Virginia Department of Education
Three Types of Rocks
Rock out with the second installment of a five-part series on earth materials and processes. Your budding geologists make observations of given rock samples and posit classification systems for rocks. They then learn about the...
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Keying Rocks
Young geologists learn how to use an identification key in order to classify rocks. The key is designed to help them classify rocks into three types: ignesous, metamorphic, and sediimentary. After an initial teacher-led demonstration,...
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Rock Star Centers
Second graders explore the properties of rocks. Through center activities, 2nd graders complete an analysis of a rock of their choice. They identify several elements of their rock as well as complete a rendering of their rock in their...
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Keying Rocks
Fifth graders observe several examples of types of rock and write about their similarities and differences in their science journals. They discuss their observations and discover that rocks are grouped according to the scientific...
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Sedimentary Rocks
Fourth graders discuss the basic properties of rocks, the processes
involved in the formation of soils, and the needs of plants provided by soil. They write descriptions in their Science journal and identify and discuss each type of...
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Rock of Ages
Students are given a classification table and samples from their location. They locate their samples on the classification table using the characteristics used in rock identification.
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Erosion
Young scientists identify erosion, explain the causes of erosion, and name some techniques that can slow the process of erosion. Learners are divided up into groups of four and perform a simulation of soil erosion in class. The...
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Rocks and Minerals
In this rocks and minerals worksheet, students complete a graphic organizer. They define rocks and minerals, they name the properties of minerals, they give examples of minerals and they name and describe 3 types of rocks.
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Rock Cycle Activity
A few of the components of this lesson are not possible to carry out because the rock cycle diagram and challenge handouts are not included. Hopefully, you already have your own rock cycle diagram or worksheet to use as a concept...
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Rocks and Minerals: Sedimentary Rocks
Students explore the concept of rock formation. In this sedimentary rocks lesson, students observe and record their findings about sedimentary rocks. Students then create limestone, coal, and sandstone models and write reports...
Science Matters
A Model of Plate Faults
The San Andreas fault is one of the longest fault zones in the world. In a series of 20 lessons, the fourth lesson has pupils use a paper model to recreate various types of plate faults. Each is held in position then drawn...
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Rock Star Centers
Young scholars complete a Rock Star Journal while studying the properties of their rock. They choose their own rock star, and then they are going to learn everything they can about their rock star.
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Are You Ready to Rock?
Second graders investigate rock samples using magnifying class. In this earth science lesson, 2nd graders identify the physical properties and describe them verbally with their partners. They compare their findings with the class.
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The Rock Cycle
Third graders study the 3 main types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic. They examine samples of these types of rocks and discuss ways to tell what kind of rock each is. They take notes and draw pictures in their science...
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Rocks and Minerals
Fourth graders participate in a Web quest to Internet sites to learn how to identify minerals, discover the types of minerals present in their homes, and learn about birthstones. Students also keep journals to track new information that...
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A Rock’n Earth
Seventh graders identify the three types of rocks. In this earth science lesson, 7th graders model the rock cycle using crayon shaving. They explain how rocks change as they go through the cycle.
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Watershed Landscape
Students demonstrate how water flows by building a human watershed using themselves. In this ecology lesson, students compare and contrast point-source and non-point source pollution. They write what they have learned from this activity...
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Rocks and Minerals
Students identify how weathering and erosion effect the Earth's surface. In this weathering and rocks lesson, students study various types of rocks in water and brainstorm ways the Earth's surface changes. Students view an interactive...
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Children Actively Investigating Rocks and Minerals
Students follow directions to set up their own record keeping journal. As a class, they are introduced to the characteristics of crystals and identify three types of crystals they see in their everyday lives. They examine materials they...
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The Rock Cycle
Students explore the concept of the rock cycle. In this geology lesson, students identify, classify, and observe three different types of rocks. Students then list and char the characteristics of their rocks.
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Three Dimensional Geology
Here is a fine lesson plan on geology designed for high schoolers. Learners use rocks, fossils, and other geological clues to determine the geology of an area. Then, they make recommendations to a fictitious city council about the...
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Eggs'ceptional Experiments
Students see evidence of chemical reaction and follow the scientific method to hypothesize, observe, and reach conclusions. They conduct a series of egg based experiments such as forming crystals and complete journal activities as a...
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Rock Sorting
First graders observe rocks, record their observations about the rocks and classify them according to their observations. As a class, 1st graders create a list of observable characteristics of rocks. They sort a group of rocks...
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Erosion
Fifth graders engage in some activities that will help them to identify erosion and explain the causes of erosion. They also look into ways that humans can slow the process of erosion in some cases. After a teacher-led demonstration,...