Year 3 Science Week – Rocks
National Curriculum Coverage:
Working Scientifically:
 Ask relevant questions
 Set up simple, practical enquiries and comparative and fair tests.
 Make accurate measurements using standard units, using a range of equipment, e.g.
thermometers and data loggers.
 Gather, record, classify and present data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions
 Record findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, bar charts and
tables.
 Report on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or
presentations of results and conclusions.
 Use results to draw simple conclusions and suggest improvements, new questions and
predictions for setting up further tests.
 Identify differences, similarities or changes related to simple, scientific ideas and processes.
 Use straightforward, scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings.
To investigate materials:


Compare and group together different kinds of rocks on the basis of their simple,
physical properties.
Relate the simple physical properties of some rocks to their formation (igneous or sedimentary).
 Describe in simple terms how fossils are formed when things that have lived are trapped
within sedimentary rock.
 Recognise that soils are made from rocks and organic matter.
Great Scientist –
William Smith
(nickname – ‘Strata’)
Focus
I can observe and make
notes of rocks in my
school and local area
Websites –
http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/wi/William_Smith_(geologist)
http://www.kidzsearch.com/wiki/William_Smith_(geologist)
http://www.famousscientists.org/william-smith/
http://www.strangescience.net/smith.htm
Lesson
Elicitation –
Remind the chn about work on changing materials in Year 2. Show several different types of
rocks. Ask the chn to discuss what they already know about what’s in front of them. What is it?
What is its name? What would they be used for? How are they made? Can you describe them?
Chn to record on post its.
Whole class teaching –
Discuss in further detail the responses from the elicitation activity and ask them to think about
some words about materials that would describe the rocks, stones & pebbles (e.g. strong, rigid,
hard, smooth, rough, shiny, dull). Write on whiteboard.
Ask What do we know about rocks and what would we like to find out (session resources)?
Complete frame or make concept map individually or as a class.
Class Activity Adult-led activity:
Ask How could we find out more about rocks and how they are used? Collect ideas.
Explain that one way is to be rock detectives and see if we can spot how materials from rocks
are used inside, outside and around the school. Collect ideas first, e.g. tiles, toilets, basins,
plaster, bricks, roofing materials, playground, pavements, kerbs, walls, steps, posts, lintels. You
may need to tell them that sand and other rock ingredients make concrete, clay is used to make
ceramics and tiles, sand and limestone makes glass and that metals are found in rocks called
ores. Perhaps you can spot some jewellery worn by staff that is made from rocks!
Go for a walk around the school and/or display pictures of the local Tredworth and Gloucester
community (e.g. church or cottages built of local stone, gravestones, dry stone walls). Draw and
write what you see/have seen (session resources, 2 levels). Think about why the particular rocks
or materials manufactured from rocks were used in each situation. Look at how the rocks may
have changed over time – erosion, lichens, colour change, etc.
Adult-led activity to be completed in a theme lesson:
Display a range of photograph of different buildings of different ages. These pictures must show
how the order buildings have signs of erosion as well as lichen/moss growth. Point out in the
newer builds how they lack erosion. Note the different rocks used e.g. crystals, grains/sand,
fossil etc within the rocks. Alternatively, use pictures of gravestones. Discuss why materials for
rocks are used in buildings, refer to words collected at the beginning of the session and add
others, e.g. waterproof, long lasting. Look at particular uses, e.g. slate for a roof – can be split
easily into thin flat layers, waterproof; marble for a kitchen work surface – hard, not easily
damaged, attractive. Rocks occur naturally, but some building materials, e.g. bricks, do not –
they are manufactured. Are chn aware that rocks are used in lots of other everyday things, e.g.
limestone in glass, toothpaste, cosmetics (make-up); pumice to rub away hard skin; coal as a
fuel; marble for ornaments & sculpture; gemstones as jewellery?
Independent activity:
Visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/materials/rocks_soils/play/ and decide which
materials to use for a building.
Working Scientifically objectives covered in the above lesson:
 Make careful observations
 Record findings
 Use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions
 Using simple scientific language
 Identify differences, similarities or changes related to simple, scientific ideas and processes.
I compare and group
Elicitation –
If possible give the chn a range of rocks (igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic), but do not tell
together different kind
the chn what they are or these names. Ask the chn to group. Allow them to group them in any
of rocks on the basis of
way they would like, but justify their reasons to a group discussion. If a large amount of rocks
their appearance and
are unavailable, this can be completed as a class or using photos of rocks.
simple physical
Whole class teaching –
properties
Show the chn show they should have been grouped into igneous, sedimentary and
metamorphic. Tell chn that there are three types of rock, which are formed in different ways.
Igneous rock, which was once a liquid (magma) as discovered in the last session. Sometimes it
cools slowly inside the earth (granite – large crystals). Sometimes it spouts out of volcanoes and
cools more quickly and hardens into, e.g. basalt – small crystals, or pumice – light and full of
holes. Sedimentary rock, which is usually the softest kind. Made from particles of sand, clay,
animal or plant remains. These collect in layers at the bottom of seas and lakes and are pressed
down (by water and other layers) to form rock over millions of years (chalk, limestone,
sandstone, mudstone, shale, coal). You often find fossils of animals and plants that were
trapped as the rock formed (more about fossils in Session F). Show chn how sedimentary rocks
are formed using the video clip at http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/the-formation-ofsedimentary-rock/10621.html Explain that chn do not have to remember the three types of rock
at this stage, but they may see it mentioned in books and on websites. Metamorphic rock is
formed when buried rock is pressed and squeezed by forces inside the Earth. The pressed rock
gets hot but does not melt, e.g. limestone changes to marble, shale/mudstone to slate.
Class Activity Adult-led activity:
Chn to rotate around five activities on different tables:
Objective – To test rocks to see which is the hardest.
Activity: Explore scratching different kinds of rocks. What do you notice? Order them according
to hardness
Resources - rocks, iron nail, brass butterfly clip, fingernail (to scratch with), tray to collect bits,
safety goggles.
Activity 2
Objective – To sort rocks.
Activity: Sort 2 sets of rocks (3 chn to each set).
Resources – 2 mixed sets of interesting rocks.
Activity 3
Objective – To research information about rocks by reading non-fiction books and/or the
internet.
Activity: Design an information poster displaying what they have learnt about igneous,
sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.
Resources - a range of topic books about rocks, A6 folded paper, glue, A3 piece of paper.
Activity 4
Objective – To observe rocks closely using a hand lens or magnifying glass and then drawing.
Activity: Sketch the rocks looking closely at crystals, colours and patterns.
Resources - paper and oil pastels or other media.
Activity 5
Objective – To recognise that rocks break down into pebbles and sand – ‘erosion’.
Activity: Draw pictures of a river and sea with different sized rocks, pebbles and sand (session
resource).
Resources – books for ideas, paper and pens, pencils.
Working Scientifically objectives covered in the above lesson:
 Make careful observations
 Set up simple enquiries
 Record findings using simple scientific language and label diagrams
 Use results to draw simple conclusions
 Identify differences, similarities or changes related to simple, scientific ideas and processes.
I can describe in simple
Elicitation –
Ask if chn know what a fossil is. Has anyone seen any or actually got any examples at home?
terms how fossils are
formed when things that Perhaps chn have a home built out of rocks that contain fossils or they have been hunting for
fossils on holiday. Class discussion about what they already know.
have lived are trapped
within rocks
Whole class teaching –
Explain how fossils are formed in sedimentary rocks. Various websites have a series of diagrams
showing this process, e.g. http://www.discoveringfossils.co.uk/whatisafossil.htm,
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/earth/fossils/fossil-folklore/how_are_fossils.htm,
http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/thezone/fossils/intro/form.htm,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/fossils (scroll down the page), or watch a video clip at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEDfRy6DQns or read Monster Stones: The Story of a
Dinosaur Fossil by Jacquie Bailey & Matthew Lilly.
Not all plants or animals that die become fossils. The best conditions for fossilisation are: a. the
quick burial of animal remains in moist sediments. This prevents scavengers from eating and
bacteria from decaying them; b. the quick burial in volcanic ash; c. the presence of hard body or
plant parts, e.g. teeth, bones, shell & wood; d. unchanging temperature conditions; e. ground
water that is heavily mineralised; f. sediments that are very fine make a better burial than
coarser gravels; g. calm conditions, so that remains are not broken up (by wave or current action
for example). Try out different environments at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/prehistoric_life/dinosaurs/burying_bodies/burial/index.shtml.
Class Activity Adult-led activity:
Use plasticine and Alginate to create model ‘fossils’. Show chn how to do this following the
instructions in the session resource. Individuals, pairs or small groups could each make a ‘fossil’.
Individual activity:
Use information books and the internet to find out more about fossils. Draw a cartoon strip
(session resources – choose 6 or 8 pictures) to show how they are formed.
Individual activity:
Put the diagrams (session resource) showing how a fossil is formed into the correct order, stick
them on a sheet of paper & add labels or captions.
Working Scientifically objectives covered in the above lesson:
 Make careful observations
 Using simple scientific language
 Identify differences, similarities or changes related to simple, scientific ideas and processes.
I know that soil is made
Elicitation –
Ask the children to think of questions about soil that they would like answered and record on
from rocks and organic
flip chart, e.g. What is soil? Why is soil important? What do you already know?
matter
Whole class teaching –
Go to website http://soil.gsfc.nasa.gov/.
Look at ‘How much soil is there?’ for a sequence showing that: soil forms approximately 10%
(7.5% actually) of the land area of the world; we depend on this soil for the world's food supply;
soil competes with all other needs - housing, cities, schools, hospitals, shopping centres, land fills,
etc. and, sometimes, it doesn't win.
Remind children how they looked at erosion in Session D – if the process continues smaller and
smaller pieces of rock are formed. These small particles of rock exist as part of soil and as sand.
Class Activity Adult-led activity:
Give each pair a soil sample (or different soil samples) to explore. If possible include some
rotting vegetation and a creature or two! Use hand lenses to observe carefully (hold the lens
close to your eye). Can children spot small pieces of rock – are they all the same? Do two small
investigations too: a) put some of each soil sample on a piece of blotting paper for a couple of
minutes – see if any water has been absorbed by the blotting paper, b) place a bottle top full
(not pressed down) of soil carefully into a beaker of water – what do children see (air bubbles
rising)? Compare with a sample of sand (in which it is usually possible to see many
colours/shapes of rock easily).
Safety: - Children should wear plastic gloves when handling soil and handle creatures with care.
Explain that there are different types of soil; clay soil, loam soil and sandy soil and show children
names and definitions (session resources).
Children record findings on table (session resources).
Adult-led activity:
Write and perform a ‘rock rap’ desribing the rock cycle and processes of fossils.
Independent activity:
Draw a soil cocktail! Include all the wonderful things found in soil – particles of rock of different
sizes, water, air bubbles, creatures, etc – perhaps a worm dangling over the rim, or a spray of
leaves like a cocktail umbrella!
Working Scientifically objectives covered in the above lesson:
 Make careful observations
 Set up simple enquiries
 Record findings using simple scientific language and label diagrams
 Use results to draw simple conclusions
 Identify differences, similarities or changes related to simple, scientific ideas and processes.