Describe your rock.

Include information like

-Colour of minerals

-Fossils etc.

Identifying the Different Types of Rocks

Learning Objectives:

• To compare and contrast the three types of rocks – igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary.

• To know examples of each type of rock such as limestone, granite and slate.

• To be able to identify rocks by observing their physical appearance.

Sedimentary rocks

Sandstone

Conglomerate

Limestone

Metamorphic rocks

Slate

Marble

Quartzite

Igneous rocks

Granite

Pumice

Obsidian

SummarySedimentary,

igneous or metamorphic?

How they were formed

Appearance

(e.g. sandstone, limestone, chalk)

Small pieces of sediment were stuck together by salt and pressure from rocks above

Usually soft, can contain fossils, easily eroded

(e.g. basalt, granite)

Liquid rock (magma or lava) cooled down and turned back into a solid

Contain crystals, very hard, never contain fossils

(e.g. marble, slate)

Other rocks were acted on by heat and pressure over a long time

Sometimes have tiny crystals, no fossils, always hard and sometimes arranged in layers

SummarySedimentary,

igneous or metamorphic?

How they were formed

Appearance

(e.g. sandstone, limestone, chalk)

Small pieces of sediment were stuck together by salt and pressure from rocks above

Usually soft, can contain fossils, easily eroded

(e.g. basalt, granite)

Liquid rock (magma or lava) cooled down and turned back into a solid

Contain crystals, very hard, never contain fossils

(e.g. marble, slate)

Other rocks were acted on by heat and pressure over a long time

Sometimes have tiny crystals, no fossils, always hard and sometimes arranged in layers

Identifying Rocks

• You have a variety of rocks.• Identify which rock type each one belongs to.• Give reasons for your choices.• Record your results in a table:

Rock name Rock Type Reason for rock type

Drawing

Sedimentary rocksHow sedimentary rocks are formed:

1) Weathering

2) Transportation

4) Burial

3) Deposition

Metamorphic rocksMetamorphic rocks are formed by the combined effect of heat and pressure on other rocks:

Pressure from rocks above…

…and heat from magma nearby

Igneous rocksIgneous rocks are formed when lava or magma cools down and solidifies

If the lava or magma cools QUICKLY it has SMALL crystals

If the lava or magma cools SLOWLY it has BIG crystals

Which Rock?

• Card sort.• Identify the features of sedimentary,

igneous & metamorphic rocks.• Remember:

– Sediment suggests that heavy particles fall and collect over each other.

– Igneous involves great amounts of heat.– Metamorphosis means change, like “Morph”

on TV.

Identifying the Different Types of Rocks

Learning Objectives:

• To compare and contrast the three types of rocks – igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary.

• To know examples of each type of rock such as limestone, granite and slate.

• To be able to identify rocks by observing their physical appearance.