KS3 Geography Year 7 – Rock, Weathering and Soil

Unit title/key question: Rock, Weathering and Soil Term: Autumn 2 Number of hours: 14

Sequence of learning: Scaffolding for SEND pupils: Deepening learning:

Component 1: Types of Rocks

Begin by asking pupils about their prior knowledge. Some may have covered some aspects of geology (study of rocks) at primary school. Encourage pupils to share their knowledge. This should tackle the misconception that rock is all the same, just hard stuff in the ground.

Explain to pupils that rocks are aggregates of minerals. Minerals are natural compounds, a mixture of elements. There are around 5000 known minerals. Most contain silicon and oxygen atoms. Mineral content can affect the properties of a rock. For example, rocks that have a high silicon content are lighter coloured such as granite and those with a low silicon content are darker coloured such as basalt. Show the class samples of each to illustrate this point. This will also reinforce that rocks are not all the same.

Rocks are divided into three groups depending on how they formed, sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic.

For sedimentary rocks cover:

• Mostly formed under the sea • Rivers carry rock particles out to sea, they settle to the sea floor,

pressure from layers deposited above pushed down and cements the rock together.

• Often contain fossilised remains of sea creatures – this is useful as it tells us about the climate at the time the rock was formed

• Different sediments produce different rocks. Mud produces mudstone, sand produces sandstone and layers of shells produce limestone. Show class samples of sandstone and limestone to demonstrate how different rocks formed under similar processes can be. Sandstone is fragile and messy so at teacher’s discretion whether to pass the sample round. Limestone is an interesting sample for pupils to examine individually as small fragments of shell are visible in some specimens.

Pupils should make notes on how sedimentary rocks form but also copy a simple diagram from the slide. The diagram will show sediment being deposited on the sea floor. It is important that the teacher emphasises, repeatedly, to the class that artistic ability is not required. Pupils must draw with a sharp pencil and can use a ruler to help them. The most important thing is that they annotate their diagrams. The teacher should draw the diagram along with pupils. The teacher should explain that pupils need to select a line (any line) on the diagram they wish to copy and follow it to provide a point of reference for the rest of the detail.

For igneous rocks cover:

• Explain that the Earth is made up of four layers, the crust, mantle, outer core and inner core. The crust is the solid rock we live on, it is 8-65km thick. Beneath that is the mantle which is molten rock and about 2900km thick. The outer core is liquid iron and nickel (metals) and the inner core is solid iron and nickel. The closer to the core, the hotter it is. Pupils should draw an annotated diagram of the structure of the Earth.

• Teacher note - don’t use the ‘liquid’ to describe rocks in the mantle, as they are solid but have plastic qualities which allow them to flow. Instead use ‘molten’.

Provide a partially completed diagram that pupils can finish

Provide a partially completed diagram that pupils can finish

• When molten rock (magma) rises up, is erupted as lava and cools on the Earth’s surface, it forms an extrusive igneous rock

• When molten rock (magma) rises up, to just underneath the surface but cools before it erupts as lava, it forms an intrusive igneous rock

• Examine basalt and granite rock sample. Explain that granite is an intrusive igneous rock. As the magma cools slowly, large crystals that are visible to the naked eye have time to form. Basalt is an extrusive igneous rock that has formed from the rapid cooling of lava meaning that crystals do not have time to form before the rock becomes solid.

• Pupils to draw annotated diagram of intrusive and extrusive igneous rock formation, ideally independently as they have had the process role modelled already for the sedimentary rock diagram, but this will be teacher judgement. This diagram will be highlighted in the slides

For metamorphic rocks cover:

• Metamorphic means ‘changed from’ • Metamorphic rocks are sedimentary or igneous rocks that have been

changed through heat and pressure. The chemical composition of the rock stays the same, but the arrangement of the minerals changes to make the new rock harder

• Pupils should draw the highlighted diagram of the formation of metamorphic rock.

• Clays become slates • Limestone becomes marble • Granite becomes gneiss • There are samples of all of the above in the class rock collection.

The clay sample is very messy so it might be best to refer to the image provided in the slides. That slate and marble are harder than clay and limestone is apparent from the samples. On first inspection, gneiss does not appear to be harder than granite and

that is correct, as granite is a hard rock. The principle action of metamorphism on granite is to create banding of the minerals.

Assessment - Quiz at the intended end of the component about the

different rock types. Questions to include how each rock group is formed and pupils to provide examples.

Component 2: Weathering

Tell pupils that humans (homo sapiens) have existed for at least 200,000

years and some scientists believe there is evidence to say 300,000 years.

Evidence for civilisations with distinct cultures and architecture as we would

recognise comes from around 14,000 years ago at most. The oldest human

ever lived to 122 years.

Ask pupils how old they think the Earth is estimated to be. The answer is

4.6 billion years old. Therefore, it is evident that the processes we are

studying are taking places over timescales much longer than a human

lifetime and we need to use proxies. Explain that a proxy in geography is

something which stands in for an absence of data, which through careful

interpretation can indicate what happened in the past. Proxy data is often

used in climate science. Rocks can be an important source of data because

they exist for long periods of time and sedimentary rocks in particular are

the result of the conditions in which they form, as well as potentially

containing useful fossils.

The oldest rocks that have been found so far are in Quebec, Canada, they

are 4.3 billion years old. Ask pupils how it is possible for the Earth to be

older than the rocks humans currently know about. There are two correct

answers to this. Firstly, there are lots of things humans don’t know about

so the rocks may not have been discovered yet. However, it is unlikely that

any rocks have survived since the formation of the Earth because rocks are

constantly being broken down by the processes of weathering.

Explain that there are three important terms related to the break down and

removal of rocks, weathering, erosion and deposition. Pupils must learn

the definition of these terms.

Provide cloze statement definitions

Explain that there are three types of weathering, physical, chemical and

biological.

For physical weathering cover:

• Definition – in physical weathering, the rock gets broken into bits

but the minerals in it do not change. You could demonstrate this

with a chocolate chip cookie, crumble it apart but it is still cookie

and chocolate chips

• Freeze-thaw is an example of physical weathering. It involves water

in cracks in the rock freezing, expanding, thus widening the crack,

then melting repeatedly until the rock becomes unstable and some

rocks falls apart

• Onion-skin weathering is another example of physical weathering.

Hot deserts have a big daily temperature range (35C in the day, 10C

at night). Each day, surface layers of rock heat up and expand. At

night the cold makes them contract, over time this causes thin

layers of rock to peel off.

• Highlight that these examples are taking place in very different

environments (cold and wet or hot and dry) but they are both forms

of physical weathering because the rock is being broken apart into

fragments.

For chemical weathering cover:

• Definition – In chemical weathering, minerals in the rock undergo

chemical reactions, so the rock is actually changed as parts of it are

dissolved by rainwater which is slightly acidic. Encourage pupils to

think of this like the cement that holds the rock together being

dissolved by the rain so the rock falls apart.

Provide pictures to represent the three types of definitions that pupils can stick in their books and cloze statements as well if required.

Ask pupils if they could think of circumstances which may increase or decrease rates of weathering, erosion and deposition. Possibly answers may focus on storms and flooding as wind and rain are key drivers of erosion and deposition. Other answers could focus on biological weathering, for example if a landowner was to exterminate all of the rabbits on their property then rates of biological weathering would decrease.

For biological weathering cover:

• Biological weathering is the action of plants and animals breaking

apart rocks. For example, rabbits burrowing into soft rock,

undermining it causes collapses and plant roots growing into cracks

and widening them as they get bigger.

Assessment - Quiz at the intended end of the component identifying

different types of weathering and complete cloze statements for the definitions for weathering, erosion and deposition

Component 3: The Rock Cycle

Remind pupils of the three groups of rocks. Explain that rocks are

constantly changing from one group to another and this is called ‘The Rock

Cycle’.

Teacher to show pupils rock cycle diagram.

The teacher should talk through the rock cycle explaining the rotation. A

good point to start is with magma in the mantle rising up (remind pupils of

the structure of the Earth) forming igneous rock, igneous rock is

weathering, the particles are transported and deposited in the sea,

sedimentary rocks form from these particles, as the tectonic plates of the

Earth’s crust move, those rocks are subducted (dragged) down

underground and become metamorphic rocks under the intense heat and

Ask pupils if they know of any other cycles which may interact

pressure. There is an animation of this which could support teacher

explanation here:

https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/ks3/gsl/education/resources/rockcycle/page3892.ht

ml

Pupils to add detail to rock cycle template.

Assessment - At the intended end of the unit, pupils will correctly label a

diagram of the rock cycle

Provide pupils with a statement bank to support annotations

with the rock cycle. They could say the water cycle as this carries sediment to the oceans to be compacted into sedimentary rock or less likely they may say the carbon cycle as when volcanoes erupt they release carbon dioxide and monoxide into the atmosphere. The water cycle is used as an example in the previous unit so pupils will be familiar with it.

Component 4: Geology of the UK

Landscapes (what somewhere looks like) vary across the UK and this is

mainly due to geology. Show pupils a simple geology map of the UK.

Pupils should colour-code a template of the map. This not only develops

their familiarity with the rock types but also their familiarity with the shape

of the UK coastline.

Pupils will examine the effect of granite, limestone and mudstone geology

on landscapes.

For granite cover:

• Remind pupils that granite is an igneous rock, show the rock sample

again.

• Granite is a hard rock that is resistant to weathering and is

impermeable (doesn’t let water pass through it).

• As a result, granite landscapes usually have high ground, thin soil

and boggy ground

Provide a comparison table template for pupils to complete showing the three different landscapes. Provide colour photos to stick in alongside the table to remind pupils of what the landscapes look like

• People use granite landscapes to quarry building material and to

build reservoirs as the rock is impermeable so the water won’t drain

away. The land isn’t good for growing crops so it’s used to farm

sheep, for grouse hunting or sometimes for army training. Granite

landscapes tend to be dramatic so are also popular tourist

destinations.

• An example of a granite landscape is Dartmoor in Devon, it is the

largest area of granite in the UK. Show pupils Dartmoor National

Park clip so they can gain a clear picture of what the landscape

looks like

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=53&v=8Hj5ugyl0ws&fe

ature=emb_logo

For limestone cover:

• Remind pupils that limestone is a soft, sedimentary rock. Show

them the rock sample again

• Explain that limestone is particularly susceptible to chemical

weathering. The landscape produced is called karst scenery

• Karst scenery has limestone pavements, potholes, underground

caves and sinkholes where streams disappear and then emerge

somewhere else on the surface having passed through a network of

underground tunnels.

• As with granite landscapes, the soil is thin in karst areas so the land

is often used for sheep farming

• An example of a karst landscape is the Yorkshire Dales, Malham

Cove is a particular famous example within the Dales which is a

gently curving, 70m high cliff that was once a waterfall and has a

limestone pavement.

For mudstone cover:

• Mudstone is a weak, sedimentary rock that weathers easily,

breaking down to produce clay.

• The produces a low, flat landscape and thick soil

• Clay swells when it gets wet, stopping further water soaking

through it so there are often ponds and streams.

• Clay has lots of nutrients that plants need so the land is good for

growing crops.

• Daventry is built on mudstone

Assessment - Pupils look at OS map extracts and correctly identify whether they are granite, limestone or mudstone landscapes and list a feature on the map to supports their assertion.

Component 5: Soil

Explore pupils’ notions of soil, what do they think it is. Some may say dirt

or mud, explain that this isn’t accurate and soil is much more complex and

vital to human existence to be dismissed. Pupils may have this idea

because most will only have interacted with soil if they’ve fallen over and

got their clothes dirty. Try to encourage points from pupils who may have

grown vegetables at home or on an allotment or who come from farming

backgrounds to provide balance.

Show pupils Soils Sustain Life clip to demonstrate the importance of soil

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDL6F6GkAzI&feature=youtu.be

Soil is made up of five components:

• Minerals from weathered rocks

Provide a soil profile template that

pupils can stick in the book and

annotate

• Water (usually from rain but sometimes irrigation – explain that

irrigation is when people put water on the soil so things will grow

there that they want, usually it’s farmers but gardeners are also

irrigating when they water their pot plants)

• Air

• Organic matter – decomposing plants and animal remains

• Organisms – bacteria, worms and fungi

There are many different types of soil, affected by the bedrock and the

climate. Soil is usually 1-3 metres deep. It can take between 100 and

1000 years for 1cm of soil to build up depending on the conditions.

Soil is made up of layers called horizons. The set of horizons from surface

to bedrock is called the soil profile. See diagram below.

From surface down:

• Humus (pronounced hugh-mus not hum-mus like hummus dip) –

layer of rotting vegetation on the surface. A source of nutrients as

they decompose.

• Topsoil – Rich in humus and minerals from the rock below. Good

for growing crops in and where most organisms live

• Subsoil – Little humus but rich in minerals. Tree roots reach this

layer

• Rock that is being weathered – The bedrock below has been broken

down into chunks, the upper layers develop from these rock

fragments. Roots do not reach this far down

• Bedrock – Solid rock that has not been weathered yet

Soil is important because so many of the things we need to survive come

from it. Encourage pupils to make suggestions about the things humans

need to live (expect to define the difference between want and need).

Pupils may suggest different foods, clothing (cotton comes from plants

grown in soil, leather comes from cows and the cows have had to eat

plants in order to grow and so on). Exploring these connections is an

excellent opportunity to develop pupils’ geographical mindset and articulate

systems thinking again whereby they become aware of the connections

between processes, organisms and the Earth.

Explain that soil is a non-renewable resource. Once it is destroyed or

contaminated, humans cannot get anymore, there is a fixed amount on

Earth as there is a fixed amount of land which has soil suitable for

supporting the agriculture we need and soil takes much longer than a

human lifetime to form and can be lost in an instant if not managed

carefully. For example, if humans cut down trees, this leaves the soil

exposed to the rain without the protective umbrella of leaves on the

branches and the rain washes the soil away.

Explain that humans destroy soil in the following ways:

• Cover it with concrete – this might necessary for buildings or roads,

but it means that the land cannot be used to produce crops

• Contamination – humans create landfill site which can leech harmful

chemicals if not properly managed or in the extreme example of

Chernobyl may it radioactive

• Deforestation – cutting down trees leave soil exposed to wind and

rain erosion

• Over grazing – allowing too many animals to live on an area of land

leads to the vegetation between eaten, bare soil and compaction

(the air is forced out of the soil meaning plants can’t grow because

there is no oxygen or space for roots)

• Poor farming methods – growing too many crops one after the other

thereby removing all of the nutrients so nothing can grow. Or

applying too much fertiliser, making the soil poisonous to the

organisms which live in it.

When soil quality is reduced due to human mismanagement it is said to be

degraded. In dry areas this can lead to desertification where previously

productive land turns to desert.

The Sahel as an example of desertification, points to cover:

• The Sahel is not a desert but is classified as drylands, so receiving

slightly more rain than a desert but much of that is lost to

evaporation.

• Causes of desertification in The Sahel: climate change, unreliable

rain, population growth, overgrazing, deforestation, lack of fertiliser

and farming equipment

• There are a number of methods to limit desertification on a local

level including zai pits, planting trees, rotate livestock and sparing

fertiliser application and irrigation. On a continental scale, Sahel

At this point pupils will have

learnt about methods to limit

desertification at local (zai pits)

and continental scale (Africa’s

Green Wall), ask pupils why they

think it might be beneficial to

consider desertification at a local

and continental scale. They may

say that it’s because the factors

causing it operate at different

scales or that they interact so it’s

important that the local people

don’t undermine the international

efforts.

nations have come together to create the African Green Wall, a belt

of tree stretching across the continent.

• Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbFefdUM55Q for an

overview and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xls7K_xFBQ about the

African Green Wall

Assessment - At the intended end of the unit pupils will accurately label

the layers of a soil profile

Knowledge &

vocabulary

Substantive Knowledge

Rocks are aggregates of minerals. Minerals are natural compounds, a mixture of elements. There are around 5000 known minerals. Most contain silicon and oxygen atoms. Mineral content can affect the properties of a rock. For example, rocks that have a high silicon content are lighter coloured such as granite and those with a low silicon content are darker coloured such as basalt.

Rocks are divided into three groups depending on how they formed, sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic.

Sedimentary rocks:

• Mostly formed under the sea • Rivers carry rock particles out to sea, they settle to the sea floor, pressure from layers deposited above pushed

down and cements the rock together. • Often contain fossilised remains of sea creatures – this is useful as it tells us about the climate at the time the rock

was formed • Different sediments produce different rocks. Mud produces mudstone, sand produces sandstone and layers of

shells produce limestone. Show class samples of sandstone and limestone to demonstrate how different rocks formed under similar processes can be. Sandstone is fragile and messy so at teacher’s discretion whether to pass the sample round. Limestone is an interesting sample for pupils to examine individually as small fragments of shell are visible in some specimens.

Igneous rocks:

• The Earth is made up of four layers, the crust, mantle, outer core and inner core. The crust is the solid rock we live on, it is 8-65km thick. Beneath that is the mantle which is molten rock and about 2900km thick. The outer core is liquid iron and nickel (metals) and the inner core is solid iron and nickel. The closer to the core, the hotter it is. Pupils should draw an annotated diagram of the structure of the Earth.

• When molten rock (magma) rises up, is erupted as lava and cools on the Earth’s surface, it forms an extrusive igneous rock

• When molten rock (magma) rises up, to just underneath the surface but cools before it erupts as lava, it forms an intrusive igneous rock

• Granite is an intrusive igneous rock. As the magma cools slowly, large crystals that are visible to the naked eye have time to form. Basalt is an extrusive igneous rock that has formed from the rapid cooling of lava meaning that crystals do not have time to form before the rock becomes solid.

Metamorphic rocks:

• Metamorphic means ‘changed from’ • Metamorphic rocks are sedimentary or igneous rocks that have been changed through heat and pressure. The

chemical composition of the rock stays the same, but the arrangement of the minerals changes to make the new rock harder

• Clays become slates • Limestone becomes marble • Granite becomes gneiss

Earth is 4.6 billion years old but there aren’t any rocks that old because of weathering, erosion and deposition. There are three type of weathering, physical, chemical and biological.

Physical weathering:

• Definition – in physical weathering, the rock gets broken into bits but the minerals in it do not change.

• Freeze-thaw is an example of physical weathering. It involves water in cracks in the rock freezing, expanding, thus

widening the crack, then melting repeatedly until the rock becomes unstable and some rocks falls apart

• Onion-skin weathering is another example of physical weathering. Hot deserts have a big daily temperature range

(35C in the day, 10C at night). Each day, surface layers of rock heat up and expand. At night the cold makes

them contract, over time this causes thin layers of rock to peel off.

Chemical weathering, minerals in the rock undergo chemical reactions, so the rock is actually changed as parts of it are

dissolved by rainwater which is slightly acidic.

Biological weathering is the action of plants and animals breaking apart rocks. For example, rabbits burrowing into soft

rock, undermining it causes collapses and plant roots growing into cracks and widening them as they get bigger.

The Rock Cycle is a diagram of the recycling of minerals and formation of different rock types on Earth.

Landscapes are partly the result of underlying geology. Pupils will study granite, limestone and mudstone.

Granite:

• Granite is an igneous rock

• Granite is a hard rock that is resistant to weathering and is impermeable (doesn’t let water pass through it).

• As a result, granite landscapes usually have high ground, thin soil and boggy ground

• People use granite landscapes to quarry building material and to build reservoirs as the rock is impermeable so the

water won’t drain away. The land isn’t good for growing crops so it’s used to farm sheep, for grouse hunting or

sometimes for army training. Granite landscapes tend to be dramatic so are also popular tourist destinations.

• An example of a granite landscape is Dartmoor in Devon, it is the largest area of granite in the UK.

Limestone cover:

• Limestone is a soft, sedimentary rock.

• Limestone is particularly susceptible to chemical weathering. The landscape produced is called karst scenery

• Karst scenery has limestone pavements, potholes, underground caves and sinkholes where streams disappear and

then emerge somewhere else on the surface having passed through a network of underground tunnels.

• As with granite landscapes, the soil is thin in karst areas so the land is often used for sheep farming

• An example of a karst landscape is the Yorkshire Dales, Malham Cove is a particular famous example within the

Dales which is a gently curving, 70m high cliff that was once a waterfall and has a limestone pavement.

Mudstone cover:

• Mudstone is a weak, sedimentary rock that weathers easily, breaking down to produce clay.

• The produces a low, flat landscape and thick soil

• Clay swells when it gets wet, stopping further water soaking through it so there are often ponds and streams.

• Clay has lots of nutrients that plants need so the land is good for growing crops.

• Daventry is built on mudstone

Soil is made up of five components:

• Minerals from weathered rocks

• Water (usually from rain but sometimes irrigation – explain that irrigation is when people put water on the soil so

things will grow there that they want, usually it’s farmers but gardeners are also irrigating when they water their

pot plants)

• Air

• Organic matter – decomposing plants and animal remains

• Organisms – bacteria, worms and fungi

There are many different types of soil, affected by the bedrock and the climate. Soil is usually 1-3 metres deep. It can

take between 100 and 1000 years for 1cm of soil to build up depending on the conditions.

Soil is made up of layers called horizons. The set of horizons from surface to bedrock is called the soil profile.

• Humus (pronounced hugh-mus not hum-mus like hummus dip) – layer of rotting vegetation on the surface. A

source of nutrients as they decompose.

• Topsoil – Rich in humus and minerals from the rock below. Good for growing crops in and where most organisms

live

• Subsoil – Little humus but rich in minerals. Tree roots reach this layer

• Rock that is being weathered – The bedrock below has been broken down into chunks, the upper layers develop

from these rock fragments. Roots do not reach this far down

• Bedrock – Solid rock that has not been weathered yet

Soil is important because so many of the things we need to survive come from it.

soil is a non-renewable resource. Once it is destroyed or contaminated, humans cannot get anymore, there is a fixed

amount on Earth as there is a fixed amount of land which has soil suitable for supporting the agriculture we need and soil

takes much longer than a human lifetime to form and can be lost in an instant if not managed carefully.

Soil is destroyed by:

• Cover it with concrete – this might necessary for buildings or roads, but it means that the land cannot be used to

produce crops

• Contamination – humans create landfill site which can leech harmful chemicals if not properly managed or in the

extreme example of Chernobyl may it radioactive

• Deforestation – cutting down trees leave soil exposed to wind and rain erosion

• Over grazing – allowing too many animals to live on an area of land leads to the vegetation between eaten, bare

soil and compaction (the air is forced out of the soil meaning plants can’t grow because there is no oxygen or

space for roots)

• Poor farming methods – growing too many crops one after the other thereby removing all of the nutrients so

nothing can grow. Or applying too much fertiliser, making the soil poisonous to the organisms which live in it.

When soil quality is reduced due to human mismanagement it is said to be degraded. In dry areas this can lead to

desertification where previously productive land turns to desert.

The Sahel as an example of an area that is experiencing desertification and has taken steps to combat it.

The Sahel is not a desert but is classified as drylands, so receiving slightly more rain than a desert but much of that is lost

to evaporation.

Causes of desertification in The Sahel: climate change, unreliable rain, population growth, overgrazing, deforestation, lack

of fertiliser and farming equipment

There are a number of methods to limit desertification on a local level including zai pits, planting trees, rotate livestock and

sparing fertiliser application and irrigation. On a continental scale, Sahel nations have come together to create the African

Green Wall, a belt of tree stretching across the continent.

Disciplinary Knowledge

Geographers often use annotated diagrams to illustrate processes, pupils will practice this by drawing the formation of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks as well as the structure of the Earth.

Geographers are aware of the impact of geology on landscapes by studying underlying rock formations and then observing land use patterns.

The following is for teacher background information and is not required for pupils:

• Scientists have calculated how old the oldest rocks are using radiometric dating • Geologists have created classification systems for rocks. They have also examined evidence from around the world

to create an explanation of how minerals are constantly being recycled on Earth.

Subject methods

and resources

• PPT to display LO, key terms, cloze statements, data, maps, video clips and images

• Rock sample set • Knowledge Organisers

Prior Knowledge

Consider systems thinking approach introduced in previous unit.

Some pupils may have covered some aspects of rocks and soil at

primary school. Some pupils may be from a farming background or

keen allotment/gardening families or have holidayed in places

mentioned. Encourage pupils to share their experiences with the class

as this furthers the relevance of the learning.

Assessment of

components and

summative assessment

of the unit (composite).

Component 1

Quiz at the intended end of the component about the different rock types. Questions to include how each rock group is formed and pupils to provide examples.

Component 2

Quiz at the intended end of the component identifying different types of weathering and complete cloze statements for the definitions for weathering, erosion and deposition

Component 3

At the intended end of the unit, pupils will correctly label a diagram of the rock cycle

Component 4

Pupils look at OS map extracts and correctly identify whether they are granite, limestone or mudstone landscapes and list a feature on the map to supports their assertion.

Component 5

At the intended end of the unit pupils will accurately label the layers of a soil profile

Likely

misconceptions and

suggested strategies

to tackling them

Rock is rock – all rock is the same, just hard stuff. Explain the three rock groups and pass rock samples around the class. Rock can’t be broken down – explain the processes of weathering and how this contributes to the rock cycle. Also use soft rock samples such as sandstone to show easily some rocks will break apart. Soil is dirt or mud – show ‘Soils Sustain Life’ clip, soil profiles and explain the components of soil Africa is a country – example of desertification in the Sahel shows that Africa is a continent made up of many different nations (54) and that they work together to solve shared issues much like the EU does.

Composite:

Pupils will answer the following: ‘Explain why it is useful for humans that there aren’t any rocks as old as the Earth.’ in an essay. This will build on their understanding of commands words from the previous unit and the skills that geographers need to have to be successful. It is critical that pupils are able to apply geographical knowledge to extended writing-style questions as this is one of the fundamental ways in which geographical knowledge is shared in the discipline and examined from school to university-level.

Pupils will be provided with a structure, vocabulary list and sentence starters to support their writing. This will give pupils the confidence to attempt extended writing to demonstrate their knowledge and build on their experience from the previous unit as practice is key.

Low Stakes:

Cold-Calling with robust creation of a collaborative, supportive learning atmosphere i.e. no silly answers or questions, just opportunities to learn. Pupils to be offered opportunity to select a peer if they are unsure of the answer themselves after thinking time.

Mini whiteboards for answers to Do Now starters, low stakes for pupils but also handy for teacher to gain snapshot of class when held up

Think, pair, share giving pupils chance to think through their answers to more challenging questions