• Students will become familiar with the identification of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rock.

• Students will recognize the importance of a dichotomous key in the identification of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks.

• Students will become familiar with the various structures associated with each rock type.

• Students will identify some unknown hand samples.
  

• You as the teacher will develop an electronic dichotomous key for the identification of the different rock types. Once you have completed this electronic identification key, students will be able to identify rocks as sedimentary, igneous or metamorphic.

• Prepare the electronic dichotomous identification key and post it on the school or class Web Page. This can be done with power point first and then made into a website.

• You will need a hand lens, an eyedropper, dilute hydrochloric acid and some rock samples.

• Students must be familiar with the different rock types and the vocabulary associated with them.

• Review sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks. Include in this review the structures that are associated with each rock type. Visual representation works well when you are explaining the structures.

• Have a discussion session about how the students think the different rocks can be identified.

• Introduce the electronic identification key.

• Give students the necessary materials, some samples and allow them to begin.

• Allot time depending on the number of samples the students will be identifying.

Software

• Power Point or Corel Presentations
  

• Web Editing Program

• Evaluation should be done after the students have become familiar with using the electronic identification key. I would give each student several unseen rock samples and evaluate each student individually.

• This idea is taken from the SciencePlus Technology and Society 8 textbook. Therefore you can do it without the electronic medium if you are not familiar with the software.

• The electronic key is a motivational a time saving component.