Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rock Collecting

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students practice classifying rocks in the categories sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic. They bring personal rock collections to school, then correctly label the three types of rocks on posterboard.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let's Rock

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate the property of rocks and how to distinguish among the different types. They explore the hardness of rocks and perform streak tests to determine mineral color. They classify rocks according to their properties.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Aerosol Lesson: Volcano Types

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students identify three types of volcano: cinder cone, composite, and shield.
Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

What Do You Know About Earth?

For Students 6th - 12th
Time to rock and roll! Young scientists test their knowledge about rocks found on Earth and what they tell scientists. A 10-question quiz focuses on the different types of rocks, how they are formed, and what they are made of.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ride the Rock Cycle

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students identify the steps in the rock cycle. They complete a K-W-L chart before the lesson begins. They answer questions about the stages to complete the lesson.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rock vs. Mineral - Lesson #2

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Students visually distinguish between those rocks that appear to be made of one substance, vs. those that appear to have more than one. This leads to the distinctions that indicate the different types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Classifying Rocks

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine and participate in the process of classifying rocks. In small groups, they sort the rocks into two categories and complete a Venn diagram. Next, they select three rocks, and complete a worksheet that is in the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rockin' Rock Cycle

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students label a diagram of the rock cycle with correct labeling and writings in science log. They define 3 types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic and label the stages of the rock cycle and explain the process.
Activity
It's About Time

Volcanic History of Your Community

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Did you know there are 20 volcanoes erupting at any given time? Pupils look at various igneous rocks, read local geologic maps, and determine if their area has a history of volcanic activity. A reading passage and analysis questions...
Unit Plan
1
1
Curated OER

Volcanoes: First Grade Lesson Plans and Activities

For Teachers 1st Standards
Introduce young geologists to types of volcanoes during the pre-lab. First graders explore how different liquids flow with an experiment on viscosity to simulate how different types of lava flow. Next, they learn...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rocks Unit

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars learn about all types of rocks through a unit study consisting of 6 days. They are doing activities such as illustrating rocks, answering questions on a worksheet, reading, and reviewing questions. After the end of each...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

2.4: Metamorphic Rocks

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders work with material to simulate changes caused by both heat and pressure. They assimilate what they learned learned in past lessons to explain the rock cycle.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rock On!

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders make models of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks out of different types of candy and cookies.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How to Make a Rock

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders watch demonstrations and conduct experiments that show the three different types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rocks and Their Properties: Day 5

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars demonstrate their knowledge of rock formation processes in varied ways by sharing their cooperative research projects with the class. They generate well-framed questions in response to each presentation.
Activity
Royal Society of Chemistry

Weathering and Erosion: Simulating Rock Attack in the Lab

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Into each life some rain must fall, but how can that change rocks? Young geologists' understanding of weathering and erosion increases throughout the activities. The lesson includes five short activities to be completed...
Unit Plan
1
1
Curated OER

Plate Tectonics: First Grade Lesson Plans and Activities

For Teachers 1st Standards
A set of first grade geology lessons focuses on plate tectonics and movement of plate boundaries. During the pre-lab, learners experience three types of plate movement through a kinesthetic demonstration. The lab...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rock Around the House

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students discover the three types of rock. They weigh and examine rock specimens.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Three Main Rock Groups

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students are introduced to igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. They use foods to demonstrate the basic formation of each type of rock, read books about rock formation and view related videos.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Rock Cycle

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
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. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rocks and Minerals

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners 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. Learners view an interactive...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rocks

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students use their five senses to experience different types of rocks. In groups, they compare and contrast the information they collected. They observe rocks in their local community and describe their uses to the class.
Unit Plan
1
1
Curated OER

Volcanoes: Fourth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities

For Teachers 4th Standards
Young geologists begin exploring volcanoes of different structures and states: active, extinct, or dormant. During the lab, they make three models and compare different types of volcanoes, including composite, cinder cone, and...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Igneous Rocks III

For Students 7th - 10th
In this igneous rock learning exercise, students answer 7 questions about the percentages of minerals in different types of igneous rocks. They also indicate what happens to various igneous rocks when you add bubbles or melt the rock and...