Rock Cycle Activity – Weathering & Erosion Lab, Worksheets, Geology, Deposition

Model the rock cycle in a way students will never forget—no millions of years required.

The Rock Cycle Cookie Factory Lab transforms an abstract Earth science process into a hands-on, data-driven investigation where students build, transform, and analyze rocks step by step. Using simple classroom materials, students model weathering, erosion, deposition, compaction, metamorphism, melting, and cooling while tracking how energy drives change throughout the rock cycle.

Rather than memorizing diagrams, learners act as geologists—breaking sediments apart, compressing them into rock, altering them with heat and pressure, and finally melting and cooling material to form igneous rock. Throughout the lab, students collect observations, analyze model limitations, and explain their findings using Claim–Evidence–Reasoning (CER).

Perfect for NGSS-aligned middle and high school Earth science, this lab emphasizes scientific modeling, energy transfer, and systems thinking, while remaining easy to set up and highly engaging.

Why Teachers Love This Lab

• Hands-on, memorable, and highly engaging for all learners
• Makes the rock cycle visible and concrete, not just theoretical
• Strong focus on energy transfer, not rote memorization
• Explicit modeling of scientific limitations and scale
• Built-in CER writing and higher-order analysis
• Clear structure that works for middle school through high school
• Uses simple, low-cost materials with high instructional payoff

What’s Included

• Printable, student-friendly lab handout
• Engaging background reading that frames the rock cycle as an energy-driven system
• Front-loaded vocabulary section with student-owned definitions
• Step-by-step procedures with embedded student hints
• Detailed data table aligned to NGSS practices
• Higher-order analysis questions focused on processes, pathways, and limitations
• Full CER writing task
• Real-world connection prompts
• Formal concluding synthesis section

Full Teacher Guide Includes

• NGSS alignment (PEs, DCIs, SEPs, CCCs)
• Learning objectives and teacher rationale
• Estimated time frames and pacing guidance
• Teacher setup and classroom management tips
• Safety notes and heating-station strategies
• Complete answer keys for:
  • Data table
  • Analysis questions
  • CER writing task
  • Formal conclusion
• Differentiation strategies for mixed-ability classrooms
• Common misconceptions with instructional fixes
• Assessment suggestions and extension ideas

What Students Will Learn

• How rocks change through weathering, erosion, deposition, compaction, heat, pressure, melting, and cooling
• How energy drives matter changes in Earth systems
• How sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks form
• How to evaluate the strengths and limitations of scientific models
• How rocks can move through multiple pathways in the rock cycle
• How to support scientific explanations using Claim–Evidence–Reasoning

Easy Setup, High Engagement, Meaningful Science

With familiar materials and clear procedures, students quickly move from curiosity to deep scientific thinking. This lab replaces passive diagram labeling with active modeling, analysis, and explanation, making it a powerful cornerstone activity for any rocks and minerals unit.

Engaging, standards-based, and classroom-tested—this is the rock cycle lab students remember.

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Thanks for visiting!
Jessica