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L e a r n i n g r e s o u r c e s e r i e s

Earth Really Rocks is part of an integrated education program distributed nationally by the Canadian Centre for Energy Information (Centre for Energy). The purpose of this series of current and practical petroleum industry

April 2006

Canadian Centre for Energy Information Alberta Education Approved

learning resources is to increase students’, teachers’ and parents’ understanding

of petroleum and its importance to all Canadians.

Each part of the series focuses on student participation and real-world examples to help make the petroleum industry come alive to students. Important background information and thought-provoking questions to extend learning are woven through each activity.

The activities in Earth Really Rocks are designed to be used in a variety of ways. Students can complete the activities in groups or individually, or they can be directed by the teacher. In addition, an interactive online learning activity is available in the Energy Education/EnerActivities section of www.centreforenergy.com for students to work on individually or in pairs.

Featured activities show the link between rocks and petroleum. As a result, they emphasize sedimentary rocks and their properties. Concepts such as porosity (the amount of space within sedimentary rock that might contain crude oil and natural gas) and processes such as underground oil and natural gas formation are introduced in activities featuring hands-on investigations, student participation and concrete examples. Teachers are encouraged to try the experiments before conducting them with students.

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rocks

http://www.centreforenergy.com

Your resource source

the Canadian Centre for energy Information (Centre for energy) is a non-profit organization created in 2002 to meet a growing demand for balanced, credible information about the Canadian energy sector. On January 1, 2003, the Petroleum Communication Foundation (PCF) became part of the Centre for energy. Our educational materials will build on the excellent resources published by the PCF and, over time, cover all parts of the Canadian energy sector from oil, natural gas, coal, thermal and hydropower to nuclear, solar, wind, fuel cell and other alternative sources of energy.

the Centre for energy does not take positions on issues. the learning resource Series was developed using a multi-stakeholder review process with the aim of creating fact-based, balanced documents. educators helped ensure that the educational materials are interesting and applicable to students in schools across Canada.

Canadian Centre for energy Information tel: 403-263-7722 Facsimile: 403-237-6286 e-mail: [email protected]

to order publications and educational materials, call toll free: 1-877-606-4636

to find out more about the Canadian Centre for energy Information or to find up-to-date information on petroleum issues, statistics or Centre for energy education resources, please visit the Centre for energy’s portal at: www.centreforenergy.com.

Copyright 2006 by the Canadian Centre for Energy Information. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the Canadian Centre for Energy Information. Professional elementary, secondary and post-secondary school educators may, however, use and copy portions of this publication for the limited purpose of instruction and study provided that such copies include this copyright notice. Copyright to all photographs and illustrations, except where noted, belongs to the Canadian Centre for Energy Information and unauthorized copying of this publication is prohibited.

This publication is provided for educational purposes only and the Canadian Centre for Energy Information makes no representation about the results to be obtained from using this publication or the accuracy, reliability, completeness or currency of the content. In no event will the Centre for Energy, or any parties contributing content to this publication, be liable to you for damages, of any kind, based upon any cause of action or theory, arising out of your use of this publication. The Centre for Energy does not endorse any product, service, or process which may be described in this publication.

Printed in CanadaRevised April 2006

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T E A C H I N G T I P S

The Did You Know text blocks o�er additional information, which teachers can use to provide a more complete understanding of the concepts or to encourage students to explore further. The Hints provide the teacher with ideas to guide students to think through some of the questions and problems posed in the activities. Hints can be shared with students as needed. Tips o�er suggestions for facilitating the activities.

T I P

Some of these activities require rock samples. There are a number of sources for sample rocks, including riverbanks, hillsides, under trees and bushes and even along the side of the road. Ask your Science Coordinator for other sources. If necessary, sample rock sets can be purchased from lapidary stores, science outlets or from online sources. A number of rock stores can be found listed at www.cuug.ab.ca/~johnstos/geosci.html.

EARTH REALLY ROCKS

CANADIAN CENTRE FOR ENERGY INFORMATION | WWW.CENTREFORENERGY.COM LEARNING RESOURCE SERIES 3

Background Information

Teachers are encouraged to read the Centre for Energy background information on geology (see below) prior to introducing these activities. Centre for Energy classroom materials are available free to Canadian teachers (some restrictions apply). Please visit the Centre for Energy portal at www.centreforenergy.com for product descriptions and ordering information.

• Our Petroleum Challenge, 7th edition This book provides a general introduction to Canada’s crude oil and natural gas industry. Section 1 presents an overview of the nation’s crude oil and natural gas resources and the role they play in modern society. Section 2 describes in more detail the steps involved in finding, producing, processing, transporting, refining, selling and using petroleum products. Section 3 discusses the challenges and opportunities facing the industry in the 21st century.

• Petroleum, a large two-sided poster depicting scenes of exploration, drilling, production, transportation, refining and processing of crude oil and natural gas in Canada

More geology and petroleum information can be found at the following websites:

• Background information on the petroleum industry, as well as educational materials and a careers section from the Centre for Energy: www.centreforenergy.com

• Games and information about Canada’s natural resources from Natural Resources Canada For Kids: www.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/studelev/index-eng.php

• Geological Survey of Canada: http://cgc.rncan.gc.ca/index_e.php

• Interactive student activities from the Alberta Energy & Utilities Board Kidzone: www.kidzone.ercb.ca/main.html

• "Rock Stars and Mineral Superheroes" crate from Science Alberta Foundation: www.sciencealberta.org

http://earthnet-geonet.ca/index_e.php

http://cgc.rncan.gc.ca/index_e.php



http://www.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/studelev/index-eng.php

http://www.cuug.ab.ca/~johnstos/geosci.html

http://earthnet-geonet.ca/index_e.php

http://www.kidzone.ercb.ca/main.html

http://www.sciencealberta.org

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Curriculum Links and Learning Outcomes

the activities in Earth Really Rocks are designed to fit within these Alberta curricula and learning outcomes:

SCiENCE3:ROCKSANDMiNERAlS

• 3-5: Demonstrate knowledge of materials that comprise earth’s crust, and demonstrate skill in classifying these materials.

• 3-5.1: Compare samples of various kinds of rock, and identify similarities and differences.

• 3-5.7: Describe some common uses of rocks and minerals, and identify examples of those uses within the school, home or local community.

• 4-2:Identify patterns and order in objects and events studied; and, with guidance, record observations, using pictures, words and charts; and make predictions and generalizations based on observations.

iNFORMAtiONANDCOMMuNiCAtiONtEChNOlOGyKtO3

• C1: Access, use and communicate information from a variety of technologies.

• C5: Use technology to aid collaboration during inquiry.

• C6: Use technology to investigate and/or solve problems.

pan-canadian science Links

the activities in Earth Really Rocks fit within grade 1 to 3 general learning outcomes from the Pan-Canadian Common Framework of Science learning Outcomes listed below:

• #102: Describe how science and technology affect their lives and those of the people and other living things in their community.

• #200: Ask questions about objects and events in their immediate environment and develop ideas about how those questions might be answered.

• #201: Observe and explore materials and events in their immediate environment and record the results.

• #202: Identify patterns and order in objects.

• #203: work with others and share and communicate ideas about their explorations.

n o T e

This set of activities is designed to

support the curriculum strands listed on

these pages, but is not a complete unit of

study designed to meet all the learning

requirements for each curriculum. Rather,

the resource is intended as a supplement

or extension to the broader lessons

included in the curriculum and therefore

covers only selected learning outcomes.

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Pebble Power

Learning outcomes

• SCiENCE 3: Demonstrate knowledge of materials that comprise earth’s crust, and demonstrate skill in clarifying these materials.

• SCiENCE3: Compare samples of various kinds of rock, and identify similarities and differences.

Materials for each pair

• large piece of construction paper or cardboard to use as a work mat.

• 8 – 10 different types of rock in a self-sealing plastic bag.

• Observation sheet.

introduction

Begin a study of rocks by creating a mind map. write the word rOCkS in the middle of a large sheet of paper or on the board. have students brainstorm all the words they can think of that describe rocks. write the words on the mind map, categorizing them if possible, like in the sample mind map opposite. If students run out of ideas, have them look at some of their rocks to help them come up with new describing words. Post the mind map where everyone can see it.

procedure

Form students into pairs. explain that together, they are going to sort through their rocks. Ask them to first write their names at the top of their work mat and observation sheet. have them fold their work mat in half and draw a line down the fold. then ask students to spread their rocks on the work mat.

work through a sample sorting together. First choose a describing word from the mind map, such as “shiny”. Ask everyone to write the word “shiny” in box 1 on their observation sheet. then each pair should sort through their rocks to find the ones that are shiny. have them place all the shiny rocks on one side of their work mat. Ask: how many shiny rocks do you have? have students write that number on their observation sheet next to the word “shiny”.

s T u D e n T a c T i V i T Y 1 science 3

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Now ask: what is the opposite of shiny? have students write the word “dull” in the next box on their sheet. Ask them to place all the dull rocks on the other side of their work mat. have them record how many dull rocks they have.

Now ask each pair to mix up their rocks. tell them this time they are going to sort them on their own. Ask them to choose another describing word from the mind map, sort their rocks and record their answers on the sheet. remind students they must also find the opposite to the describing word. when they are finished, have each pair repeat this procedure once more, choosing a new describing word. they should fill in their observations in boxes 2 and 3.

Once everyone has finished sorting their rocks the last time, ask them to leave their rocks sorted on their work mat. Instruct them not to tell anyone how they sorted their rocks. have each pair choose three other rock sets in the room to look at. For each set of rocks, they must decide together how the rocks have been sorted. to complete statements 4, � and 6 on their observation sheet, each pair should write down the names of students and how they think those students sorted their rocks. For example, they might write: “We thinkterry and Raj sorted their rocks into smooth and rough.”

Once everyone has recorded the sorting for three sets of rocks, ask each pair to explain to the rest of the class how they sorted their rocks. As each pair does so, ask if anyone guessed that sorting correctly.

Now have pairs choose two words from the mind map that are not opposites, like “smooth” and “dark”. Ask them to write these words on their observation sheet in box 7. then have them find all the rocks from their set that are both smooth and dark. Ask them to count how many rocks they have that are both smooth and dark, and write that number on their sheet. Ask them to repeat this procedure, choosing two new describing words to write in box 8.

Just before recess or lunch, encourage students to spend some time looking for one or two rocks that are different from the rocks in their set. have students bring the rocks inside and show them to the rest of the class, explaining where they found each one and why they wanted to add it to their set.

?Did you know? Sedimentary rocks are made of small grains cemented together. In

between the grains, there are spaces in which crude oil and natural gas can get trapped. Fossils are most

often found in sedimentary rocks, especially limestone.

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Testing, Testing

Learning outcomes

• SCiENCE 3: Demonstrate knowledge of materials that comprise earth’s crust, and demonstrate skill in classifying these materials.

• SCiENCE3: Compare samples of various kinds of rock, and identify similarities and differences.

• SCiENCE 3: Identify patterns and order in objects and events studied; and, with guidance, record observations, using pictures, words and charts; and make predictions and generalizations based on observations.


• hand lens • Penny• work mat from previous activity• rock set from previous activity• Correction fluid• Observation sheet

activity

Form students into pairs. explain that together, they are going to test eight different rocks.

Begin this activity by demonstrating the rock tests described below. Complete the observation sheet during the demonstration. Introduce the following vocabulary (definitions from merriam-webster Online Dictionary, www.merriam-webster.com):

• lustre: “appearance of the surface of a mineral dependent upon its reflecting qualities”. For this activity, lustre will be described as either “shiny” or “dull”.

• texture: “visual or tactile surface characteristics and appearance of something”. For this activity, texture will be described as either “rough” or “smooth”.

• hardness: “cohesion of the particles on the surface of a mineral as determined by its capacity to scratch another or be itself scratched”. For this activity, hardness will be described as “soft”, “medium” or “hard”, based on the hardness Scale at the bottom of the student handout.

T i p

Rocks can be numbered easily. First,

paint a small dot of correction fluid on

each rock. When it dries, use a pen or

felt pen to number each rock on the

white surface.


http://www.merriam-webster.com/

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procedure

1. Ask students to begin by testing their rocks for appearance, including colour, lustre and texture. have students use a hand lens to get a closer look at each rock. make sure they record their observations in the correct column on their sheet.

2. then have students test each of their rocks for hardness. Ask them to try scratching each rock with a fingernail, a penny or another rock. have them use the scale on the observation sheet to decide if a rock is soft, medium or hard, and write the correct word in the hardness column.

At the end of the activity, have students look at their rock characteristics. Ask: how are your rocks the same? how are they different?

explain that oil and natural gas are found in rocks, but only in soft rocks. that’s because soft rocks have tiny spaces inside them that can trap oil and natural gas. Ask: which of your rocks are soft? Do you think your soft rocks have any tiny spaces inside?

have students complete the questions at the bottom of the handout.

?Did you know? Geologists are people

who study the makeup of the earth’s crust. Some geologists help find oil

and natural gas by looking carefully at the rock deep underground. They know that oil and natural gas

can only be found in sedimentary rock so that’s

the kind of rock they search for.

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Stone Soup

Learning outcomes




• Jar with lid• Small pieces of clay, porous sandstone, shale or other very soft

sedimentary rock• water• Observation sheet

procedures

Form students into pairs. Ask each pair to fill a jar a little more than half full with water. then have them place their piece of clay or other soft rock into the jar and close the lid tightly. have students look into the jar and draw what they see in the correct space on the observation sheet.

Once everything is finished in their drawing, ask students what they think will happen if they shake their jar. Possible answers might include: the rock will crumble, the water will get dirty, etc. have each pair shake their jar for about five minutes, taking turns when their arms get tired. Immediately after shaking the jar, students should take a look inside. In the correct box on the observation sheet, have them draw what they see in the jar after it has been shaken. then ask students to read the pairs of sentences below their drawings and check the one in each pair that best describes their rock and jar of water.

Ask: why do you think your rock chipped so easily? Students should write their answer on the bottom of the observation sheet.

T i p

This activity could also be conducted as

a teacher-led demonstration.

h i n T

Sedimentary rocks like clay, sandstone

and chalk are made of lots of grains

cemented together, so they erode easily.


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Extension

share the story “stone soup”.

Once upon a time, somewhere far, far away, there was a great famine. People jealously hoarded whatever food they could find, hiding it even from their friends and neighbours. One day a peddler drove his wagon into a village, sold a few of his wares, and began asking questions as if he planned to stay for the night.

“there’s not a bite to eat in the whole village,” he was told. “you better keep moving on.”

“Oh, I have everything I need,” he said. “In fact, I was thinking of making some stone soup to share with all of you.” he pulled an iron cauldron from his wagon, filled it with water, and built a fire under it. then, with great ceremony, he drew an ordinary-looking stone from a velvet bag and dropped it into the water.

hearing the rumour of food, most of the villagers came to the square or watched from their windows. As the peddler sniffed the “broth” and licked his lips in anticipation, hunger began to overcome their skepticism.

“Ahhh,” the peddler said to himself rather loudly, “I do love a tasty stone soup. Of course, stone soup with cabbage – that’s hard to beat.”

Soon a villager approached hesitantly, holding a cabbage he’d retrieved from its hiding place, and added it to the pot. “excellent!” cried the peddler. “you know, I once had stone soup with cabbage and a bit of salt beef as well, and it was fit for a king.”

the village butcher managed to find some salt beef…. And so it went, with potatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and so on, until there was indeed a delicious meal for all. the villagers offered the peddler a great deal of money for the magic stone, but he refused to sell it. he travelled on the next day. From that time on, long after the famine had ended, the villagers talked about the finest soup they’d ever had, made from a magic stone.

explain that stones or rocks may not be able to make great soup, but they are magical in many ways. Ask: Can you think of some magical qualities of rocks?

h i n T

Some of the magical qualities of rock

include: beauty, strength, usefulness,

porosity, variety of types and

appearances, ability to hold crude oil

and natural gas, and ability to make

sparks (e.g. flint).

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Fill ’Er Up

Learning outcomes



Porosity is the volume of spaces within rock that might contain oil or natural gas (like the amount of water a sponge can hold).


• Scale• Small sponge • water• Observation sheet• Bowl or plastic container• Piece of porous sandstone • Paper towel

procedure

ExPERiMENt#1

Form students into pairs. have students weigh their dry sponge and record the weight on their observation sheet. then have students fill one of their bowls halfway with water. Ask them to place the sponge into the bowl, making sure it gets completely wet. have students remove the sponge without squeezing it and place it back on the scale. Ask them to weigh the wet sponge and record the weight on their observation sheet. have students subtract the weight of the dry sponge from the weight of the wet sponge and record that number in the column “weight of water trapped in sponge”.

Next, have students hold the sponge over the bowl and squeeze out as much water as they can. Ask students to weigh the squeezed out sponge and record the weight on their observation sheet.

Ask students to see if the weight of the dry sponge and the weight of the squeezed out sponge are the same. (the squeezed out sponge should be slightly heavier, since it will still hold some water.) have students subtract the weight of the dry sponge from the weight of the squeezed out sponge and record that number in the “weight of water trapped in sponge after squeezing”. Ask: why didn’t all of the water get squeezed back out of the sponge?


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explain that the sponge is acting much like an oil or natural gas reservoir. Crude oil and natural gas get trapped in sedimentary rocks just like the water got trapped in the sponge. But even though new technology “squeezes” every possible bit of oil and natural gas from each underground reservoir, the reservoirs can never be totally emptied, just like the sponge’s water could not be totally squeezed out.

ExPERiMENt#2

have students wipe up water spills with their paper towel before they begin the next experiment. explain that everyone is going to repeat experiment #1 with a piece of sandstone instead of a sponge, following a slightly different procedure.

have students weigh their dry sandstone and record the weight on their observation sheet. then have students fill one of their bowls halfway with water. Ask them to place the sandstone into the bowl, rolling it around to make sure it gets completely wet. (this may take a minute or two.) have students remove the wet sandstone and place it back on the scale. Ask them to weigh the wet sandstone and record the weight on their observation sheet. have students subtract the weight of the dry sandstone from the weight of the wet sandstone and record that number in the column: “weight of water trapped in sandstone”.

explain that we can’t squeeze sandstone like we squeezed a sponge. Ask: Can you think of ways to get the water out of your sandstone? Ask students to imagine the water in the sandstone is a precious resource, so it’s important to make sure it goes back in the bowl rather than just anywhere. Students might try shaking the sandstone, blowing on it, wrapping paper towel around it, etc. Ask: Is it easy getting the water from the sandstone back into the bowl?

explain: It’s harder to get oil and natural gas out of a reservoir than to get the water out of a piece of sandstone. that’s because oil and natural gas are trapped in sedimentary rocks like sandstone, but the rocks are deep underground or under water, like in offshore reservoirs. Sometimes after an oil well is drilled, large machines called pumpjacks can get all the oil out of the rock and bring it to the surface. Ask: Do you think pumpjacks can get all the oil out of a rock?

T i p

This activity could also be conducted as a

teacher-led demonstration.

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Millions of Years of Magic

Learning outcomes


• SCiENCE3: Describe some common uses of rocks and minerals, and identify examples of those uses within the school, home or local community.

procedure

explain that everyone in the class is going to participate in an experiment to understand how plants and animals turn into crude oil. First, gather the coats of everyone in the class. Designate one student to be a sea creature that has died and landed on the ocean floor 300 million years ago. Another student could be a plant. (Ask the “sea creature” and “plant” to lie on a coat on the classroom floor.) explain that over millions of years many more sea creatures and plants died as well, and they all settled in layers on top of these two. At the same time, many layers of mud settled on the bottom of the sea. (One by one, have students lay all the coats on top of the sea creature and plant.) tell students that every coat equals one million years of layers. Students can count the years as the layers are added. explain that with every layer and every million years, it got hotter and squishier, until the sea creatures and plants finally “melted” into oil! the layers of mud got so compacted, they turned into sedimentary rock.

explain that people who study rocks discovered that Canada’s prairies used to be under water! As the water drained away, the top layer of the seabed was exposed. Since then, wind and rain have been eroding some of the soft sedimentary rock, allowing us to see deeper inside the layers. (One by one, have students remove the coats.) within the layers are fossils that tell us what type of plants and animals lived here millions of years ago. Deeper down, we are finding oil trapped in the sedimentary rock. (Uncover the rest of the layers to show the sea creature and plant, which through heat and pressure have turned into oil.)

Introduce the word “petroleum” and explain that it comes from two Greek words: “petro” meaning “rock” and “oleum” meaning “oil”. explain that today, products made from petroleum come straight from ancient seabeds. we find petroleum products in our homes, in our lunches, in schools and hospitals, in cars and buses, in sports equipment and more! Ask students to think about things made from plastic, and explain that those items are all made from petroleum. make a class list or illustration of some products made from petroleum.


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Now that students know more about how ancient seabeds became petroleum rocks, they can complete the ordering activity on the handout. Students may need some guidance to order the four steps correctly.

online resource

A complementary online learning resource on rocks as the source of petroleum and other important products can be found in the enerActivities section of the Centre for energy portal, www.centreforenergy.com.

there are two activities within the online resource. the first activity walks players through four simplified stages of geology described in a storytelling format with colourful graphics. In the second activity, players determine whether or not selected everyday objects are derived from rocks.

Students can play alone or with a partner. Background information for teachers, including an answer key, can be downloaded and printed from the enerActivities introductory page.

the online resource supports the following learning outcomes:


• SCiENCE 3: Describe some common uses of rocks and minerals, and identify examples of those within the school, home or local community.

• C1: Access, use and communicate information from a variety of technologies.

• C5: Use technology to aid collaboration during inquiry.

• C6: Use technology to investigate and/or solve problems.

?Did you know? The Earth is about four and a half billion years old. The earliest of the

sediments that produce almost all crude oil and

natural gas were deposited about 560 million years

ago. Dinosaurs were around from 65 to 135 million years ago. People have

been on the Earth for only about two million years.



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Rockin’ Round Alberta

Learning outcomes


activity

As a wrap-up to the previous activities, students can work individually or in pairs on this fill-in-the-blanks worksheet.

rockin’ round alberta answer Key

more than 300 million years ago, Alberta was under water! lots of water-based or marine plants and animals (like dinosaurs!) lived in the shallow tropical seas of Alberta. Over time, these plants and animals died and settled in the mud on the sea floor. As more and more layers of plants, animals and mud built up, it got very hot and squishy. After millions of years, all that heat and weight turned the mud into rock and the plants and animals into petroleum. Some of the plants and animals became fossils. lots of fossils and dinosaur bones have been found in Alberta.

the word petroleum comes from the Greek words “Petro” for rock and “oleum” for oil. that’s why people study rocks to find oil. they find petroleum by drilling an oil well through the rock under the ground.

have you ever seen an oil well? ■ yes or ■ no


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Pebble Power Activity Sheet

4. we think ______________________ and ________________________ sorted their rocks

into __________________________ and ________________________

�. we think ______________________ and ________________________ sorted their rocks

into __________________________ and ________________________

6. we think ______________________ and ________________________ sorted their rocks

into __________________________ and ________________________

Names:

two describing words # of rocks

7.

8.

Describing word # of rocks Opposite of describing word # of rocks

1.

2.

3.

s T u D e n T h a n D o u T

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Testing, Testing Observation Sheet


Names:

rock # Colour lustre texture hardness (Shiny or Dull) (rough or Smooth) (Soft, medium or hard)

1.

2.

3.

4.

�.

6.

7.

8.

hardness scale

I can scratch this rock with my fingernail. Soft

I can scratch this rock with a penny. medium

I can’t scratch this rock at all. hard

Sedimentary rocks are usually soft. ■ true ■ False

Sedimentary rocks have grains that can break off or rub off. ■ true ■ False

Put a ✓ on the rocks you think are sedimentary rocks.

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Stone Soup Observation Sheet

Names:

what we saw in the jar before we shook it: what we saw in the jar after we shook it for � minutes:

■ there were lots of rock chips in the water. ■ the water was cloudy.

■ there were just a few rock chips in the water. ■ the water was clear.

■ the rock chips were big. ■ the rock chips floated.

■ the rock chips were small. ■ the rock chips sank.

why do you think your rocks chipped so easily?


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Fill ’Er Up Observation Sheet

Names:

experiment #1

why does the wet sponge weigh more than the dry sponge?

why does the squeezed-out sponge still weigh more than the dry sponge?

experiment #2

how could you get some water from the wet sandstone back into your bowl?

weight of dry weight of wet weight of water sandstone sandstone trapped in (grams) (grams) sandstone (grams)


weight of weight of wet weight of water weight of sponge weight of water dry sponge sponge trapped in sponge after squeezing trapped in sponge (grams) (grams) (grams) (grams) after squeezing (grams)

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Millions of Years of Magic Activity Sheet

Names:

look carefully at the pictures on the next page. Cut them out and past them in the correct order in

the four squares below. Colour the pictures to show the layers of mud, plants and animals.


1. 2.

3. 4.

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Rockin’ Round Alberta Activity Sheet

Names:

USe the wOrDS At the BOttOm OF the PAGe tO COmPlete the StOry. USe eACh wOrD ONly ONCe.

more than 300 million years ago, Alberta was under ________________ ! lots of water-based

or ____________________ plants and animals (like dinosaurs!) lived in the shallow tropical seas

of Alberta. Over time, these plants and _____________ died and settled in the _____________

on the sea floor. As more and more layers of plants, animals and mud built up, it got very

____________ and squishy. After millions of years, all that heat and weight turned the mud into

______________________ and the plants and animals into _____________________ . Some of

the plants and animals became _____________. lots of fossils and ________________ bones have

been found in Alberta.

the word petroleum comes from the Greek words “____________” for rock and “oleum” for oil.

that’s why people study rocks to find oil. they find petroleum by drilling an oil ___________

through the rock under the _____________.

have you ever seen an oil well? ■ yes or ■ no


petro animals petroleum fossils

water mud rock hot

well dinosaur marine ground

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Please help us improve this resource by providing feedback on the following areas. you may complete and fax this review form to the Centre for energy at 403- 237-6286, or by mail to 1600, 800 6th Avenue Sw, Calgary, AB t2P 3G3. you may also e-mail your comments to [email protected]

Did you find this resource useful for your class?

■ yes ■ No

Would you use it again and/or recommend it to other teachers?

■ yes ■ No

Which of the activities did you and your students complete?■ #1. Pebble Power■ #2. testing, testing■ #3. Stone Soup■ #4. Fill ’er Up■ #�. millions of years of magic■ #6. rockin’ round Alberta■ earth really rocks – Online resource

of the activities you completed, which ones did you and your students find the most interesting? please list your top three:

tEAChER StuDENtS

1 1

2 2

3 3

Earth Really Rocks Resource Review

eArth reAlly rOCkS reSOUrCe revIew(cont.) eArth reAlly rOCkS


please rate this resource in the following categories:

Curriculum fit ■ Good fit ■ Some fit ■ No fit

Age level ■ too old ■ too young ■ Just right

Activities ■ too many ■ too few ■ Just right

time required ■ too long ■ too short ■ Just right

Support materials ■ Appropriate ■ Not needed(i.e. student handouts )

other support materials needed:

please offer your suggestions for improving this resource. Feel free to expand on your responses given above and/or continue on a separate page if necessary.

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