Task 3

Materials and tools for a working group:

different types of rocks, magnifiers, transparent pockets, cup, water, vinegar

This task aims to explore different types of rocks. Pupils will find out that each rock consists of a different material (mineral), which affects their properties. The task of pupils will be to explore what different rocks have in common and how they differ. Pupils can look for rock samples around the school. These should include drilled rocks (e.g. granite, basalt), metamorphosed rocks (graphite, magnetite, marble) and sedimentary rocks (sandstone, quartzite). The aim of the activity will not be to divide rocks into these three categories. By deliberately selecting rocks from the categories mentioned above, the pupils discover that each rock has different characteristics.

Pupils examine the appearance of rocks (Are they shiny? Matt? What color are they made up of large grains? Is it possible to see grains?, etc.), smell (How do they smell? Recalling the smell something?), surface (Are rough or smooth?). In addition, they will find out if they brake down into smaller pieces easily after the fall (hence all rocks should be about the same size). They can detect fragmentation by placing each rock separately in a transparent bag and lowering it always from the same height (e.g. from a school table). Another possibility is to investigate the properties of rocks after their insertion into water or vinegar (eg for 5 minutes – what happened to them? Have they changed their properties?) Finally, they evaluate the properties of individual rocks and suggest their use in everyday life.