Learning about the Earth: Types of Rock

Have you ever wondered the structure of the Earth? What is made up of? What are Geological Processes?

These are some of the questions that we have been looking at to learn about the Earth. To help build an understanding of this topic and to start finding some answers, we watched a video to introduce the topic. It explained that the Earth is made up of different types of rock. As an introduction to Geology and different types of rock.
 It is made up of different types of rock:

• Igneous
• Metamorphic
• Sedimentary 

As part of our inquiry, we went for a walk around the school, looking for different types of rock. We brought them back to the classroom and looked at the rocks that we found. The students formed groups and discussed the similarities and differences. It made some interesting conversations about what the students noticed with the rocks that they had found. They then had to sort them into groups, coming up a variety of categories that they could be sorted into.  

The students then created a table like the one below, which they competed using the following resources to help. 

Create a table like the one below: 

Table of Different types of rock

Types of Rock	Formation	Characteristics	Example	Image

The opportunity to search for rocks in the environment helped the students to develop a better understanding of the different types of rock in a practical way. Discussing and comparing meant that they were looking at rocks in a deeper way and help them to consider the structure of the Earth. It also helped to give a greater understanding of what geological processes are.

What did you find the most interesting when learning about rocks? What more would you like to know?