Oct 8:00 a.m. -7:00 p.m.Apr. May. Sep 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.Jun - Aug 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Crowders Mountain State Park. NC

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,Vitmorfa}",....%.i. `. tro 1= -9C*4 kliv,.,, ve..a;,,vos. -4.-r.-4' -1. N-r le 1.A7- ... YZ-4,. . 1.,4 A. tm, . . 0.. .A, .%.vo, %., Ayc$V.:44.)k. 4),,., t.I0'.1,...Qe/tr v.', 41.' 1.N,A.I4r11 i,.)!I" , 41 ;IN 0. ,. , 1 glAp.u. I P eIwo.

1.4

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I II

The Environmental Educa-tion Learning Experience,"Twin Peaks Monadnocks,- isdesigned to introduce studentsto the geology of the KingsMountain range throughhands-on activities for theclassroom and the outdoor set-ting of Crowders MountainState Park. The packet is tar-geted for grades 5, 6 and 7.and meets established curricu-lum objectives of the N.C.Department of Public Instruc-tion. Three types of activitiesare included:

Pre-visit activityOn-site activityPost-visit activity

The on-site activity will heconducted at the park, whilethe pre-visit and post-visit ac-tivities ,.re designed for the

A a

classroom environment. Thepre-visit activity should bedone prior to the park visit sothe students will have the nec-essary geologic backgroundand vocabulary for the on-siteactivity. We encourage you touse the post-visit activity toreinforce concepts. skills andvocabulary learned in the pre-visit and on-site activity.

This Environmental Educa-tion Learning Experience."Twin Peaks Monacinocks.-will expose the student to thefollowing major concepts:

WeatheringErosionEnvironmental changesRock formationsRock compositionRock and mineralidentificationLand forms

The first occurrence of avocabulary word used in theseactivities is indicated in holdtype. Definitions are listed inthe hack of this EnvironmentalEducation Learning Experi-ence. A list of the referencematerials used in developingthe activities follows the vo-cabulary list.

This document was de-signed to he reproduced. in partor entirety, for use in NorthCarolina classrooms. If youwish to photocopy or adapt itfor other uses, please credit theN. C. Division of Parks andRecreation.

Crowders Mountain State Park, NC

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1.5 November 1993

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I

About 540 million yearsago, the sediments and volca-nic materials which formed therocks of the Crowders Moun-tain area were being depositedin a shallow basin or sea. Thisprocess continued for millionsof years, burying the succes-sive layers of sediment milesbeneath the surface of theEarth. Then, approximately250 million years ago, theNorth American and Africancontinents collided, pushingthe land upwards, forming theAppalachian Mountains, andclosing the shallow sea. Thedeeply buried layers flowedlike putty, forming large up-ward folds (anticlines) anddownward folds (synclines).

anticlinesyncline

Evidence of this can be seenin the buckled and foldedrocks along the ridge tops inCrowders Mountain StatePark. The intense heat andpressure not only folded andmetamorphosed the rocks ofour area, in some instances itactually melted the rock, form-ing pockets of magma whichcooled beneath the surface,forming the igneous rock,granite. Granite outcrops canalso be seen along the ridges inthe park. The tremendous heat

Crowders Mountain State Park. NC

and pressure caused by thecollision of the continentalplates also formed metamor-phic rocks, changing theshales into schist and gneiss,and sandstone into massivequartzites, creating the rockswhich formed CrowdersMountain and Kings Pinnacle.

Further evidence of theintense heat and pressure(compaction) caused by thiscollision is seen in the pres-ence of metaconglomerates,and in the presence of kyanitecrystals in the quartzite whichforms the mountains. Con-glomerates are sedimentaryrocks composed of chemicallycemented pebbles and sand.Metaconglomerates are meta-morphosed conglomerateswhich still contain identifiablepebbles. The pebbles in themetaconglomerates of our areaare deformed and elongated,due to the forces of the colli-sion. Kyanite is a silicatemineral which forms underpressure and heat deep withinthe earth. Its abundance in theCrowders Mountain area isdue to the massive forces in-volved in the building of thesouthern Appalachians.

,,sliimmr-77110111111111.1114111116

kyanite

The Appalachian mountainbuilding episode was the last

major geologic event to affectthe east coast of the NorthAmerican continent. Duringthis event, the rocks whichform Crowders Mountain andKings Pinnacle were pushedcloser to the surface. It wasanother 200 million years be-fore the tops of the rocks wereexposed on the surface of theearth by the processes ofweathering and erosion. Atthat time, the summits ofKings Pinnacle and CrowdersMountain were part of a broadpeneplain which stretchedfrom Tennessee to the coastalplain of North Carolina. Apeneplain is a gently rollinglandscape created by theeffects of weathering and ero-sion.

Over the next 25 millionyears, continued erosion cre-ated the land surface in NorthCarolina as we know it today.Steeper gradients on the east-ern slopes of the peneplainresulted in rapid erosion.The rushing waters almostdestroyed the surface of thepeneplain, while creating thenew surface we know todayas the piedmont. Remnantsof the old surface still dot the

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piedmont. Today peoplerecoanize names like KingsMountain, Crowders Mountainand Kings Pinnacle, but fewrealize that these landmarks arenot mountains, but the remainsof an older and higher landsurface. These erosional rem-

nants are called monadnocks.They have persisted becausethey are composed of hardermaterial than the surroundinglandscape. In the case ofCrowders Mountain andKings Pinnacle, this materialis quartzite.

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Crowders Mountain State Park, NC 1.7

From sand to sandstone,from sandstone to quartzite, tothe mountains we see today,the rocks of Crowders Moun-tain have endured for over 400million years. They are nowset aside as a park, for theenjoyment of our generationand generations to come.

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The following outline briefly summarizes each activity of this Environmental EducationLearning Experience, the major concepts introduced and the objectives met by completion of theactivity.

I. Pre-Visit Activity#1 Hard Rock Crayola (page 3.1.1)

In this interesting hands-on activity the processes of sedimentary, metamorphic and igneousrock formation will be "created" by the students. The activity will introduce the students to thedifferent rock classifications: sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic. Students will learn how thedifferent rock classifications are formed and how to recognize them.

Major Concepts:Rock cycleMechanical weatheringFormation of sedimentary rockFormation of metamorphic rockFormation of igneous rock

Objectives:List the three main rock classifications.Describe how these rock classifications are formed.Explain the rock cycle.

II. On-Site Activity#1 Read a Rock (page 4.1.1)

The on-site activity will familiarize the student with the specific rock types al: C-owdersMountain State Park, their classification and characteristics, and where they are found. The resultsshould render a basic knowledge of rock and mineral identification.

Major Concepts:Rock formation and characteristicsMineral formation and characteristicsSedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks

Objectives:List and identify two major rock types and four major minerals found at CrowdersMountain State Park.Describe the difference between a rockand a mineral.List five characteristics that geologistsuse in identifying rocks and minerals.

Crowders Mountain State Park, NC

kyanite

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III. Post-Visit Activity*1 Geo-Scavenge (page 5.1.1)

The Geo-Scavenge hunt will broaden the student's understanding and appreciation of theEarth's "ingredients." which are found in ordinary objects that are used by all of us every day. Thepost-visit activity is designed for review, and to broaden the student's understanding of geology.

Major Concepts:Uses of rocks and minerals

Objectives:Differentiate between 10 objects, determine whether they are derived from rocks,minerals, fossil fuel or organic materials.Explain the importance of geologic products in our daily lives.

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I a A

Curriculum objectives:Grade 5

Communication Skills: lis-tening, reading, vocabularyand viewing comprehension,writingGuidance: competency forinteracting with othersHealthful Living: safe schoolenvironmentScience: earth scienceSocial Science: gather,organize and analyze infor-mation, draw conclusions,participate effectively ingroups

Grade 6Communication Skills: lis-tening, reading, vocabularyand viewing comprehension,writingGuidance: competency andskill for interacting withothersSocial Studies: gather,organize and analyze infor-mation, draw conclusions

Grade 7Communication Skills: lis-tening, reading, vocabularyand viewing comprehensionGuidance: being responsiblein a groupHealthful Living: schoolsafetyScience: earth science, natu-ral phenomenaSocial Studies: knowtheimportance of naturalresources, gather, organizeand analyze information,draw conclusions

Location:Classroom/science. lab

Group Size:30 students or less, dividedinto groups of four

Crowders Mountain State Park, NC

Estimated Time:Two to four hours

Appropriate Season: Any

Materials:Provided by educator:Per student: safety goggles,

large pocket pencil sharpener,4 wax crayons of the samecolor (either red, green, blue,or yellow), envelopes

Per group: hot plate, 2 ovenmittens, petri dish, aluminumfoil, 3 disposable aluminumfoil pie pans, wax paper,wooden or metal trivet,newspaper (enough to coverlab surfaces have lots ofnewspapers handy)

Per class: one or more vises with2 board pieces (3 cm x 13 cmx 20 cm), samples of realsedimentary, metamorphicand volcanic rocks (contactthe park if you need to borrowa rock set), crushed ice, water

Special Considerations:Take proper safety precau-

tions. Hot plate and hotcrayon wax can cause burns.Vise can pinch/crush fingers.

Major Concepts:Rock cycleMechanical weatheringFormation of sedimentaryrockFormation of metamor-phic rockFormation of igneous rock

Objectives:List the three main rockclassifications.Describe how these rockclassifications are formed.Explain the rock cycle.

Educator's Information:

Many students have adifficult time understand-

ing the abstract concept of therock cycle. The students cansee rock examples in the class-room; the difficulty lies intheir inability to visualize justhow these rock samples wereformed. The following activ-ity is extremely effective ingiving students the opportunityto "see" the rock cycle througha series of simulation activi-ties: mechanical weatheringand erosional processes, andformation of sedimentary,metamorphic and igneousrock. The activity can be doneas one continuous process orcan be broken down into fiveseparate parts.

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I I I

The rocks of the earth'scrust are classified

according to origin. There arethree basic rock classifications.Of these three, two (igneousand metamorphic) are formedby geological processes occur-ring deep within the earth. Theother, sedimentary, is formedcloser to the earth's surface.The relationship between thesethree rock classifications iswhat is generally called therock cycle.

1) Sedimentary rock - rockthat is composed of tiny par-ticles of sand, clay or othersediments that are depositedin layers on land or on thebottom of lakes, rivers andoceans. Over time, the extremepressure from the weight ofthe layers above pressed thematerials below into rock,cementing the sedimentaryparticles together. Examplesare limestone, sandstone andshale. Sedimentary rocks areimportant when discussingthe rock cycle and also themetamorphic rock formationsat Crowders Mountain.The metamorphic rock atCrowders Mountain wasformed when the sedimentaryrock layers were subjected toextremely high temperaturesand pressure during the last540 million years.

2) Igneous rock rock formedfrom magma, solidified from a

molten state. It can be extru-sive or intrusive. Extrusiveigneous rock is formed whenmagma spews out onto theearth's surface from cracks orvents in the earth's crust. Thistype of magma is called lava.Intrusive igneous rockis formed when magma findsits way into cracks in the rockand solidifies within the earth.The igneous rock formations atCrowders Mountain are intru-sive igneous rocks. Graniteoutcrops are a good exampleof the intrusive igneous rockfound at Crowders Mountain.

3) Metamorphic rock sedi-mentary or igneous rock thathas been changed deep insidethe earth by extreme heat and

pressure over a long periodof time into a harder rock,with different qualities. Anexample of sedimentary rockwhich was changed to ametamorphic rock is quartzite.Quartzite, made from sand-stone, is a major rock typefound at Crowders Mountain.

The word metamorphosismeans a transformation, amarked change in appearanceor condition. A more familiarexample of metamorphosis isa caterpillar changing, ormetamorphosing, into a butter-fly (although this is not ac-complished by applying ex-treme heat and pressure to thecaterpillar).

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Crowders Mountain State Park. NC' 3.1.218

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The Earth's History& the Rock Cycle

Geologists believe the earthwas at one time a ball of mol-ten magma and gasses. Slowly,.the earth cooled, forming acrust of igneous rock. Thisrock floated on the mantle,the geologic term for the layerbetween the crust and the core.The crustal rock was immedi-ately subject to weathering.

For over three billion yearsthe weathering forces of grav-ity, wind and water worked onthe hare rock of the continents.eroding it into sediments.Wind and rain deposited thesesediments. the first soils, intothe oceans at the edges of thecontinents. These soils trav-eled quickly, since there wereno plants to slow them downor stabilize them.

The sediments continuedto build up as the continentswore down. Underlying layersof sediments became rockagain as the pressure and heatcemented the particles hacktogether. Often, as the conti-nents eroded, they becamelighter and rose up on themantle, exposing the sedimen-tary rocks to the air, wherethey started to erode awayonce again. Though most ofthe earth's crust is made up ofigneous rock, the most com-mon class of rock found onthe earth's continental surfaceis sedimentary, which lies ontop of the igneous crust.

The continents are not sta-tionary as they float on top ofthe molten mantle. The North

Crowden Mountain State Park, NC

American continent is driftingwestward. Where two conti-nental plates collide, one willoften slide beneath the leadingedge of the other, pushing thecrust down far enough that itmelts, turning into magma.This collision of continentalplates pushed up the RockyMountains. Sedimentary andigneous rocks caught in suchcollisions are subjected totremendous heat and pressure,forming a third class of rockknown as metamorphic. en-tually the metamorphic rockwill reach the earth's surfaceand will he exposed to weath-ering as well.

The continuing cycle ofrocks melting down and cool-

ing into rocks again or break-ing down and then beingpressed into rocks again hashappened many times. It ishard to imagine that all therocks vou see around youwere once sediments at thehottom of the "sea, and thatone day the particles in theserocks will be washed thereagain. It is also difficult toimagine something as hard asa rock breaking down and thetime it takes for this to hap-pen. The particles in therocks making up Mt. Everest,the highest mountain in the

orid. arc estimated to haveeroded to the :ea at leastthree times.

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Instructions:

Set the stage by askingstudents to describe local rocksand/or rock formations, or onesthat they have seen duringwalks along a lake or river'sedge, near or on a mountain.or during drives along roadsthat were built through roadcuts. Be sure to have severalrock samples distributedaround the room.

Ask the students questionssuch as, "Have you ever won-dered just how these rocksform?" and "Are new rocksforming at this moment?"You might ask each student towrite down one rock-relatedquestion they would like tohave answered in class. Dis-cuss with the students the threeclassifications of rock: sedi-mentary, metamorphic andigneous.

Part A: WeatheringGive each student a "Hard

Rock Crayola" worksheet tocomplete as they do the activ-ity. Cover all desk tops withnewspaper. Give each studenta sheet of wax paper, a pocketpencil sharpener and four cray-ons of the same color. Thecrayons represent rock mate-rial, and the pencil sharpenersrepresent weathering agents.Students should remove anddiscard the paper from theoutside of their crayons. Next,they should carefully shavethe crayons with the pencilsharpener, keeping all of thefragments (which representrock sediments) in a small pile.

Crowders Mountain State Park. NC

As the students are "weath-ering" their crayons on to thewax paper, call their attentionto the size and shape of thefragments. Discuss with themthe following questions:

"Are the weathered frag-ments all the same?" Answer:No.

"Why or why not?" An-swer: The process of weather-ing can he either mechanical(breaking up a rock intosmaller fragments), or chemi-cal (rearranging the elementsinto new minerals). Manyfactors are involved withineach of the two types. As aresult, rock will show a charac-teristic size and/or shape,depending on which kind ofweathering is taking place.

"What are some of nature'sweathering forces?" Answer:Mechanical weathering forcescan include water, ice, wind,growing roots, worms andburrowing animals, lightning,expansion and contractioncaused by heating and cooling,human activity and expansionof rock caused when erosionremoves weight on top andproduces cracks under the sur-face of the rock. Chemicalweathering forces includeoxygen, carbon dioxide, water,etc., reacting with a rock ormineral resulting in change.

"Where do rock fragmentstend to collect?" Answer:. Onthe downhill side of the rock.

"Why?" Answer: Gravity

"Why do similarly sizedfragments seem to be foundtogether?" Answer: Because

3.1.5 22

similar weathering processeswill usually take place in oneparticular area. Also smaller,lighter rock fragments will becarried away in a winnowingeffect.

When the "weathering" iscomplete, the students shouldwrap their fragments in theirwax paper and place each colorin a separate envelope, unlessyou plan to do Part B immedi-ately. Label each package forproper distribution when theactivity is resumed.

Part B: Erosion andSedimentation

Once rock fragments havebeen created, they are ust!2'lymoved by some force of na-ture; here, the students act asthe erosive force as they movethe envelopes containing thefragments within the room.Ask the students what thisforce of movement is called,and to name some of its causes.(Answer: erosion, causedby wind and water such asstreams, rivers and waves.)

Place all the weathered"rock" fragments in four sepa-rate pileS, one color to a pile.Divide the class into groupsof four and give each group asheet of co uminum foil (45 cmx 45 cm). A student from eachgroup should carefully transfersome "weathered" fragmentsto the center of their aluminumfoil. Spread the fragments intoa 1 cm thick layer. Repeatwith the remaining colors, la:-ering the colors one on top ofanother (see illustration).

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Students should record theirobservations of their "weath-ered" fragments on the "HardRock Crayola" worksheet.Fold the foil over the fragmentlayers, allowing for a 1 cmspace all around the fragments,and then carefully fold theedges to seal the packages. Ifyou are breaking the activityinto sections, stop here andlabel each package for properdistribution later.

Part C: Sediments/Sedimentary RockSimulation

Instruct the groups to placetheir folded foil package be-tween two boards. This "sand-wich" should then be placedin the vise. Apply very lightpressure with the vise to corn-

Crowders Mountain State Park, NC

press the "rock" fragments.Once the "rock sandwich"has been lightly compressed,remove it from the vise. Stu-dents should then carefullyopen their packages and ob-serve the new product. Calltheir attention to the centralregion which is more tightlycompressed; they should liftthis portion from the non-compressed fragments andcarefully break it into twoparts. Look at the brokenedges and describe the layers.How do they compare withthe original layers? What hap-pened to the spaces betweenthe fragments? (Answer:The layers are thinner and thespace between the crayonfragments is now smaller.)

If possible, compare realsedimentary rock with thesedimentary "crayon rocks."Explain to the students that, inthis area, sediments were laiddown in a shallow basin or seaaround 540 million years ago.These sediments were buriedwithin the earth's crust, form-

3.1.6 23

ing sedimentary rock. Then,when the North American andAfrican continental plates col-lided, the buried sedimentaryrock was changed into meta-morphic rock, These rockswere the core, or basement,of the mountain range thatresulted from the collision.Later, as the rock above waseroded away, the landscapethat we see around us todaywas exposed.

There is not much sedimen-tary rock left in its originallayered form at CrowdersMountain when compared tothe amount of metamorphicrock. This is due to the age ofthe rocks and the changes therocks underwent as the frag-ments were buried, heated,folded and pressed together.As "Hard Rock Crayola" dem-onstrates, the original frag-ments are hardly recognizableafter the pressure and heatprocesses.

If available, have the classexamine a sedimentary rockwith fossils embedded within

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it. Almost all fossils are foundin sedimentary rock. Fossilsare not found in igneous rocksince the tremendous heatnecessary to melt rock wouldobliterate any fossils. Thesame is true for metamorphicrock. Due to the heat, foldingand pressure required to createmetamorphic rock, any fossilsthat might have been presentare usually destroyed. Sincealmost all the rock at CrowdersMountain State Park is meta-morphic, no fossils have beenfound.

Each group should transfera few of their loose fragmentsand the smaller piece of the"sedimentary rock" into oneof their pie pans. Place therest of the fragments i:: anenvelope (for Part E). Thepieces in the pie pan will beused for comparison with theother "rocks" the students willproduce during this activity.Return the larger piece of"sedimentary rock" to thealuminum foil and wrap it upagain.

If you are breaking theactivity into sections, stop hereand label each package forproper distribution later.

Part D: MetamorphicRock Simulation

Place the foil package withthe "sedimentary rock" be-tween the two boards and inthe vise again. Tell the stu-dents to tighten the vise asmuch as they can this time.This part of the activity dem-onstrates the need for greaterpressure to cause a rock to

Crowders Mountain State Park, NC

metamorphose. In reality, asthe pressure deep within theearth increases, the tempera-ture increases as well. A tem-perature change is probablyoccurring in this activity butthe change cannot be measured- the chemical activity associ-ated with the formation ofmetamorphic rock is not a partof this activity. It is importantfor the students to understandthat metamorphic rock maybecome contorted in appear-ance - and actually flow like aplastic material - in response tothe pressure that is caused bythe over-riding rock load andcontinental plate movement.

Have the students releasethe compression on the vise,remove the foil package andopen it carefully to examinethe newly formed "metamor-phic rock." They should care-fully break this "rock" into twoparts and examine it, notingwhat happened to the thick-ness, fragment shape and sur-face. The students should writedown their observations ontheir worksheet. (The differentcolored "rock fragments" willbe squeezed together.)

If possible, examine a realmetamorphic rock and com-pare to the metamorphic"crayon rock." Also comparethe real metamorphic rockwith the real sedimentary rock.Have the students examine thetexture, the edges and overallappearance of these rocks. Re-mind the class that the rocks atCrowders Mountain State Parkare almost all metamorphic,and that as the basin or seaopened and closed due to twocontinents colliding about 250million years ago, the sedi-mentary rock was turned intometamorphic rock by heat andpressure.

Place the smaller piece of"metamorphic rock" into thepie pan with the fragments andthe first sedimentary "rock"sample the students made. Ifyou are breaking the activityinto sections, stop here and la-bel each package for properdistribution later.

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Part E: Igneous RockFormation

Safety Note: This portion of theactivity requires the students beespecially safety conscious asthey will be working with a hotplate and melted wax.

Each group should line theirremaining two pie pans withaluminum foil and do the fol-lowing:

Groups 1 and 2 should fillone of their pie pans withcrushed ice.

Group 3 should fill one oftheir pie pans halfway withwarm water.

Group 4 should place halfof their set aside "weatheredelements," their "sedimentaryrock" and the smaller piece oftheir "metamorphic rock" intoone of their pie pans. (Groups1, 2 and 3 will save their "sedi-ments" and "rock" pieces foreveryone to use to comparewith the four types of "igne-ous rocks" that will be madein this part of the activity.)

For the "igneous rock"simulation, Groups 1.2 and 3should place the "weatheredsediments" they set aside inenvelopes, and the larger pieceof "metamorphic rock", intothe second of their foil linedpie pans. Group 4 shouldplace the second half of theirset aside "weathered sedi-ments" and their large pieceof "metamorphic rock" intotheir second foil-lined pan.

Be Especially CarefulHere! This part of the activityrequires a hot plate as a heat

source. Students ShouldAvoid Dropping Wax Frag-ments on the Hot Plate Sur-face or Themselves. Thestudents or teachers doing thisportion of the activity shouldwear protective oven mittensto avoid being burned. Covereach hot plate surface with alayer of foil before you turn iton. (This will diffuse the heatfrom the coils of the hot plateso the crayons will not burstinto flames.) Each groupshould place their pie pan of"weathered sediments" and"rock" on the hot plate and turnthe hot plate temperature tomedium. Melt the wax, beingcareful that the melting processdoes not occur so rapidly thatthe molten wax splatters orburns. When most of the"rock" and "weathered sedi-ments" are in the molten state.turn the hot plate off and care-full, remove the pie pan,

using the oven mittens. Thereis enough heat energy in themolten wax to melt the re-maining solid mass. Caution:Do not let the wax heat tothe splattering point!

While the wax is still in themolten state, representingmagma, a student from eachgroup or the teacher, should

Crowders Mountain State Park. NC 3.1.8

CAREFULLY do the follow-ing:

Group I - Form a trench inthe ice in the pie pan. Usingthe oven mittens, pour themelted wax into the ice trench,then cover the "magma" withmore crushed ice. This simu-lates intrusive igneous rock,which is formed by magmaflowing into rock cracks deepinside the earth.

Group 2 - Using the ovenmittens, pour the melted wax(lava) directly over the surfaceof the crushed ice. This willsimulate the formation ofextrusive igneous rock.

Group 3 Using the ovenmittens, pour the melted waxinto the warm water. This willsimulate the formation of ex-trusive igneous rock in a warmwater region, i.e. a volcanothat forms under the ocean.

Group 4 - Using the ovenmittens, pour the melted waxover the "weathered sedi-ments" and the small piecesof "sedimentary" and "meta-morphic" rock. This s;mulateslava flowing over sediments,sedimentary and/or metamor-phic rock, as would happenin a volcanic eruption. Someof the fragments will meltquickly, while the sedimentaryand the metamorphic "rocks"partially maintain their integ-rity. During a volcanic erup-tion, lava will flow over andaround rocks in its path,causing some to melt, whileothers remain as they wereoriginally. These rocks that aresurrounded by lava are calledxenoliths.

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Allow the pie pans and waxto cool thoroughly (about 5 tolt.. minutes). After the "lava'wax has cooled. the studentsshould carefully remove their"igneous rocks" from the piepans. Students should makecomparisons between theigneous rocks in each groups'pie pans. then draw and writedown their observations ontheir worksheets. For instance,comparisons should be madebetween the crystal sizes andshapes formed. Comparisonsshould also he made betweenthese "igneous rocks" and the"weathered sediments" andthe "sedimentary and metamor-phic rocks" students createdin the previous sections of thisactivity.

As a class be sure to discussthe following:

Using Group I's pie pan,discuss the effect of the"magma" on the "metamorphicrock" which the ice represents.

Using Group 2's pie pan.discuss the effect of "lava" onthe "surface sediments

If possible. show the stu-dents various examples of realvolcanic rocks and comparethe real rocks with their igne-ous "crayon rocks." Explainto the students that there arefew igneous rocks visible hereat Crowders Mountain StatePark. They have formed deepwithin the earth and the processof weathering and erosionhas not eroded down to themexcept in a few scattered gran-ite outcrops. The rocks thestudents will see at CrowdersMountain State Park arealmost all metamorphic.

While the students arelooking at the three classesof rocks, lead a discussion onthe rock cycle, focusing onthe processes they observedin transforming one rock intothe next. Have the studentsdiscuss the differences andsimilarities between their"crayon rocks" and the realrock samples. Talk about thequestions your students hadwhen the activity first started.

and rocks" which theice represents.

Using Group 3's piepan, discuss the effect ofthe warm water on the"lava."

Using Group 4'spie pan, discuss theeffect of the "lava-flowing directly onto the"weathered sediments" andthe "sedimentary and meta-morphic rock.-

Reiterate the concept ofthe rock cycle by remindingthe students of the "rocks"(crayons) that were weathereddown into "sediments". com-pressed into "sedimentaryrock- and then "metamorphicrock" and then melted into"igneous rocks.-

It is important for everyoneto understand that all condi-tions for rock formationscannot be simulated. In fact,geolo6sts have never "seen"intrusive rocks form. How-ever, they are able to look atall of the available evidence.simulate some of the -ondi-tions in the laboratory andarrive at results similar tothose found in nature.

2 6Crowders Mountain State Park, NC 3.1.9 November 1993

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Worksheet for Pre-VisitACtivity '1 Hard ROck Crayola

1. Describe and draw the "weathered sediments" you made. Note the sizes and shapes of the"sediments".

2. Do a colored drawing of the "rock fragments" after light pressure has compacted these"sediments" into "sedimentary rock." Describe the broken edge and the layers that wereformed.

3. Do a colored drawing of the "sedimentary rock" after heavy pressure has compacted it into"metamorphic rock." Describe the broken edge and the layers that were formed. How havethey changed with the addition of heavy pressure?

27Crowders Mountain State Park, NC 3.1.10 November 1993

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4. Do a colored drawing of each of the four igneous rocks created. Compare and contrast theformation of the intrusive with the extrusive .gneous rocks.

Group One's "Igneous Rock" Group Two's" Igneous Rock"

Group Three's "Igneous Rock" Group Four's "Igneous Rock"

5. Write a comparison between the "weathered rock fragments." "sedimentary rocks,'metamorphic rocks," and "igneous rocks" formed in this activity. Describe their similaritiesand differences as to color, texture, etc.

Crowders Mountain State Park. NC 3.1. 1 1 November 1993

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Answer Sheet for Pre-Visit Activity #1 Hard Rock Ctayola'

1. Describe and draw the "weathered sediments" you made. Note the sizes and shapes of the"sediments".

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Do a colored drawing of the "sedimentary rock" after heavy pressure has compacted it into"metamorphic rock." Describe the broken edge and the layers that were formed. How havethey changed with the addition of heavy pressure?

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Crowders Mountain State Park. NC 293. 1. 12 November 1993

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4. Do a colored drawing of each of the four igneous rocks created. Compare and contrast theformation of the intrusive with the extrusive gneous rocks.

Group One's "Igneous Rock" Group Two's" Igneous Rock"

Group Three's "Igneous Rock" Group Four's "igneous Rock"

5. Write a comparison between the "weatheredmetamorphic rocks," and "igneous rocks" formedand differences as to color, texture. etc.The "weathered rock fragments" will vaiy in size

rock fragments." "sedimentary rocks,-in this activity. Describe their similarities

and shape, depending on the implement used

oriented (up /do'i i or right/left) in an direction.and how it is used. The "rockfragtn, nts" can be

In "metamorphic rocks" the space between the fragments is very small and the orientation of

is much thinner, but each layer of rock'fragments" is now flattened (right/left). The thickness

(color) can still be seen. The "igneous rock" is grayish-black due to the melting and mixin., o

different "rock fragments" and has a variety of forms, depending on how the separate groups'

rocks were cooled.

Note: The different methods j. cooling are not intended to simulate real rock formations: they

do, however, give the students the understanding that different cooling conditions will create

different rocks.

Crowders Mountain State Park. NC 3.1.13 30 November 1993

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S A

Curriculum Objectives:Grade S

Communication Skills: lis-tening, reading, vocabularyand viewing comprehensionGuidance: competency forinteracting with othersHealthful Living: recre-ational safetyScience: earth scienceSocial Science: gather,organize and analyze infor-mation, draw conclusions,participate effectively ingroups

Grade 6Communication Skills: lis-tening, reading, vocabularyand viewing comprehensionGuidance: competency andskill for interacting withothers, variety and complex-ity of occupationsScience: how science helpsusSocial Studies: gather,organize and analyze infor-mation, draw conclusions

Grade 7Communication Skills: lis-tening, reading, vocabularyand viewing comprehensionGuidance: being responsiblein a groupScience: earth science, natu-ral phenomenaSocial Studies: mow the im-portance of nat. 'resources,gather, orgam.. ..id analyzeinformation, draw conclu-sions

Location: Picnic shelter

Group Size:30 or less, 4 students per group

Estimated Time: 50 minutes

Appropriate Season: Any

Special Considerations:During part of this activity,

students will be breaking rocksapart. Very sharp fragmentscan fly off, causing injury. It isimportant that students wearsafety goggles at all times.

Materials:Provided by the park: index

cards, hammers, safetygoggles, streak plates (piecesof unglazed porcelain), win-dow glass, pennies, steel files,hand lenses, and examples ofquartz, quartzite, talc, barite,mica schist and kyanite

Provided by the educator:"Rock and Mineral" factsheet (one per student), "Rockand Mineral Identification"worksheets (one per student),poster-size "Rock and MineralIdentification" worksheet

Major Concepts:Rock formation and charac-teristicsMineral formation andcharacteristicsSedimentary, metamorphicand igneous rocks

Objectives:List and identify two majorrock types and four majorminerals found at CrowdersMountain State Park.Describe the difference be-tween a rock and a mineral.List five characteristics thatgeologists use in identifyingrocks and minerals.

Crowders Mountain State Park, NC 4.1.1 31

av

Educator's Information:

In this activity, the studentwill identify two rocks and

four minerals. Each one isfound at Crowders MountainState Park and most couldprobably be found around thestudent's home and school.

Each student will completea "Rock and Mineral Identifi-cation" worksheet. This willrequire that they examineeach rock and mineral todetermine the following: thecolor of a newly exposedsurface of the rock or mineral,the color the rock or mineralleaves on a porcelain streakplate, its luster, the approxi-mate hardness of the rock ormineral and whether or not itis layered. After determiningthe characteristics of eachrock or mineral and by usingthe written descriptions fromthe -Rock and Mineral FactSheet". the students will beable to name each rock andmineral sample and give itsclassification.

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Student's Information:

There are three basic rockclassifications: igneous,

sedimentary and metamorphic.Igneous rocks are formed

when molten magma coolsunder the earth's surface orwhen the magma flows out onthe earth's surface as lava andcools there. Most of the rocksat Crowders Mountain StatePark do not have an igneousorigin.

Sedimentary rocks areformed when loose mineralparticles, or sediment, aredeposited on land or in water.Sedimentary rocks usuallyform in layers, which is theeasiest way to identify thistype of rock. Very few of therocks at Crowders Mountainare sedimentary; however,most of the metamorphic rocksat Crowders Mountain wereformed from sedimentaryrocks.

Metamorphic rock isformed when either igneousor sedimentary rocks are putunder enough heat and pres-sure over a long period oftime. The rock is changedboth physically and chethi-cally. Most of the rocks atCrowders Mountain State Parkare the result of metamorphicaction. The Kings Pinnaclemonadnock is a good ex-ample of the most commonmetamorphic rock found in thepark; quartzite. The secondmost common metamorphicrock found here is mica schist.

Geologists have identifiedabout 2000 kinds of rocks,

Crowders Mountain State Park, NC

each with its own distinctivecharacteristics. To identifyrocks, geologists look at hard-ness, color, crystalline arrange-ment, layering, types of miner-als and many other characteris-tics.

Geologists also look for theratio of minerals in 2 rock. Arock is a collection of one ormore minerals. A mineral isa combination of one or moreelements. Each mineral hasits own chemical compositionand particular crystalline struc-ture. Quartz, for example, acommon mineral in this area,is a combination of two ele-ments, silicon and oxygen,and has a chemical formulaof Si0.3. Its crystal shape ishexagonal (six-sided).

The elements in the chartbelow account for almost 99%of the earth's crust, and mostminerals are composed ofsome combination of theseeight elements. Oxygen is themost abundant element in theEarth's crust and is always

found in combination withother elements. Look at thechemical formulas of the min-erals listed on the "Rock andMineral" fact sheet and youwill see that each of them con-tain oxygen. Three of theminerals, talc, quartz andkyanite, contain silicon, thesecond most abundant ele-ment. Together, oxygen andsilicon make up almost 74%of the Earth's crust. Thismeans that most mineralscontain either or both of theseelements.

The relationship betweena rock and its minerals can becompared to a fruit cake'srelationship to its ingredients.If the rock is like the fruit cake,the minerals would be theraisins, nuts, cherries, candiedfruit, etc.

Element SymbolOxygen 0Silicon SiAluminum AlIron FeCalcium CaSodium NaPotassiumMagnesium Mg

Percentageby Weight

46.7%27.7%

8.1%5.1%3.7%2.8%2.6%2.1%

98.8%

4.1.232

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Instructions:

1. Remind the students thatthey must wear their safetygoggles at all times during thisactivity and that they shouldbe careful to break only a smallpart of the rock/mineral.

2. Tell the students that in thisactivity they will use the sametests a field geologist would todetermine what rocks and min-erals are found at CrowdersMountain State Park. Theywill travel from station to sta-tion to identify the six rocksor minerals, using their previ-ously learned geologic knowl-edge. the identification testsof a professional geologist,and the "Rock and Mineral"fact sheet.

3. Divide the students intogroups of 4 to 6, one group perstation, except station '1.

4. Using rock at station #1(quartz), lead the studentsthrough the tests below to learnthe characteristics of mysteryrock #1 and its identity.

Determine the rock's over-all color. Use the hammer tocarefully break a small part ofthe rock/mineral to see thecolor inside. This is important,as the outside color may healtered due to weatheringfactors. (The color of example#1 is white to pinkish.)

Crowders Mountain State Park, NC

List the color of the rock/mineral's streak whenscratched across the unglazedporcelain plate. (The streakcolor for example #1 is white.)

Determine the luster, whichis classified as glassy, dull,pearly or metallic. (The lusterof example #1 is glassy.)

The hardness of a rock ormineral is determined by whatis able to scratch its surfaceor whether the rock or mineralcan scratch another object.such as glass. Use fingernails,pennies, porcelain streakplates and the steel files to helpestablish the rock's hardness.(The hardness of example '1is classified as hard, 5.5 to 6.5on the scale; a metal tile willbarely scratch its surface.)The "Rock and Mineral Identi-fication" worksheet containsa hardness scratch scale de-signed to explain this identifi-cation concept to the students.

Does the rock or mineralhave layers? Put yes or no inthis column. (Example '1does not have lavers.)

Have the students try andguess the name of the rock ormineral. Use the "Rock andMineral" fact sheet to helpwith this question, as well asits classification as mineral,or as igneous, sedimentary ornietamorphic rock. (Thename of example #1 is quartz.

334.1.3

It is a mineral because if it isgiven space, it will develop aspecific hexagonal crystal. Itis sometimes classified asigneous rock.)

5. Have the students test theremaining rocks/mineralsusing the same set of criteriato identify them.

6. After each rock/mineralidentification worksheet iscomplete. place the largeanswer sheet where everyonecan see it.

7. Lead the students throughthe answers, comparing theirgroup answers with thoselisted on the large "Rock andMineral Identification" work-sheet. Discuss any discrepan-cies with the answers. This isespecially important for streak,luster and hardness, as thesecharacteristics can vary fromspecimen to specimen.

Suggested Extensions:

1. The "Rock and MineralIdentification" worksheet canbe used to try and identifyother rock and mineral types.Have students bring rocks/minerals to class to try andidentify.

2. Hike to the top of Kings'Pinnacle to see the effects oferosion and weathering onthe mountain. Try to identifyrocks and minerals found onthe Pinnacle.

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Rock and Mineral Fact Sheet

Talc

Talc is a mineral composedof a magnesium silicate,Mg3Si4Om(OH) Often calledsoapstone, its color rangesfrom apple green to white witha pearly luster. It is greasy tothe touch and streaks whitewhen struck on a streak plate.It has no layers. Native Ameri-cans often carved talc intolamps, pipes, large pots andother vessels. Today, talc iscommonly used in baby pow-der. The easiest way to distin-guish talc is by its greasyfeel and softness. It can bescratched with a fingernail.Hardness: 1.

QuartzQuartz is the most common

of all minerals. It is classifiedas a mineral because it canform a specific hexagonalcrystalline structure. Itschemical formula is SiO orsilicon oxide. In its pure formquartz is clear, but usually con-tains impurities which can giveit a variety of colors including

white, red, purple, pink, smokyblack, black, yellow, green andgray.

Quartz is classified as hard,because a file will barelyscratch it. It has a glassyluster and does not have lay-ers. Quartz produces a whitestreak on a scratch plate.

Many times quartz func-tions as a rock "glue." Whenrocks develop cracks, and ifthe crack goes deep enoughinto the earth, molten siliconoxide (quartz) will often beforced into the crack, "gluing"the rocks back together. If thecavity does not fill completelyand a space is left, the quartzwill develop into hexagonalcrystals.

Two interesting thingscome to mind about this rockglue called quartz. First, theglue is usually harder than therocks it glues back together.This results in quartz beingfound on top of or in the soilafter the rocks it has gluedback together have weatheredto soil. Second, when thesilicon oxide is being pushedupward by the pressure fromdeep in the earth, other miner-als will sometimes be carriedalong with it. One of thoseminerals is gold. Tons of goldhave been found in the south-ern Piedmont of North Caro-lina and it is primarily foundin association with quartz.Gold has been mined inGaston County.

There are many uses forquartz today. It is used inradio, radar and optical appa-ratus (rock crystal). Purplequartz (amethyst), in the formof sand, is used in glassmakingand smoky quartz is used forpottery and porcelain as wellas an abrasive. Hardness:5.5 - 6.5.

34Crowders Mountain State Park. NC 4.1.4

Mica schist

Schists are metamorphicrocks. They characteristicallyform from sedimentary shalerocks under temperature andpressure conditions whichcan range from low to high."Schist" is a descriptive termused when mica grains arelarge enough to show definitelayering. The presence ofmica is an obvious clue inidentifying this rock, which isthe second most common rockat Crowders Mountain StatePark. Mica schist is flaky andlayered in appearance. Lusteris sparkling in a new specimenbut dulls with time. Its colorcan vary depending on its min-eral content, ranging mostlyfrom silvery white.to gray.The color of its streak canvary also. Hardness: I to 7.5.

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BariteBarite is a mineral com-

posed of barium sulfate.BaSO4. Found in veins. bariteresembles quartz but has apearly luster. Its color canvary from white to gray toclear, with shades of yellow,brown, red or blue. Baritestreaks white on the porcelainstreak plate. It commonlyoccurs as a secondary mineralin veins with gold, silver,copper. lead and cobalt ores.Barite is used as an aid in welldrilling (where it is used as alubricant and sealant), as apaint pigment and a filler inmaking glossy paper and cloth.Hardness: 3 to 3.5.

KyaniteKyanite is an aluminum

silicate mineral, AI,Si05, andis a product of the regionalmetamorphism which oc-curred at Crowders Mountain

Crowders Mountain State Park. NC

State Park. It is found ingneiss and schist. Kyanitecan be blue, white, gray, green,nearly black or colorless. Ina pure form, kyanite can beidentified by its blade-likecrystals that range from whiteto blue-gray. It has a greasyfeel and a glassy luster. It

leaves a white streak whenstruck on a streak plate. Kyan-ite is capable of resisting hightemperatures and is used in themaking of high temperatureporcelains such as spark plugsand high temperature brick.Before Crowders Mountainbecame a state park. the orekyanite was mined from thisarea. Hardness: 4 to 7.

ness and color of quartzitecan vary greatly depending onthe type of minerals found inthe rock. It comes from sedi-mentary quartz sandstone thathas been metamorphosed.It sometimes shows layersand occasionally ripple marksfrom waves that formed inthe parent sandstone. Thequartzite found at CrowdersMountain State Park is grainyin appearance and has apeculiarly dull, sugary luster.Hardness: 2.5 7.

QuartziteQuartzite is a rock com-

posed of a variety of minerals.with quartz being the dominateone. Quartzite is the predomi-nate rock making up bothKings Pinnacle and CrowdersMountain. Quartzite is usuallya hard metamorphic rock thatis extremely resistant to weath-ering and erosion. The hard-

4.1.5

35

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Rock and Mineral Identification Worksheet,RockSample Color Streak Luster Hardness Layered Classification Name

1

2

4

5

6

Color the identifiable color. (Quartz may becolorless, white, pink, smoky, yellow orpurple, depending on the impurities within it.)

Streak the color a rock leaves behind whenit is scratched across a streak plate or unglazedporcelain. (Quartz leaves a white streak.)

Luster the way a rock reflects light. (Quartzhas a glassy luster. Other minerals may havea dull or metallic luster or no luster at all.)

Layered - a rock either has layers (foliated) orit doesn't (non-foliated). In the space providedput either yes or no, meaning it has layers or itdoes not. (Quartz does not have layers.)

Hardness the following scale ranges fromone to ten, with one being the softest and tenbeing the hardest. The objects listed after thenumbers are things that can scratch the rock ormineral, or be scratched by the rock or mineral.(Quartz can be scratched by a file, so it is hard:5.5 6.5.)

Hardness:I 2.5 (very soft) fingernail2.5 5 (soft) penny5 6.5 (hard) steel file6.5 10 (very hard) porcelain

Classification A rock is classified as a min-eral, or as igneous, sedimentary or metamor-phic. (Quartz is a mineral and is sometimesfound in all the other rock types.)

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Rock and Mineral Idene 'cation Answer SheetRockSample Color Streak Luster Hardness Layered Classification Name

1whiteclearpink

white glassy 7 (hard) no mineral quartz

2white

togray

white pearly 3 3.5 (soft) no mineral barite

3 apple greento

white

white glassy I 2.5(very soft)

no metamorphic talc

4blue gray

towhite

colorless glassy 4 7

(soft to hard)no metamorphic kyanite

5silverywhite to

gray

none sparkling 2 8

(very soft tovery hard)

yes metamorphic mica schist

6

silverywhite to

gray

varies dull 2.5 7.5(very soft tovery hard)

yes metamorphic quartzite

Color the identifiable color. (Quartz may becolorless, white, pink, smoky, yellow orpurple, depending on the impurities within it.)

Streak the color a rock leaves behind whenit is scratched across a streak plate or unglazedporcelain. (Quartz leaves a white streak.)

Luster the way a rock reflects light. (Quartzhas a glassy luster. Other minerals may havea dull or metallic luster or no luster at all.)

Layered - a rock either has layers (foliated) orit doesn't (non-foliated). In the space providedput either yes or no, meaning it has layers or itdoes not. (Quartz does not have layers.)

Crowders Mountain State Park, NC

374.1.7

Hardness - the following scale ranges fromone to ten, with one being the softest and tenbeing the hardest. The objects listed after thenumbers are things that can scratch the rock ormineral, or be scratched by the rock or mineral.(Quartz can be scratched by a file, so it is hard:5.5 - 6.5.)

Hardness:1 - 2.5 (very soft) fingernail2.5 - 5 (soft) penny5 6.5 (hard) steel file6.5 10 (very hard) porcelain

Classification - A rock is classified as a min-eral, or as igneous, sedimentary or metamor-phic. (Quartz is a mineral and is sometimesfund in all the other rock types.)

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Post-Visit Activity #1 Geo-Scavenge

Curriculum Objectives:Grade 5

Communication Skills: lis-tening, reading, vocabularyand viewing comprehension,study skills using environ-mental sourcesGuidance: competency forinteracting with othersLibrary/Media Skills: workindependently and creativelyin preparing assignmentsScience: earth science,environmentSocial Science: gather, orga-nize and analyze information,draw conclusions, participateeffectively in groups

Grade 6Communication Skills: lis-tening, reading, vocabularyand viewing comprehension,study skills using environ-mental sources, writingGuidance: competency andskill for interacting withothers, variety and complex-ity of occupationsLibrary/Media Skills: workindependently and creativelyin preparing assignmentsScience: how science helpsusSocial Studies: gather,organize and analyze infor-mation, draw conclusions

Grade 7Communication Skills: lis-tening, reading, vocabularyand viewing comprehension,study skills using environ-mental sourcesGuidance: being responsiblein a group, develop an aware-ness of alternative points ofviewScience: interaction of peopleand the environment, earthscience, natural phenomena,meteorology

Crowders Mountain State Park, NC

Social Studies: know the im-portance of natural resources,gather, organize and analyzeinformation, draw conclu-sions

Location:Classroom and home

Group Size: 30 or less

Estimated Time:45 to 60 minutes

Appropriate Season: Any

Materials:Provided by educator:

Scavenger Hunt list, aluminumcan, aluminum foil, pencil,metal toy car, mirror, drinkingglass, metal scissors, tableknife, book, wooden spoon,notebook paper, houseplant,table, paper bag, magazine,brick, gravel, basketball shoe,cotton shirt, nylon book bag,leather shoe, video tape

* These are just some examples.The educator may want toadapt this list to use more con-venient materials.

Major Concepts:Uses of rocks and minerals

Objectives:Differentiate between 10objects, determine whetherthey are derived fromrocks, minerals, fossil fuelor organic materials.

Explain the importanceof geologic products in ourdaily lives.

5.1.1

3.8

Educator's Information:

In this activity, the studentwill gain an understanding

of how eveiything we use inour daily lives comes fromthe earth's resources: rocks,minerals, fossil fuels or livingthings (organic). The activityis in two parts. In the firstpart, the students will try toidentify items you provide inthe classroom (see materiallist) as derived from rock,mineral, fossil fuel or organic.In the second part, they willtake the "Geo-ScavengeHunt" list home and identifythe things on the list, as wellas others they find at home.Upon completion of this activ-ity, lead a discussion focusingon these resources, their con-tinued availability (or theirunavailability), and changeseveryone can make to helpconserve our resources.

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Earth's EnergyStorehouserirowders Mountain State....Park is part of the KingsMountain wit of rocks, whichis an area rich in rock andmineral deposits. The depos-its along this belt have beenmined for feldspar, marble,lithium, tin, mica, kyanite,sillimanite, barite, gold. man-ganese and iron. In this area,quartzites, such as those thatmake up Crowders Mountain,were prospected for kyanitcand have been mined nearby.along with feldspar, spo-dumene (a lithium-bearingmineral), and mica. North

Carolina leads the nation inthe annual production of thesevaluable minerals. The KingsMountain Mine, the mostimportant gold mine in ourarea, is just a few miles westof the park. This mine pro-duced as much as $1 millionin gold before 1895.

Rocks and minerals aren'tthe only valuables stored inthe Earth's crust. There isalso energy. mostly in the formof oil, natural gas and coal.Together, all three "fossilfuels" (they are called fossilfuels because they are formedfrom the remains of ancientorganisms) account for morethan 90 percent of all theenergy people use today.

Another natural resourcewe utilize extensively is livingthings, or organic matter.Living things have existed onearth for a very long time. Theoldest rock found on earth is4.1 billion years old; the oldestfossil is at least 3.2 billionyears old. Thus life (organicmatter) has been a part of theearth's history for 3/4 of itsexistence.

We could not exist withoutother living things. We eatthem, wear them, build andrepair our houses and bodiesfrom them. In addition, with-out them we could not breathe.Plants produce oxygen as aresult of photosynthesis. Liv-ing things also have excellentcurative powers. Over half ourmedicines are derived fromorganic matter.

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Instructions:

Part I: Classroom1. Place all listed items on atable or scatter groups ofitems on several smallertables throughout the class-room. Cover the items so thatthey can not be seen by thestudents.

2. Discuss with the studentsthe various ways people userocks, minerals, fossil fueland living things. Be sure todiscuss the differences inthese.

Rock - A substance made upof one or more minerals.Rocks are the building blocksof the earth. Geologists haveidentified over 2000 types ofrocks.

Mineral An inorganic sub-stance occurring naturally inthe earth and having a consis-tent and distinctive crystallineform and a composition thatcan be expressed as a chemi-cal formula.

Fossil fuel - Fuel such as coal.natural gas and petroleumwhich is derived from fossils.Plant material and marine andland organisms that lived anddied millions of years ago arethe source of fossil fuel.

Organic material - Of, orpertaining to, or derived fromliving organisms.

3. Uncover the items for thestudents to look at and havestudents decide, as a class,how to classify each item:rock, mineral, fossil fuel ororganic. If the students arehaving trouble deciding, walkthe students through some ofthe following examples:

foil (aluminum, which ismade from bauxite, a mineral)

- pencil "lead" (graphite. amineral)

drinking glass/mirror (glassis made from the quartz insand or sandstone, rock)

- wooden spoon (wood.which is oraanic)

plastic fork (plastic, comesfrom petroleum, which is afossil fuel)

Part II: Homework1. Give each student a copy ofthe "Geo-Scavenger Hunt" listand have them check off eachitem they are able to locatearound their home or neigh-borhood. Classify each itemlisted as rock. mineral, fossilfuel product or organic prod-uct. Items may fit in morethan one category, i.e. a metalknife with a wooden handle.

2. After the students completethe scavenger hunt, have themshare their answers with theclass. After discussing the cor-rect answers, emphasize howrocks, minerals, fossil fuelsand organic matter are all a bigpart of our daily lives and arepart of the world's resourceswe need to conserve and usewisely.

Crowders Mountain State Park, NC40

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Locate these objects.

Item Rock Mineral Fossil Fuel Organic

stone wall

car or truck

plastic bag

cook book

tombstone

ink pen

window pane

paper clip

straw basket

faucet

cement

dinner plate

door matclock

scissors

wool blanket

unglazed pottery

diamond ringchalk

oil paint

diaperbaby powder

table salt

rubber band .

newspaper.

birdbath

spark plug

chewing gum

other:

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Locate these objects.

Item Rock Mineral Fossil Fuel Organic

stone wall X

car or truck

plastic bag

cook book

tombstone

ink pen

window pane

paper clip

straw basket . X

faucet

cement X

dinner plate X or X or

door mat X or

clock X or X or X orscissors

wool blanket

unglazed pottery

diamond ring X

chalk X

oil paint

diaper X orbaby powder

table salt X

rubber band

newspaper

birdbath X or

spark plug

chewing gum'

other:

dowders Mountain State Park, NC 5.1.5

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Aggregate - Rocks composed of a mixture ofminerals that may be separated by mechanicalmeans.

Anticline (anti-cline) - A geological structurein which rock layers are bent into an upfold orarch; evident in Crowders Mountain and KingsPinnacle. anticline

Barite (bar-rite) A mineral usually found inthe veins of sedimentary rocks; resemblesquartz but barite has a pearly luster whereasquartz has a glassy luster.

Bedding The formation of layers or strata insedimentary and metamorphosed sedimentaryrock.

Chemical weathering The erosion or wearingdown of a rock and its minerals by chemicalreactions which change the identities of theminerals.

Compaction - The process or state of beingpressed together; compacted.

Conglomerate (con-glom-er-ate) - Roundedbits and pieces of rock that have been cementedtogether by mineral substances.

Continental plates Granitic (granite) plateson which the continents ride. When these platescollide they push up taiountains and createmetamorphic rock due to the pressure of theircollision.

Crowders Mountain State Park, NC

Crystal A solid mass of mineral, havinga crystalline structure: a regular geometricshape, bounded by smooth, flat surfaces(crystal faces).

Decay - To decompose; rot.

Decomposition - The chemical breakup ofrock at or near the earth's surface. The mineralcomponents of the rock are altered and newcompounds are produced.

Earth's crust - A rigid shell, only about 30miles thick, less than one hundredth of thedistance to the earth's center. Eight elementsaccount for almost 99% of the earth's crust:oxygen (46.7%), silicone (27.7%), aluminum(8.1%), iron (5.1%), calcium (3.7%), sodium(2.8%), potassium (2.6%), and magnesium(2.1%).

Erosion The group of natural processes,including weathering, dissolution, abrasion,corrosion and transportation, by which earthyor rock material is removed from any part ofthe earth's surface to another.

Exfoliation An erosional process wherebyrocks flake or come off in layers.

Extrusive igneous rocks Rocks formed onthe earth's surface by the cooling of moltenmagma material originating from within theearth's crust. Once magma reaches the surfaceit is called lava.

Fault - A fracture in the earth's crust alongwhich rocks on one side have been displacedrelative to rocks on the other side.

Foliated Rocks that exhibit a layered appear-ance or texture.

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Folding - The geologic formation createdwhen a strata of rock is bent over or doubledup so that one part of the layer lies on anotherpart of the same layer.

Fossils - The remains or indications of anorganism that lived in the geologic past.

Fossil fuel Fuel derived from fossils. Ex-amples of the fuels include coal, natural gasand petroleum.

Geology The scientific study of the origin,history and structure of the earth.

Geologic process The breaking down andbuilding up of rocks, such as weathering,erosion, sedimentation and volcanic action;the phenomena of how the earth is shaped.

Gneiss - A banded or foliated metamorphicrock, usually of the same composition asgranite, in which the minerals are arranged inlayers.

Granite An intrusive igneous rock with verycourse grains composed of quartz and feldsparand other dark minerals; seen as outcrops onthe Crowders Mountain summit.

Hypothesis A proposed or possible answer toa problem; a premise from which a conclusionis drawn.

Igneous rocks (ig-ne-ous) Rocks formed bythe cooling of molten magma.

Intrusive igneous rocks (in-tru-sive) Moltenigneous rocks that force their way into thesurrounding rock and solidify below the earth'ssurface.

Kyanite (ky-a-nite) - A blue-gray mineralfound as blade-like crystals in some metamor-phic rocks at Crowders Mountain; used in themaking of spark plugs due to its heat resistance.

Crowders Mountain State Park, NC

Lava - Molten rock (magma) that is forced outof a volcano or out of cracks in the earth's crustand onto its surface.

Limestone A sedimentary rock consistingmainly of calcium carbonate.

Luster (lus-ter) The quality and intensity oflight reflected from a mineral. Luster is oneof the characteristics geologists use to identifyrocks and minerals.

Magma (mag-ma) Molten rock deep withinthe earth from which igneous rock is formed.

Mantle - In geology, the layer of the earthbetween the crust and the core.

Mechanical weathering - The erosion orbreakdown of rock into particles without chang-ing the identities of the minerals in the rocks;ice is the most important agent.

Metaconglomerate (me-ta-con-glom-er-ate)Metamorphosed sedimentary rocks composedof chemically cemented pebbles and sand. Theresult of metamorphic processes (intense heatand pressure) on a sedimentary conglomeratewhich cause the pebbles within the conglomer-ate to be melted, fused, stretched and distorted.

Metamorphic rocks (me-ta-mor-phic) Rocksthat have changed both physically and chemi-cally due to increases in pressure and tempera-ture and chemically active solutions.

Metamorphosis (me-ta-mor-pho-sis) - Atransformation, a marked change in appearanceor condition.

Mica A mineral family easily recognized byits dark colors and its capacity to easily be splitinto characteristic thin, pearly sheets.

Mica schist - A layered metamorphic rockgenerally containing noticeable mica minerals.Appears shiny; the second most common rocktype found at Crowders Mountain State Park.

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Mineral - A solid naturally occurring blendof elements having a fairly uniform chemicalcomposition and a constant set of physicalproperties including a crystalline shape.

Monadnock (mo-nad-nock) A hill or moun-tain of resistant rock remaining from a formerhighland, surrounded by a pene plain. KingsPinnacle and Crowders Mountain summits areboth monadnocks made up of quartzite.

Non-foliated - Metamorphic rocks that do nothave a directional or layered appearance totheir texture.

Ore Minerals which can be mined at a profit,such as kyanite.

Organic - Of, or pertaining to, or derived fromliving organisms.

Outcrop - An area of exposed rock. Examplesare road cuts, stream beds, quarries and natu-rally occurring rocky areas.

Peneplain (pe-ne-plain) A land surface ofconsiderable size that has been worn nearly flatdue to erosion.

Petroleum A natural. yellow-to-black, thick,flammable, liquid hydrocarbon mixture foundprincipally beneath the earth's surface. It isprocessed into natural gas, gasoline, naphtha,kerosene, fuel and lubrication oils, paraffinwax, asphalt, plastic and a wide variety of otherproducts.

Quartz - A hard crystalline mineral of silicondioxide, Si02 with a glassy luster.

Crowders Mountain State Park, NC

Quartzite (quartz-ite) - A hard metamorphicrock formed by heat and pressure on sandstone;the main rock type isthat forms KingsPinnacle andCrowdersMountainsummits.

Resistant rock Rock that weathers anderodes more slowly than ocher rock in the samearea.

Rock A naturally occurring consistent massof one or more minerals; the three rock typesare named according to their formation pro-cesses: sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous.

Rock cycle The process whereby one rocktype changes irew another.

Sandstone A sedimentary rock consisting ofquartz and sand cemented together.

Schist Any, of various medium to coarsegrained metamoiphic rocks composed ciflaminated, often flaky, parallel laytt's of chieflymicaceous, minerals.

Sediment Material that settles to the bottomof a liquid, such ?,,s soil being washed into alake and settlinf; to the bottom.

Sedimentary rock (sed-i-men-ta-ry) Bits andpieces of other kinds of rock that have beencemented together under pressure and depos-ited in layers near the earth's surface; some-times containing the remains of once-livingthings (fossils).

Shale - A fine-grained sedimentary rockcomposed largely of clay, mud or silt andcharacterized by its tendency to split easilyalong parallel planes.

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Silicate - Any of numerous compounds con-taining silicon, oxygen and a metal or organicradical, occurring in most rocks except lime-stone and dolomite, and forming the basis ofcommon glass and bricks.

Streak - The color left behind when the min-eral is rubbed across the surface of a piece ofunglazed, white porcelain.

Syncline A downward fold in rocks.

Talc - A soft mineral of magnesium silicate;usually whitish, greenish or grayish witha soapy feel, it occursin layered, granu-lar or fibrousmasses.

Crowders Mountain State Park, NC

Vent - An exit hole for hot gases and lava toflow from a volcano.

Volcanic eruption - A generally violentbursting forth of lava, volcanic ash and gasesfrom a volcano's vent.

Volcano - A cone-shaped hill or mountainconsisting chiefly of volcanic materials builtup around a vent or hole in the earth's crustfrom which eruptions occur.

Weathering The chemical alteration andmechanical breakdown of rock materialsduring exposure to air, moisture and organicmatter.

Xenolith Literally, a "stranger" rock, whichwas surrounded during the movement ofmagma to form an unrelated inclusion withinthe surrounding igneous rock.

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References

Adams, George F. and Jerome Wyckoff. 1971.Landforms, A Golden Guide. Racine, WI:Western Publishing Co.

The American Forest Council. 1987. ProjectLearning Tree. For information contact TheProject Learning Tree Coordinator, Box 8003,NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695.

Barnes-Svarney, L. Patricia. 1991. Born ofHeat and Pressure: Mountains and Metamor-phic Rocks. Hillside, NJ: Ens low Publishers.

Bates, Robert L. and Julia A. Jackson. 1980.Glossary of Geology. Falls Church. VA:American Geological Institute.

Beyer, Fred. 1991. North Carolina: The YearsBefore Man: A Geologic History. Durham,NC: Carolina Academic Press.

Birdd, Donald L. 1990. "Color Me Metamor-phic." The Science Teacher; (April).

Carpenter, P. A., III. (editor). 1989. A Geo-logical Guide to North Carolina State Parks.Bulletin 91. For information contact:NC Geological Survey Section, Divisionof Land Resources. PO Box 27687, RaleighNC 27611.

Chesterman, Charles W. 1978. The AudubonSociety Field Guide to North American Rocksand Minerals. New York, NY: Alfred A.Knopf.

Cvancare, Alan M. 1986. Field Manual forthe Amateur Geologist. New York, NY:Prentice Hall.

Ernst, W. D. 1969. Earth Materials.Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Eves, Robert L. and Larry E. Davis. 1988."Is the Rock Cycle an Outdated Idea, or aUnifying Concept?" Journal of GeologicalEducation, Vol. 36.

Crowders Mountain State Park, NC

Flint, R. F. and Brian Skinner. 1974. PhysicalGeology, (2nd Edition). New York, NY: JohnWiley & Sons, Inc.

Foster, Robert J. 1983. Physk.al Geology.(4th Edition). Columbus, OH: Charles E.Merrill Publishing Co.

Gallant, Roy A. and Christopher J. Schuberth.1967. Discovering Rocks and Minerals.Garden City, NY: The Natural History Press.

Headstrom, Richard. 1985. Suburban Geol-ogy. Englewood Cliff, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Hogg, John C., Judson B. Cross and KennethE. Vordenberg. 1959. Physical Science,A Basic Course. Princeton, NJ: D. VanNostrand Co.

Huxley, Thomas. (1868) 1983. "On a Pieceof Chalk." In The Earth Through Time, (2ndEdition), by Harold L. Levin. New York, NY:CBS College Publishing, W. B. SaundersCompany.

Kurten, Bjorn. 1988. Before the Indians.New York, NY: Columbia University Press.

Lambert, David and the Diagram Group. 1985.The Field Guide to Prehistoric Life. NewYork, NY: Facts on File, Inc.

Levine, Harold L. (1978) 1983. The EarthThrough Time, (2nd Edition). New York, NY:CBS College Publishing, W B. SaundersCompany.

Mottana, Annibale, Rodolfo Crespi andGiuseppe Liborio. 1978. Simon and Schuster'sGuide to Rocks and Minerals. New York, NY:Simon and Schuster.

National Wildlife Federation. 1988. "Geology,The Active Earth." Ranger Rick's NatureScope. Washington, DC.

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Park geology files. Crowders Mountain StatePark, Route 1, Box 159, Kings Mountain, NC28086.

Pough, Fredrick H. 1960. A Field Guide toRocks and Minerals, The Peterson Field GuideSeries. Cambridge, MA: Riverside Press.

Crowders Mountain State Park, NC

Sund, Tillery and Trowbridge. 1973. Elemen-tary Science Discovery Lesson -The EarthSciences. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Tennissen, Anthony C. 1982. Nature of EarthMaterials. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: PrenticeHall.

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SCHEDULING WORKSHEET

For office use only:Date request received Request received by

I) Name of group (school)

2)Contact personname phone (work) (home)

address3) Day/date/time of requested program

4) Program desired and program length

5) Meeting place

6)Time of arrival at park Time of departure from park

7) Number of students Age range (grade)(Note: A maximum of 30 participants is recommended.)

8) Numberof chaperones(Note: One adult for every 10 students is recommended.)

9) Areas of special emphasis

10) Special considerations of group (e.g. allergies, health concerns, physical limitations)

1 1) Have you or your group participated in park programs before? If yes, please indicate previousprograms attended:

12) Are parental permission forms required? If yes, please use the Parental Permission formon page 8.2.

, have read the entire Environmental Educa-tion Learning Experience and understand and agree to all the conditions within it.

Return to: Crowders Mountain State ParkRoute 1, Box 159Kings Mountain, NC 28086

Crowders Mountain State Park, NC

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PARENTAL PERMISSION FORM

Dear Parent:

Your child will soon be involved in an exciting learning adventure an environmental educationexperience at . Studies have shown that such "hands-on"learning programs improve children's attitudes and performance in a broad range of schoolsubjects.

In order to make your child's visit to "nature's classroom" as safe as possible we ask that youprovide the following information and sign at the bottom. Please note that insects, poison ivy andother potential risks are a natural part of any outdoor setting. We advise that children bringappropriate clothing (long pants, rain gear, sturdy shoes) for their planned activities.

Child's name

Does your child:

Have an allergy to bee stings or insect bites?If so, please t.h e them bring their medication and stress that they, or the group leader, beable to administer it.

Have other allergies?

Have any other heaith problems we should he aware of?

In case of an emergency, I give permission for my child to be treated by the attendingphysician. I understand that I would be notifiedas soon as possible.

Parent's signature date

Parent's name Home phone(please print) Work phone

Family Physician's name phone

Alternate Emergency Contact

Name phone

Crowders Mountain State Park. NC

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NORTH CAROLINA PARKS & RECREATIONPROGRAM EVALUATION

Please take a few moments to evaluate the program(s) you received. This will help us improve

our service to you in the future.

I . Program title(s) Date

Program leader(s)

2. What part of the program(s) did you find the most interesting and useful?

3. What part(s) did you find the least interesting and useful?

4. What can we do to improve the program(s)'?

5. General comments

LEADERS OF SCHOOL GROUPS AND OTHER ORGANIZED YOUTH GROUPS

PLEASE ANSWER THESE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS:

6. Group (school) name

7. Did the program(s) meet the stated objectives or curriculum needs?

If not, why?

Please return the completed form to park staff. Thank you.

Crowders Mountain State Park, NC

Crowders Mountain State ParkRoute 1, Box 159

Kings Mountain, NC 28086

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