A packet chocolate biscuits, Tiny Teddies were used for this activity
Greaseproof paper
A rectangular baking tray.
A bowl to melt the chocolate
A fridge
A stirring spoon or spatula
What to do
In a bowl, break up chocolate into pieces, melt in microwave oven on high for approximately 40 seconds, stir, if still not fully melted microwave for another 20 seconds. You may need to heat for a little longer, making sure you keep stirring, chocolate can burn if unattended. You can also heat the chocolate on a stove top. Place the bowl on a saucepan of boiling water and stir until melted.
Combine the rest of the ingredients with the melted chocolate. Mix well. As you add each ingredient you may like to talk about what they represent (see below).
Pour mixture into a lined slice tin, press down gently.
Refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares.
As you eat the conglomerate rocky road try to identify the different pieces of sediment.
What's happening?
Conglomerate is a rock that looks a bit like rocky road fudge. It is made up of sandstone or mudstone with chunks of other rocks and minerals mixed in. Conglomerate forms when a pebbly beach or riverbed fills with mud and sand and is buried under other materials. Eventually, the weight of the material presses the sand, mud and rock mix into a new rock - conglomerate.
Sedimentary rocks have fossils in them because plants and animals are covered up by new layers of sediment and are turned into stone. Most of the fossils we find are of plants and animals that have lived in the ocean and have settled to the bottom. Other plants and animals may have lived near swamps, marshes or at the edge of lakes and were covered with sediment when the size of the lake got bigger.
Chocolate - is the matrix that holds the sedimentary pieces together, usually sandstone or mudstone.
Raspberry frogs and Turkish delight - marine animals that have been fossilised in the rock.
Shredded Coconut - plant life that has been trapped in the rock. If there are large amounts of fossilised plant life, coal will form.
Tiny Teddies - land animals that have lived on the edge of swamps and rivers and have become part of the conglomerate rock.
Macadamia nuts, pistachio's and marshmallows - pebbles, minerals and other pieces of rock that have formed the new rock - conglomerate.
Applications
Sedimentary rocks cover 75% of the earth's surface. Most of the rocks found on the Earth's surface are sedimentary.
The more common types of sedimentary rock include shale, sandstone, conglomerate, coal, and limestone.
Shale is made up of cemented silt and clay, otherwise known as dirt and mud.
Sandstone is made of sand and mineral deposits found in the water.
Conglomerate rock has rounded rocks (pebbles, boulders) cemented together in a matrix.
Coal is from plant material. These sedimentary rocks are formed under great amounts of heat and pressure.
Limestone is made of chemicals like calcium carbonate, often precipitated from warm shallow seawater. Limestone is not formed like other sedimentary rocks in that it has no "glue," since it is all chemicals bonded together. These chemicals are calcium and carbonate, which come from things like old shells.
Conglomerate is a rock with a variable hardness. It is found in mostly thick layers and is commonly used in the construction industry .
More activities to help you celebrate Earth Science Week
