Tuesday, April 12, 2016

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Edible Igneous Rocks Model Science Experiment

This edible igneous rock model is a fantastic earth science experiment!  Besides being edible, colorful, and loads of fun, it makes a wonderfully stark contrast to sedimentary rocks, which we modeled with the same ingredients in that science project!



Have you been following along with activities from our Rocks unit?  I've already written about our sedimentary rocks model, fizzing sedimentary rocks experiment, and rocks/soil lesson.  This activity was part of our igneous rocks lesson.

Before we did our igneous rock experiments, we talked about how igneous rocks are made from volcanoes!  When other rocks get so hot that they melt, they eventually cool and make new rocks.  These new rocks are igneous rocks!  Any type of rock (sedimentary, igneous, or metamorphic) or mineral can be melted in a volcano into a new igneous rock.

Edible Igneous Rocks Model Science Experiment


To make your own edible igneous rocks, you will need these

Simple Supplies:

* cupcake cups
* graham crackers
* M&M's
* mini marshmallows



Easy How To:

1- Encourage your children to add the ingedients and mix them up as the Earth would mix up rocks that get moved around by wind, water, and crust motion.

We said the candy and crackers represented rocks and sand and the marshmallows represented minerals like quartz!



2- Uh Oh!  They landed in a volcano!  To represent the volcano heat your little models until the marshmallows melt.  We have used both a microwave and a hotplate.



3- Let the new igneous rocks cool!  Eating them is, of course, optional!  ;)



Let your kids experiment with making their own igneous rock models out of different materials.  Do chocolate chips melt differently than M&M's?  Do you think that real rocks melt in different ways and patterns?  How could this affect the new igneous rocks that form?



Do you love Earth Science experiments?  There are so many fun ways to learn about our planet!  I have a few blogging friends sharing great Earth Science learning activities and science projects today too!  Be sure to check out LEGO Layers of the Earth Activity from Little Bins for Little Hands and the Salt Flats Formation Activity from Planet Smarty Pants!



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