With our recent class unit including information about the rock cycle, I wonder what the best strategies are when it comes to teaching students about igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. Students see these types of rocks around them, yet it difficult for them to distinguish between the types.
Recalling my elementary school days, I remember talking about these types of rocks, and being asked questions about their definitions, etc. However, I do not recall ever having a hands-on or visual experience with them. Students at all grade levels can benefit from seeing and being able to touch these different types of rocks. Understanding what makes rocks igneous or metamorphic will not only help students understand these types of rocks, but their role in their environment.
In my future classroom, I feel I could help my students become comfortable distinguishing between these three types of rocks. After exposing students to the definitions of the rocks, and having several lessons, I feel I could conduct a formative assessment to check their understanding. As part of this formative assessment, I would take several live samples of each rock and place them on tables around the room and number them. Students would then be able to walk around the room, and make their guesses based on the rocks they observe.
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