Everyday uses of rocks
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can list some everyday uses of rocks and explain how the physical properties of rocks make them suitable for different jobs.
Key learning points
- The appearance and physical properties of rocks make them suitable for different jobs.
- People have used rocks for millions of years to build things that are useful to our lives.
Keywords
Rock - Rock is a solid material that occurs naturally in Earth.
Suitability - Suitability is the fact of being acceptable or right for something or someone.
Appearance - The way someone or something looks is called its appearance.
Physical properties - Physical properties are features which can be observed from the way something looks, feels or can be measured.
Common misconception
May think that rocks are all the same and can be used interchangeably for any object made from rock. Often don't know that many everyday objects are partly made from rock in its broken down form.
Encourage the children to research the many ways that rock is used even in objects which don't appear on first look to contain any rock material.
Teacher tip
Encourage children to look at labels and ingredients on packets of products used for building or gardening to spot which contain constituents of rock. Farmers and gardeners use things like lime from limestone to make the land more fertile to grow.
Equipment
Access to secondary resources about the Stone Age may be helpful.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Rock is a natural material found in the Earth's ...
Q2.Which of these are names of rocks?
Q3.Match the object to the materials it is made from.
Q4.Which physical property did Friedrich Mohs create a scale to measure?
Q5.Rocks have different physical properties which we can and measure.
Q6.Look at the image of the chalk in water. What do the results tell you about the rock?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Since when have people been using rocks to make useful things?
Q2.We choose certain rocks for specific uses because of their ...
Q3.Which of these everyday objects would rock be suitable for?
Q4.Which of these physical properties would make a rock suitable to build Stonehenge?
Q5.Match the objects that Stone Age people used to the rocks they may have been made from.
Q6.Which of these actions does rock play a part in?
To help you plan your 3 science lesson on: Everyday uses of rocks, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 3 science lesson on: Everyday uses of rocks, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 science lessons from the Rocks and soils unit, dive into the full primary science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.