Know it! - Rocks and soil - Year 3

The educational resource from Focus Education (UK) Ltd delves into the intriguing world of rocks and soil, tailored for Year 3 students. The material presents a variety of interactive tasks designed to help children recall and understand the main types of rocks found on Earth. These tasks encourage active learning and retrieval practice, ensuring that the knowledge gained during the unit is effectively consolidated even after its completion. Among these activities, "Cops and robbers" stands out as a playful way for students to remember and share their knowledge about rocks and soil. They have a set time to jot down what they can recall and then briefly 'steal' information from their peers to enrich their own understanding, fostering a dynamic and engaging learning environment.

The exercises include a true or false quiz, challenging children to discern accurate statements about the uses and characteristics of soil, and a matching activity where they link descriptions to the correct types of rocks: sedimentary, igneous, metamorphic, and more. Students also get to list rocks and crystals, further expanding their geological vocabulary. Another task, "Word sorts," prompts students to work in pairs to identify which words are related to rocks and soil, enhancing their ability to categorise and understand key terms. These varied activities not only make learning about Earth's geology fun but also reinforce important scientific concepts through repetition and peer interaction.