All lessons › Challenge: Rock cycle detectives › Lesson 1
Australian primary science · Years 5–6 (challenge) · Lesson 1 of 3
Rock CSI: read a rock’s life story
Inquiry question: What clues in a rock tell us how it formed?
Marked no materials needed
Classifying
What students learn
Rocks form in three main ways. Igneous rocks cool from melted rock and have crystals. Sedimentary rocks form from layers of pieces pressed and cemented together, and can hold fossils. Metamorphic rocks are changed by heat and pressure, often showing bands or flat sheets.
Success criteria
- I can name the three main rock types and how each forms.
- I can use clues to classify a rock.
- I can explain why crystal size tells us how fast a rock cooled.
Preparation and materials
Before this lesson: Students can describe weathering, erosion and deposition (Changing Earth and sky).
- iPads with Bottlebrush Education open (nothing else needed) — 13 (one per pair)
- Projector or big screen — 1
Teacher setup
- Open Earth & space › Play › Make a rock on your screen to demonstrate.
- Check the iPads are charged and set to Your year › Years 5–6.
Safety and adaptations
Follow school science and equipment risk assessment procedures for the materials used.
Review your school policies and curriculum requirements before teaching.
How to investigate
The lesson sequence should leave pupils with evidence to interpret, not only an activity to finish.
- Pairs play Make a rock: put the sandstone steps in order.
- Read the eight rock cards in the source sheet.
- For each rock, list the clues, decide igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic, and explain how it formed.
- Find the two pairs where one rock changed into another.
- Suggest a use for three rocks based on their properties.
Teacher modelling prompt
Read card 1 aloud: granite. Think aloud: “Big interlocking crystals I can see. No layers, no fossils. Crystals grow in melted rock as it cools, and big ones mean slow cooling. So it’s igneous, probably cooled deep underground.” Then show Make a rock and order the steps for how sandstone forms, linking to erosion and deposition from Changing Earth and sky.
Record and explain evidence
Recording question: What clues in a rock tell us how it formed?
| Rock | Clues (crystals, layers, fossils, bands, holes) | Rock type | How it formed | A good use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ | ________________ |
Example recording headings; record actual observations, including inconclusive results.
Discussion prompt
Is one clue enough? Which evidence is stronger?
Check understanding
What should pupils know? Name the three types of rock and say how each forms.
Explain with evidence: A rock has tiny crystals and lots of holes. Where did it probably form? Explain using the clues.
Apply the idea: Why is slate good for roof tiles, and how does its formation give it that property?
Teacher answer guidance and saved classroom work are available through the main lesson experience where supported.