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Caves are large, naturally-occurring cavities formed underground or in the face of a cliff or a hillside. Caves are often formed out of limestone, but may also be formed from chalk, dolomite, marble, and other rocks. Old rock is destroyed and new rock is formed in association with caves.

  • Destruction: Caves are often formed by forces that erode or dissolve rocks and minerals, such as acidic groundwater, creating the large openings underground.
  • Creation: Inside a cave, new rock is deposited on the roof and ground of caves as stalactites and stalagmites.
    • A Majestic Cave

Revisit the rock cycle, and point out the steps of the process that apply to caves.

  1. The Earth's Mantle Melts to Form Magma
  2. The Magma Cools and Crystallizes
  3. The Cooling Magma Forms Igneous Rocks
  4. Existing Rocks are Eroded and Broken Down
  5. Water Deposits Sediments and Precipitates
  6. Sedimentary Rocks are Compacted from Sediments and Precipitates
  7. Rocks Are Pushed Underground and Subjected to Heat and Pressure
  8. Heat and Pressure Transform Rocks into Metamorphic Rocks
  9. Underground Rocks are Subjected to High Heat
    10. The Rock Cycle

Inside caves, you may find tunnels, underground lakes and rivers, stalactites, and stalagmites. Mosses, ferns, liverworts, bats, fish, spiders, amphibians, reptiles, and insects can also be found living inside caves. Some of the animals living inside the darkest parts of caves have no eyes, as the cave is so pitch black, eyes no longer serve a purpose.
A Bat Inside a Cave

Directions

Study the lesson for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read the lesson.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Recite aloud the vocabulary words and their definitions.
  • Study the rock and mineral of the week.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Study the review questions.

Synopsis

Caves are large, naturally-occurring cavities formed underground or in the face of a cliff or a hillside. Caves are often formed by forces that erode or dissolve rocks and minerals, such as acidic groundwater, creating the large openings underground. Inside a cave, new rock is deposited on the roof and ground of caves as stalactites and stalagmites. Caves are often formed out of limestone, but may also be formed from chalk, dolomite, marble, and other rocks.

Vocabulary

Cave: A large, naturally-occurring cavity formed underground or in the face of a cliff or a hillside.
Stalagmite: A secondary mineral deposit of calcium carbonate or other mineral, in shapes similar to icicles, that lie on the ground of a cave.
Stalactite: A secondary mineral deposit of calcium carbonate or another mineral, in shapes similar to icicles, that hangs from the roof of a cave.
Coral: A hard substance made of the limestone skeletons of marine polyps.
Mollusk: A soft-bodied invertebrate of the phylum Mollusca, typically with a hard shell of one or more pieces.
Precipitation: A reaction that leads a solid settling out of a liquid.

Rock or Mineral of the Week

Overview
  • Limestone an abundant sedimentary rock of marine and fresh-water sediments; primarily composed of calcite (CaCO3).
  • Limestone is made from the shells or skeletons of marine life including mollusks and coral.
  • Limestone can also be made via secretion by marine organisms such as algae or precipitation from water.

Physical Characteristics (Calcite)
  • Color: Often white, but many other colors as well
  • Hardness: 3
  • Luster: Vitreous
  • Cleavage: Perfect in three directions
  • Streak: White
  • Tenacity: Brittle

Enrichment

Activity 1: Narrate the Lesson

  • After reading or listening to the lesson, narrate the lesson aloud using your own words.

Activity 2: Can You Find It?

Find the following elements on the periodic table:

  • Calcium (Ca)
  • Carbon (C)
  • Oxygen (O)
  • In which group and period is calcium (Ca)?

Activity 3: Take a Nature Walk

  • Embark on a nature walk.
  • Collect one rock or mineral specimen.
  • Use the gathered specimen to create the field book entry.

Activity 4: Complete a Field Book Entry   

After your nature walk, complete page 6 in 'Fifth Grade Science Rocks and Minerals Notebook Pages.'

Review

Question 1

Describe something about limestone.
1 / 4

Answer 1

Limestone is a sedimentary rock formed from the skeletons, shells, or secretion of marine creatures. It may also form via precipitation out of solution.
1 / 4

Question 2

How are caves and limestone related?
2 / 4

Answer 2

Caves are often formed in deposits of limestone.
2 / 4

Question 3

Is limestone an igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary rock?
3 / 4

Answer 3

Limestone is a sedimentary rock.
3 / 4

Question 4

Which rock group includes those that are formed by deposition, precipitation, and biological activity?
4 / 4

Answer 4

The sedimentary rock group includes those that are formed by deposition, precipitation, and biological activity.
4 / 4

  1. Describe something about limestone. Limestone is a sedimentary rock formed from the skeletons, shells, or secretion of marine creatures. It may also form via precipitation out of solution.
  2. How are caves and limestone related? Caves are often formed in deposits of limestone.
  3. Is limestone an igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary rock? Limestone is a sedimentary rock.
  4. Which rock group includes those that are formed by deposition, precipitation, and biological activity? The sedimentary rock group includes those that are formed by deposition, precipitation, and biological activity.

References

  1. 'Cave.' Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave. n.p.
  2. 'Limestone.' Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limestone. n.p.
  3. Cited Physical Properties. Geology.com. geology.com/rocks. n.p.

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