Learning about the five different parts of the rock cycle with this fun Starburst Science Experiment.
Starburst Science Experiment
- Mini starburst fruit chews
- Large white plate
- Small microwavable plate
- Scissors
- Knife
- Zip lock bag
- Baking Paper
- Microwave or a hairdryer
- Rock Cycle Labels
Caution – Don’t touch hot candy, let it cool first.
How to Make the Starburst Rock Cycle
First, we are going to create a sediment. If you are using normal sized starbursts, carefully cut them in half and then in half again – making four squares roughly the same size. Place the small pieces of candy onto the large white plate – we used 8 pieces. Cut out the label and place it or next to them.
Next, we made the sedimentary rock. To do this, we used 8 pieces of starburst and pushed four pieces on top of each other, then repeated this and then squashed them gently together. Cut out the label and place it or next to them.
When you apply heat and pressure to the sedimentary rock, you get a metamorphic rock. To do this, place 8 pieces of starburst candy into a ziplock bag. Push the candy pieces together to create a ball. This will take some time as it needs the heat of your hands and pressure to create. If you have young children, they may find it easier to stand on them, creating a flatter rock. We did this three times, creating three different metamorphic rocks – two to use later on. Cut out the label and place it or next to them.
To make the magma, cut a small piece of baking paper and place it on the small plate. Place one of the 2 extra metamorphic rocks on top of the baking paper and place the plate in the microwave for 30-40 seconds. Remove from the microwave. It will be hot, so don’t let children touch it. Cut out the label and place it or next to them.
When the magma is cooled, it becomes igneous rock. We repeated the instructions for the magma rock and let it cool, so that we could so the different parts of the rock cycle on the plate. Cut out the label and place it or next to them.
When the igneous rock is weathered and erosion happens, it will turn back into sediments and the cycle starts all over again.
Notes:
- If you can’t use candy, you could try completing this experiment with clay or playdough. Though, you can’t heat these, it will give you an idea of what is happening.
- Another way to show the rock cycle is with this Sugar Rock Cycle Experiment.
You can grab a copy of this Rock Cycle Printable, sign up below:
More Science Experiments
- Strawberry DNA Science Experiment
- Bending A Chicken Bone Science Experiment
- Dissolving Candy Cane Science Experiment
- Toothpaste Star Experiment
- Walking Water Rainbow Experiment
- Jelly Bean Experiment
- Pop Rock Experiment
- Rainy Day Experiment
- Walking On Eggs Experiment
- Growing Gummy Bear Experiment
- Fizzy Frozen Heart
- Make Your Own Rock Candy
Starburst Rock Cycle Experiment
Supplies
Instructions
- For this experiment, we used a packet of mini starburst fruit chews which we purchased from Amazon, though you could use the normal sized starbursts and cut them into four cubes.
- Caution - Don't touch hot candy, let it cool first.
- Sediment - If you are using normal sized starbursts, carefully cut them in half and then in half again - making four squares roughly the same size. Place the small pieces of candy onto the large white plate - we used 8 pieces. Cut out the label and place it or next to them.
- Sedimentary Rock - To do this, we used 8 pieces of starburst and pushed four pieces on top of each other, then repeated this and then squashed them gently together. Cut out the label and place it or next to them.
- Metamorphic Rock - When you apply heat and pressure to the sedimentary rock, you get a metamorphic rock. To do this, place 8 pieces of starburst candy into a ziplock bag. Push the candy pieces together to create a ball. This will take some time as it needs the heat of your hands and pressure to create. If you have young children, they may find it easier to stand on them, creating a flatter rock. We did this three times, creating three different metamorphic rocks - two to use later on. Cut out the label and place it or next to them.
- Magma - To make the magma, cut a small piece of baking paper and place it on the small plate. Place one of the 2 extra metamorphic rocks on top of the baking paper and place the plate in the microwave for 30-40 seconds. Remove from the microwave. It will be hot, so don't let children touch it. Cut out the label and place it or next to them.
- Igneous Rock - When the magma is cooled, it becomes igneous rock. We repeated the instructions for the magma rock and let it cool, so that we could so the different parts of the rock cycle on the plate. Cut out the label and place it or next to them.
- When the igneous rock is weathered and erosion happens, it will turn back into sediments and the cycle starts all over again.
Notes
- If you can't use candy, you could try completing this experiment with clay or playdough. Though, you can't heat these, it will give you an idea of what is happening.
- Another way to show the rock cycle is with this Sugar Rock Cycle Experiment.
Australian Gold Rush and Eureka Stockade