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I am taking this from my science department, but when i taught the rock cycle, i i borrowed rocks from all of the 3 major types; sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic and had the kids examine them with magiscopes at first to gain interest. I did this without telling them what kind of rock it was or its type and just told them to write specific observations down about its characteristics, including weight, shape, color, texture, and any other defining adjectives. I did this in order for them to appreciate the details of each type and had them group them by their similarities. (I also recommend using bituminous coal, and anthracite coal, along with limestone and marble, especially because it helps them see that these rocks come from the same source.
After they had their observations and i taught them a lesson on the rock cycle and the typical characteristics of each, i gave them the names and types. By doing this, i feel that they were able to practice their observation and attention to detail skills.
For extra reinforcement had them do the simulations from the sciguides that covered the rock cycle. This gave them better insight on how metamorphic rocks are formed and that rocks can and do go through a continuous "cycle". Hope this helps, assuming you have the resources and a department rock collection.
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