C Curriculum Explorer
Science·Volcanoes & Earthquakes·conceptual

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

Suggested ages 7–9

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Learning journey

Your child is learning about what's inside volcanoes and earthquakes, how Earth has different layers, and exploring dramatic geological events like the story of Pompeii and tsunamis.

Evidence of 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

Assessment prompt

If Types of Rock 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?

Standards alignment

No external standards are linked to this topic.