Kunkel teacher Amanda Rehkop used bread, chocolate, and play dough to teach her 3rd grade students a little Earth Science, specifically about rocks. How, you ask? She came up with three different activities, each focused on a particular type of rock. First, students learned about Sedimentary rock which forms when combinations of rock fragments, seashells, and chemicals are compressed in layers and hardened. Students used two pieces of bread (one white piece of bread and one wheat piece of bread) and melded the two layers of bread together. After a few days, the pieces of bread hardened resembling Sedimentary rock. Next, they moved on to Igneous rocks, which are formed when rocks melt, cool, and harden over time. This time, the students used chocolate. They melted it in the microwave, let it cool, and each had their very own chocolate Igneous rock. Lastly, they learned about Metamorphic rocks, which are formed when other rocks are changed by heat and pressure. Students were given two different colors of play dough and asked to roll it together in their hands. The rolling action created heat and pressure which turned the play dough into a play dough metamorphic rock.
Miss Rehkop’s students enjoyed the activity, learned about rocks, and even got a little chocolate treat!
