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Rocks and minerals

I can describe differences between rocks and minerals.

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New
New

Rocks and minerals

I can describe differences between rocks and minerals.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Rocks consist of minerals, rock fragments, or organic matter.
  2. A mineral is a naturally occurring pure substance (an element or a compound) that has a crystal structure.
  3. Minerals are identified by their crystal structure, composition, and physical properties.

Keywords

  • Mineral - A mineral is an element or compound with a crystal–like structure. They are the 'building blocks' of rocks.

  • Crystalline - Crystalline describes a rock composed of interlocking crystals. It is ‘crystal–like’.

  • Rock - A rock is a solid substance, which is a mixture of minerals or organic matter. It composes any solid portion of Earth.

Common misconception

Pupils generally confuse the distinctions between a rock and a mineral.

Stress and reinforce the definitions of each. Use examples of each and practice classifying them as a mineral or rock.

Provide samples of minerals / rocks for pupils to examine with a hand lens, to stress that minerals are pure substances while rocks are mixtures. Challenge pupils to identify the number of minerals in rocks found at school or at home.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Mineral and rock samples, hand lenses.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following are states of matter?
air
Correct answer: liquid
water
Correct answer: solid
Correct answer: gas
Q2.
Which of the following is an element?
water
carbon dioxide
Correct answer: oxygen
table salt
Q3.
What is the difference between an element and a compound?
Correct answer: Elements are made of one type of atom, compounds are made of two or more types.
Compounds are made of one type of atom, elements are made of two or more types.
Elements are always gases, compounds are always solids.
Correct answer: Compounds can be broken down chemically, elements cannot.
Q4.
Which of the following materials are suitable for building a house?
Correct answer: wood
Correct answer: metal
paper
Correct answer: brick
Q5.
What are soils made from?
Correct answer: rock
Correct answer: organic matter
metals
plastic
Q6.
Examples of properties include hardness, colour, density, and melting point. Flammability is a chemical property.
Correct Answer: physical

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is a mineral?
A rock composed of organic matter.
Correct answer: A naturally occurring pure substance with a crystal structure.
A mixture of minerals.
An element or compound found only in rocks.
A substance formed from fossilised plants.
Q2.
What are rocks made of?
Correct answer: minerals
Correct answer: organic matter
gases
Correct answer: rock fragments
water
Q3.
Which of the following statements about rocks are correct?
Correct answer: Rocks are mixtures of minerals or organic matter.
Rocks can only be composed of a single mineral.
Correct answer: Rocks form part of Earth's solid surface.
Rocks are always made from organic matter.
Correct answer: Rocks can contain fossils and shells.
Q4.
Which of the following characteristics are used to identify different minerals?
colour
Correct answer: crystal structure
smell
Correct answer: composition
Correct answer: physical properties
Q5.
What is the primary difference between a mineral and a rock?
Minerals are synthetic, rocks are natural.
Minerals have a crystal structure, rocks do not.
Correct answer: Minerals are pure substances, rocks are mixtures.
Minerals are larger than rocks.
Rocks contain no minerals.
Q6.
Crystalline describes a substance composed of interlocking .
Correct Answer: crystals

Lesson appears in

UnitScience / Earth's resources

Science

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