Rock Cycle 
FIFTH GRADE
6 week unit

1. Students should be able to distinguish a solute, solvent, and solution.
2. Students should begin conceptually defining the growth of a crystal.
3. Students should learn more characteristics of minerals.
4. Students should be able to determine the relative hardness of certain minerals.
5. Students should begin to realize that minerals and rocks are important to the society at large.
6. Students should be able to identify how the three types of rocks are formed.
7. Students' observation and analyzing skills should be increased.
8. Students should have a full understanding of how sedimentary rocks are formed.
9. Students should be able to describe how some caves are formed.
10. Students should be able to realize that identifying rocks is not easy.
11. Students should begin learning about geologic time.
12. Students should be able to describe how fossils are preserved. 

WEEK 1.
PRE: Describing a chemical reaction.
LAB: Illustrating how molecules move.
POST: Comparing salt and sugar crystals.

WEEK 2.
PRE: Exploring minerals made of elements and compounds.
LAB: Discovering the different hardness of minerals.
POST: Analyzing why one mineral is harder than another.
WEEK 3.
PRE: Exploring how minerals are useful.
LAB: Analyzing minerals for their usefulness.
POST: Distinguishing colors derived from minerals.

WEEK 4.
PRE: Interpreting the different environments where rocks form.
LAB: Analyzing the origin of different sands.
POST: Comparing areas where sedimentary particles are deposited.
WEEK 5.
PRE: Exploring the creation of caves.
LAB: Examining different sedimentary rocks.
POST: Exploring the difficulties in identifying rocks.

WEEK 6.
PRE: Exploring paleontology.
LAB: Illustrating how fossils are preserved.
POST: Comparing the different eras of time.