Types of Rock
Know the three main types of rock — igneous (formed when lava or magma cools), sedimentary (formed from layers pressed together), and metamorphic — and that fossils are found in sedimentary rock
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“If your child finds different rocks on a beach walk, can they sort them and explain that some formed from cooled lava, some from layers pressed together over time, and that fossils are found in the layered ones?”
Full guide and materials
- Activity. Know the three main types of rock — igneous (formed when lava or magma cools), sedimentary (formed from layers pressed together), and metamorphic — and that fossils are found in sedimentary rock
What to notice. Name the three main rock types: igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic • Explain that igneous rock forms when lava or magma cools and hardens • State that fossils are preserved in sedimentary rock because it forms in layers
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If your child finds different rocks on a beach walk, can they sort them and explain that some formed from cooled lava, some from layers pressed together over time, and that fossils are found in the layered ones?
Know the three main types of rock — igneous (formed when lava or magma cools), sedimentary (formed from layers pressed together), and metamorphic — and that fossils are found in sedimentary rock
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Check understanding
- Name the three main rock types: igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic
- Explain that igneous rock forms when lava or magma cools and hardens
- State that fossils are preserved in sedimentary rock because it forms in layers
“If your child finds different rocks on a beach walk, can they sort them and explain that some formed from cooled lava, some from layers pressed together over time, and that fossils are found in the layered ones?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Conceptual
- Subject
- Science
- Domain
- Volcanoes & Earthquakes
- Age range
- Ages 7–9