Transcript Mr. Ratburn

Mr. Ratburn: Welcome class,
how are you today?
Francine: I’m not in a good
mood; I wish we were at
recess instead of science!
Mr. Ratburn: Well, its funny
that you say that.
Francine: Why?
Mr. Ratburn: Today in class we
will be learning about
something that you see
everyday while at recess!
Buster: We are learning about
playgrounds and pick up
soccer?
Mr. Ratburn: Nope, we are
learning about rocks!
Francine: That doesn’t sound
too exciting to me.
Muffy: Yeah, I agree. Rocks are
gray and boring.
Mr. Ratburn: Well, hopefully
your opinion changes after
today’s lesson. I will be right
back, let me go get some of
my supplies.
Arthur: What do you have in
all those boxes?!
Mr. Ratburn: Patience Arthur,
you will see in a few moments.
I have a feeling you will be
surprised. Rocks come in many
different colors, shapes, and
sizes. No two rocks are alike.
Buster: Just like people!
Mr. Ratburn: Correct Buster!
There are 3 different kinds of
rocks- igneous, sedimentary,
and metamorphic. The first
type of rock that we will learn
about today is igneous.
Igneous rocks are formed by
melted rock that has cooled
and hardened.
Francine: Like a volcano!?
Mr. Ratburn: Exactly. When rocks
are buried in the Earth, they melt
because of the high pressure and
temperature. Then, the molten
rock called magma is erupted from
a volcano onto the Earth's surface.
When magma cools slowly,
crystals grow from the molten
liquid, and a coarse-grained rock
forms. When magma cools quickly,
the crystals are extremely small,
and a fine-grained rock is created.
Buster: Wow, this rock feels so
cool!
Mr. Ratburn: Yes, that is an
example of an igneous rock
made up of serpentinite
minerals, it is known for it’s
unique green color and
slippery texture.
Mr. Ratburn: Okay, let me tell
you about sedimentary rocks.
These rocks are formed at the
surface of the earth. They are
layered accumulations of
sediment fragments of rocks,
minerals, or animal or plant
material.
Arthur: These sedimentary
rocks are amazing! There are a
lot of interesting pieces in
them!
Sue Ellen: Yeah I agree! I never
thought looking at rocks could be
so fascinating.
Mr. Ratburn: These are the kinds
of rocks that you most likely see
around. They are all different, and
if you look hard enough, you
might just find one as pretty as
these. Next week, we will be going
to the lake nearby school, and you
will be able to find all sorts of
rocks just like the ones that I have
in my collection.
Class: Yay! Yippee!
Arthur: I want to bring a
bucket and take some home
to my little sister D.W. I want
to teach her that rocks are not
as boring as people think!
Mr. Ratburn: That is a great idea.
Now before you all lose focus
because of your excitement, I
need to tell you about the final
kind of rock. Metamorphic rocks
are found buried deep inside the
earth’s crust. They are not of the
kind we will be viewing at the lake
next week. The formation of
metamorphic rocks occurs when
igneous and sedimentary rocks are
under intense pressure or heat.
The process of metamorphism
does not melt the rocks, but
instead makes them denser, and
more compact
Sue Ellen: I am going to go
look in my backyard when I
get home to find interesting
rocks.
Mr. Ratburn: Sue Ellen, you
just gave me a great idea. For
homework, I would like you all
to find one rock specimen and
bring it into class tomorrow.
Make sure it is no bigger then
about 2 inches. Have fun with
your search, and be ready to
tell what kind you think it is!
Have a great rest of the day.