Science lesson plan · 6th grade (Year 7 in England) · 45 minutes
Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks
Earth and rocks
CCSS NGSS.MS-ESS2-1England: KS3 Chemistry: Earth and atmosphere (the rock cycle)
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: How fossils form; Weathering and erosion
Leads to: The structure of the Earth; The rock cycle; How fossils form and what they reveal
Materials: Rock samples, Hand lenses, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (How fossils form; Weathering and erosion). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which type of weathering is this: rocks heating by day and cooling at night? (physical weathering / chemical weathering / biological weathering) → physical weatheringPrompt: Is it caused by temperature and ice, by a chemical reaction, or by living things?
- In how a sea shell becomes a fossil, what happens straight after "its shell sinks to the sea floor"? (the fossil is found in the rock millions of years later / a sea creature dies / the sediment slowly turns into rock / layers of sediment cover it) → layers of sediment cover itPrompt: Fossils form very slowly, buried in rock.
- Which type of weathering is this: acid rain dissolving limestone? (physical weathering / chemical weathering / biological weathering) → chemical weatheringPrompt: Is it caused by temperature and ice, by a chemical reaction, or by living things?
Hook · 5 min
- Pass round different rocks and ask how each one might have formed.
- Share the objective: Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: What type of rock is gneiss?
- Step 1: Metamorphic rocks form when other rocks are changed by heat and pressure without melting.
- Step 2: So the answer is: metamorphic
- Answer: metamorphic
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- What type of rock is quartzite? (igneous / sedimentary / metamorphic) → metamorphicPrompt: Did it form from cooled magma, from layers of sediment, or from heat and pressure changing another rock?
- Which of these rocks is sedimentary? (granite / shale / pumice / quartzite) → shalePrompt: Look for clues: interlocking crystals, layers of grains, or bands made by pressure.
You do: independent practice · 10 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- What type of rock is slate? (igneous / sedimentary / metamorphic) → metamorphicPrompt: Did it form from cooled magma, from layers of sediment, or from heat and pressure changing another rock?
- Which of these rocks is metamorphic? (sandstone / shale / marble / limestone) → marblePrompt: Look for clues: interlocking crystals, layers of grains, or bands made by pressure.
Watch out for
- Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
- Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: How fossils form.
- Use concrete materials: rock samples.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Move on to: The structure of the Earth; The rock cycle; How fossils form and what they reveal.
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-6.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder