Metamorphic and Igneous Rock Formation Report

In this assignment you will prepare a written report in a lab report format that describes the metamorphic or igneous processes that form a specific rock of your choice. Your report should demonstrate what you know about the geologic nature of the resource, including the mineral, rocks, and elements that comprise the material, the rock forming processes, and resultant commodities. You are expected to draw from the course material and/or supplementary research to support your assertions.

This assignment supports meeting the following course learning outcomes:

Explain the importance of commonly mined metals, metalloids, precious stones and rare earth elements by summarizing how these base materials play a role in the objects of our everyday life.

Summarize the processes of obtaining key mining products and refining them for use in our everyday objects.

Follow the instructions below to complete your assignment. Remember to start your assignment early and to direct any questions to your instructor as soon as possible. 

Use Practical Lab 2_Template to create your assignment.

1. Choose ONE of the following sedimentary rocks to focus on for your assignment:

Gneiss
Schist
Granite
Obsidian

2. Create a lab report document that adheres to the structure below and includes the information outlined for each section:

Title page (APA Format):
• Include a report title, your name, course name/code, and course instructor name.

Introduction:

• Identify the rock that you have selected (e.g., granite).

• Classify the rock type as being either igneous (plutonic or volcanic) or metamorphic.

• Describe the rock’s characteristics (e.g., granite is hard and non-porous).

• Include an image of the rock that demonstrates its colour, texture, and other features.

• Good image sources include Flickr Creative CommonsOpens in a new tab, PexelsOpens in a new tab, or PixabayOpens in a new tab (both Pexels and Pixabay contain free images that do not require attribution).

Procedure:
• Outline the forming processes that acted to create the rock.

• Indicate in what geologic/geographic settings these processes may have occurred (e.g., in water or land).

• Present the rock forming processes in a visual format by creating a flow chart/concept map of the process in an application of your choice.

You can create the flow chart/concept map using such applications as MS Word, PPT, Visio, CoggleOpens in a new tab, LucidchartOpens in a new tab, or Mind MeisterOpens in a new tab. To learn how to make a concept map, watch the tutorial How to Make a Concept MapOpens in a new tab. See Sedimentary

Results:
• Describe the outcome of the igneous and metamorphic processes in terms of the rock formed.

• Indicate the minerals and/or element(s) that form in the rock (e.g., quartz in granite).

• Connect the rock to the resultant commodities and their common uses in society today (e.g., granite is used for countertops).

Conclusions:
• Explain why this rock is a valuable commodity.

• Indicate three things that you learned in the course of completing this lab report.