New
New
Year 3

Introduction to rocks

I can explain that rock occurs naturally and can be used for different purposes.

New
New
Year 3

Introduction to rocks

I can explain that rock occurs naturally and can be used for different purposes.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A material is a substance from which something is made.
  2. Rock is a solid material that occurs naturally in Earth.
  3. Materials such as concrete, tarmac and brick are made by humans and are not rock.
  4. We use different rocks for different purposes.

Common misconception

May have confusion around classification of rock – thinking rocks in the ground and materials such as concrete, tarmac and bricks are a type of rock.

Help children to understand the material ‘rock’ is a natural material and not an object, and that materials like brick, tarmac and concrete are human-made and therefore not the same as natural rock material.

Keywords

  • Material - A material is what we use to make things from.

  • Rock - Rock is a naturally occurring material made up of one or more minerals.

  • Earth - Earth is the planet we live on.

  • Natural - Things that are natural are found in nature and have not been made by people.

  • Quarry - A quarry is a place where rock is dug out of the ground.

On the rock hunt make sure you look at materials that can cause a misconception such as brick, tarmac and concrete and show film clips of rock being quarried and tarmac/concrete/bricks being made in a factory to illustrate that rock is natural and sourced from Earth and others are human-made.
Teacher tip

Equipment

See additional materials for further guidance.

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - equipment
  • Exploration of objects

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these is a type of material?
chair
Correct answer: metal
window
Correct answer: plastic
Correct answer: rock
Q2.
Match the object to the material it is often made from.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer:window,glass

glass

Correct Answer:statue,rock

rock

Correct Answer:saucepan,metal

metal

Correct Answer:jumper,wool

wool

Correct Answer:book,paper

paper

Q3.
Which of these are natural materials?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: wood
plastic
Correct answer: rock
glass
Correct answer: wool
Q4.
We can use the of a material to describe what it is like, for example: hard, shiny and rigid.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: properties, features, property
Q5.
Which of these are properties of metal?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: hard
weak
transparent
Correct answer: opaque
Correct answer: strong
Q6.
Which of these materials are human-made in factories?
An image in a quiz
wood
Correct answer: plastic
Correct answer: glass
rock
sand
Q4 e_rik/shutterstock.com

6 Questions

Q1.
A is what we use to make things from.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: material, materials
Q2.
Match the object with the material it is often made from.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer:road,tarmac

tarmac

Correct Answer:book,paper

paper

Correct Answer:floor,concrete

concrete

Correct Answer:spectacles,glass

glass

Correct Answer:coin,metal

metal

Correct Answer:statue,rock

rock

Q3.
Rock is not made by humans. It is a material which is found in Earth.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: natural, Natural
Q4.
Which of the following would be a good use for rock?
An image in a quiz
a window
Correct answer: a gravestone
Correct answer: a statue
Correct answer: a roof
a kettle
Q5.
Which statements describe rock?
An image in a quiz
Rock is a human-made material.
Correct answer: Rock is a natural material.
Brick, tarmac and concrete are different types of rock.
Correct answer: Brick, tarmac and concrete are not examples of rock.
Q6.
Where do rocks come from?
An image in a quiz
the sky
Correct answer: Earth
factories
building and construction shops