Observation Questions:

1. What type of force did you apply to the first block of dough? Compression
   you pushed the layers together.
2. What changes did you observe in the shape and structure of the first block of dough? The layers swirled in an S shape or moved up in an upside down smile shape.
3. What type of force did you apply to the second block of dough? Tension stress-you pulled the dough in opposite directions.
4. What changes did you observe in the second block of dough? The middle of the block of dough got thinner and may be broke into two pieces
5. What type of force did you apply to the third block of dough? Shearing Stress- The block moved side to side.
6. What change did you observe in the third block of dough? The dough move until it broke into two side by side pieces.
7. Which blocks of clay produced foliation? Any block that swirled in layers. Foliation means in ribbon like bands.

Analysis Questions:

1. Which block of play dough resembles a metamorphic rock? Explain why. The first and third block may show changes in the shape and structure of the clay like swirling, up warping, folding, over turning or bending.
2. What is needed for metamorphic rocks to be formed in the Earth's crust? Heat and pressure.
3. Describe how your hands modeled the metamorphic process with the three blocks of play dough . The heat from my hands and the pressure of pushing the dough was like the forces and heat inside the earth that forms metamorphic rocks like Gneiss from granite of marble from limestone.
4. Where in nature would forces like the ones you applied to the play dough be applied to rocks in the Earth's crust? Give specific examples for support. Inside mountains, along active transform faults and in deep regions near a magma source metamorphic rock is formed. For example inside the Rocky Mountains you can find folded rock or along the San Andreas Fault .

Follow up:

Use clay and compare which required more force the play dough or the clay (or vice a versa). Have the students explain why and relate it to grades of metamorphic rock. Clay should take much more force or pressure and perhaps heat relating to higher grades of metamorphic rock.

Have the students create a fourth multicolored block of play dough and apply forces from other angles like under or above the block and draw and describe the deformations. Have the students relate or compare them to samples of metamorphic rocks. Students can push down to create a meteor crater or push up to create up warped Mountains. Just allow them to play with the dough and try to match up their creations with metamorphic rocks and landforms in nature. Let their imaginations go wild and play with the many colored doughs.