Session #3 Earth Materials Part I

The Dynamic Earth

The term dynamic Earth is an apt one. Everything is in a constant stage of flux. Both constructive and destructive forces are at work.

Just as the Earth's surface is always changing, so are the rocks that form the surface. They are constantly being recycled. In this session we will examine the differences between rocks and minerals; the three processes that form rocks; the sources of energy that drive the rock cycle, and how that cycle interacts with other processes and systems. Keep in mind that the processes are more important than the products.

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Content Sessions

Click for details on the content covered:

Rocks and Minerals
- Part One: Earth Science in a Nutshell
- Part Two: Quick Notes on Rocks vs. Minerals
The Franciscan Formation: Where the Rock and Plate Tectonic Cycles Converge
What's in a Sedimentary Rock

Activity Sessions

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Sequencing Time - An activity on geologic time
Searching Sand
Minerals in Our Environment

Presenters

Host: Lisa White, San Francisco State University
Leslie Gordon, US Geological Survey
Judy Scotchmoor, UC Museum of Paleontology
Carol Tang, California Academy of Sciences

Additional Resources

Scientific Illustration Techniques and Handmade Mineral Paints for Geoscience Classes - An article by Lorena Babock Moore in the Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 48, 2000, p. 300.
Industrial Minerals in Daily Life - An article by Hal McVay in Arizona Geology, vol 21, no. 2, Summer 1991.
The SRATegy COLUMN for Precollege Science Teachers: The Nitty Gritty of Sand - An article by Ellen Pletcher Metzger in the Journal of Geoscience Education, 1002, v. 40, p. 338.
Minerals at Home [PDF file] - From the Lawrence Hall of Science GEMS unit: Stories in Stone
The USGS - Lots of resources!

updated February 6, 2002