Have your students practice the science process skill of inferring with rocks. In this lesson, students are given a sample rock. They are asked to observe its properties and compare their observations to descriptions of metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary rocks on a rock chart. They mark the properties that match their rock and infer the kind of rock they have. Afterwards, they are asked to write an essay stating their opinion backed up by the facts they have chosen. Teacher instructions, scoring rubric, recording page, rock chart, and opinion writing page are included in this lesson packet.
This lesson is in the green book Rising to the Challenge of the National Science Education Standards, also sold on this website. This is lesson five that will also be available for purchase in a packet of nine process skill lessons on rocks.