Grade 5 · Science · Lesson 26

Rocks, Minerals & Soil

Earth is built from rocks. Some rocks are old enough to remember the time of the dinosaurs, while others are formed fresh in volcanoes today. Rocks themselves are made from minerals — solid, natural building blocks like quartz, feldspar, and mica. When rocks break down at the surface they help make soil, the thin living layer that feeds plants and crops.

What this lesson teaches

1Describe the three main groups of rocks and how each one forms
2Identify common rocks and the minerals they contain
3Explain how the rock cycle changes one rock type into another
4Name the layers of soil and the role each layer plays

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