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Lesson Plan
Science Friday

Mineral Madness

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Science does not need to be as hard as a rock. Pupils test 10 different minerals to determine their properties. The learners observe luster, streak, hardness, and fluorescence for each specimen. Afterwards, they compare and contrast the...
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Activity
Discovery Education

School of Rock

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Why do rocks break down over time? Learners explore this concept by simulating physical and chemical weathering of different types of rocks. They use an abrasive to demonstrate physical weathering and acid to demonstrate chemical...
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Unit Plan
Columbus City Schools

History Helps When It Comes To Plate Tectonics

For Teachers 8th Standards
Get ready to move, shake, slip, and slide with a well-rounded plate tectonics unit! The engaging resource includes everything you need to inspire eighth grade science scholars, from worksheets to demonstrations. Assess their...
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Activity
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Teach Engineering

Ranking the Rocks for Desired Properties

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Math rocks! Cavern design teams determine the rankings of rock types based upon desirability points. The points are connected to the properties of the rocks and their usefulness in building a cavern. 
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Activity
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Teach Engineering

Rocks, Rocks, Rocks: Test, Identify Properties and Classify

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Time is growing short. Teams work together to identify physical properties of rocks in order to determine the properties that would best suit their cavern shelter design.
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Activity
It's About Time

The Changing Geography of Your Community

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Lead your class in exploring their local communities as well as the general environment. As they determine continental distributions by investigating minerals, rocks, and fossils located in their local region, pupils construct a...
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Unit Plan
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Curated OER

Volcanoes: Third Grade Lessons Plans and Activities

For Teachers 3rd Standards
Discover how rocks are formed from volcanoes during a geology pre-lab activity. Third graders describe the volcanic rock samples and creating a model of Mt. Lassen, located in California. The lesson culminates in a discussion about how...
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Unit Plan
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Brooklyn Children’s Museum

Volcanoes!

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Give young geologists an up close and personal look at volcanoes with a series of hands-on earth science lessons. Whether they are investigating the properties of igneous rocks, building their own volcanoes, or making fudge to model the...
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Unit Plan
Core Knowledge Foundation

Rocks & Minerals

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
Take young geologists on an exploration of the rock cycle with this six-lesson earth science unit on rocks and minerals. Through a series of discussions, demonstrations, and hands-on investigations your class will learn about the...
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Unit Plan
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Brooklyn Children’s Museum

Rocks and Minerals in Our Lives

For Teachers K - 6th Standards
Young geologists discover the important role that rocks and minerals play in our everyday lives through this series of hands-on activities. Starting off with a lesson that defines the difference between plants, animals, and minerals,...
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Unit Plan
Curated OER

Rock On! Featuring the Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic Trio!

For Teachers 1st - 3rd Standards
Get your classroom rocking with this four-lesson earth science unit. Through a series of shared reading activities and hands-on investigations, young geologists learn about the three types of rocks and the unique properties of each.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Thirsty Rocks: Please "Porous" a Drink!

For Teachers 4th - 10th
A simple activity goes a long way in demonstrating the property of porosity to your rock hounds. They will mass a specimen of dry sandstone and then soak it in a pre-measured amount of water. After seven minutes, they once again measure...
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Lab Resource
Central Bucks School District

Igneous Rocks Lab

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Searching for a simple igneous rocks experiment to assist pupils with rock classification based on texture and composition? In the activity, pupils view multiple rocks in various ways to determine texture and composition. They then...
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Rocks and Minerals

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
Take young geologists on an exploration of the collection of rocks and minerals that we call Earth with an upper-elementary science lesson. Through a series of class discussion and hands-on investigations, students learn about the three...
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PPT
Curated OER

Changes Written in Stone

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Earth Rocks! Explore the many properties and types of rocks, where they come from and how they are formed. This resource presents a simplistic overview of the rock cycle. Tip: Bring in samples of sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Are Rocks Formed?

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students identify types of rocks. For this geology lesson, students view animated graphics to identify how sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks are formed. Students take a rock quiz to show how different rocks are formed.
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

The Birth of Rock(s) - Identifying Rock Types

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scientists investigate types of rocks in this instructional activity. They collaborate to examine groups of rocks, make written descriptions of them, and use websites to help them identify the types of rocks they are.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rock and Their Properties: Days 2-4

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students engage in cooperative research projects in order to study about the properties of the three basic rock types and the processes that form them. They plan and develop their products.with the resources for conducting their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Observing Rocks

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore the various properties of earth and rocks. They play "Twenty Questions" with the teacher, and analyze a rock using a magnifying glass. They record their rock observations and list the differences between the wet...
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Graphic
Indiana University

Indiana University Bloomington: Rock Identification Chart [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
A flowchart students can use as a tool to identify rocks. They answer yes or no to questions about various characteristics and responses to tests until they can narrow down the possibilities.
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Lesson Plan
Utah Education Network

Uen: All Sorts of Rocks

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders will sort rocks according to hardness, texture, layering, and particle size.
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Lesson Plan
Utah Education Network

Uen: Cool Collectibles and Super Sorts

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders will create a classroom rock collection.
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Unit Plan
Idaho State University

Idaho State University: Environmental Geology: Earth Material and Earth Cycles

For Students 9th - 10th
Help students to understand the Geologic Cycle, Hydrologic Cycle, Physical Properties of Rocks and Surficial Processes with this learning module. Find lessons covering each topic.
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Unknown Type
SRI International

Performance Assessment Links in Science: Classifying Rocks

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
This is a performance task where students sort and classify rocks based on their properties, then demonstrate how they can transfer their understanding to decide on ways they might sort and classify other types of objects.