Students explore the three kinds of rock and discover that rocks are not permanent — heat, pressure, and time slowly turn one type into another, over and over.
Students will be able to…
A rock seems like the most unchanging thing on Earth. So how can one rock slowly turn into a completely different kind?
Project this and tap through the three rock types. Have students record how each one forms and one example they might recognize.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
Pass around three very different rocks. Are they related?
Students tour the three rock types.
Connect the three into a cycle.
What do rock layers and fossils tell us?
Three quick checks on rock types and the cycle.
Aligned to Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core literacy. State-standard crosswalks available on request.
Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils to support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time.
Make observations and measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion.
Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth’s features.
Explain events, procedures, or concepts in a scientific text based on specific information.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students shake sand, gravel, and soil in a clear jar of water and watch it settle into layers — a fast model of how sedimentary rock builds up. A printable observation sheet is in the Science library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.