Rocks & Minerals is known as the study of Geology. Understanding of the unique characteristics and properties of rocks & minerals. How they are used. How they are used in society. How their use affects the environment. Assess the social & environmental impact of human’s use of rocks & minerals. Demonstrate an understanding of the physical properties of rocks & minerals. Quarried stone, sand & gravel are used to make concrete. Concrete gives strength and long life to roads & buildings but making concrete uses a lot of natural resources & energy. Aluminum is used to make soft drink containers and trash cans. These cans can be recycled many times and use far less energy than making aluminum from ore. What is the impact on society and the environment of extracting and refining rocks & minerals for human use? Surface mining as opposed to underground mining. Efforts being made to reclaim land where mines & quarries have been closed. Mined –out quarries can be filled with water and used for recreational purposes. Science Vocab:-hardness, colour, lustre, texture. Rocks composed of 2 or more minerals. Minerals composed of the same substance throughout. Explain how igneous, sedimentary & metamorphic rocks are formed. Igneous rocks formed when hot liquid rock moves from deep below the surface and moves, cools & solidifies after a volcanic eruption. Sedimentary rocks form when small pieces of earth have been worn away by wind & water and accumulates at the bottom of rivers. Use scientific inquiry and research skills to investigate how rocks and minerals are used, recycled and disposed of in everyday life. Nickel & copper made into coins. Coins can be melted down and the metal used for other things. Calcium from limestone, silicon from sand or clay, aluminium from bauxite, iron from iron ore. Concrete can be returned to cement and concrete production facilities can be recycled. Rocks from quarries are used for garden landscaping and these rocks can be reused. Marble is used for counter tops & statues. Discuss ways rocks & minerals are used in daily life. What alternative materials could be used instead of rocks & minerals? Which minerals can be recycled or reused in other products. Metamorphic rocks form when pre-existing rocks are changed by heat & pressure. Characteristics of the three classes of rocks : Sedimentary rocks-flat layers, pores between pieces sometimes contain fossils. Igneous rocks generally have no layers/variable textures and do not contain fossils. Metamorphic rocks alternating between dark & light minerals.