Rock cycle learning stations give Grade 7 Science students a case-study-based way to examine how rocks and Earth's surface change over time. Designed for the Alberta Science 7: Planet Earth context, this activity focuses on evidence of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock processes while connecting weathering, erosion, transport, and deposition to a flexible rock-cycle model.

Follow the Evidence Through Real Locations

Rather than treating the rock cycle as one fixed sequence, students work with station case studies and use evidence to recognize that rocks can move through multiple pathways. The activity asks students to connect observations from real locations with the processes that form rocks and reshape Earth's surface.

Students record information as they move through the stations, then use the station wrap-up to bring evidence from the cases together. This structure supports discussion of how individual examples fit into a broader model of surface change and rock transformation.

Science Skills and Concepts

• Identify evidence associated with igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock processes.
• Explain how weathering breaks down Earth materials and contributes to surface change.
• Connect erosion, transport, and deposition with the movement and accumulation of rock material.
• Use case-study evidence to explain different pathways through the rock cycle.
• Relate processes observed at real locations to a model of Earth's changing surface.

What Teachers Receive

• Station cards built around rock and surface-change case studies
• A student station recording sheet for organizing evidence
• A station wrap-up for synthesizing ideas across the cases
• A Teacher Guide included in the Answer Key PDF
• Learning objectives, teaching tips, discussion questions, and common mistakes in the Teacher Guide

Built for Station Rotation and Evidence-Based Discussion

Place the station cards around the classroom and have small groups rotate between them while completing their own recording sheets. After the rotation, use the wrap-up and Teacher Guide discussion questions to compare cases and connect the evidence to rock formation and surface processes.

This format works especially well when students need to move beyond memorizing the names of rock types. They must identify processes, connect evidence with explanations, and recognize that the rock cycle has multiple possible pathways. The included teacher support also provides a clear starting point for addressing common mistakes and guiding whole-class discussion.

Use Rocks in Motion: Evidence of a Changing Surface as a Grade 7 Earth science learning stations activity within an Alberta Planet Earth lesson sequence focused on rocks, weathering, erosion, deposition, and rock-cycle evidence.