Name of resource: / Rock cycle vocabulary
Age group(s) / Subject(s)
12 to 14, 15 to 16 / Geography, Science
Topic / Language Level
Rock cycle vocabulary / Intermediate
Description of resource
Two PowerPoints:
  • The vocabulary PowerPoint can be used in whole class teaching, as introduction, revision and/or for learners to check their understanding of the twenty-one key rock cycle words.
  • The word cards PowerPoint can be used as pair games or for learners to work independently, to help them practise and acquire the key words in this topic.
These key words prepare learners for the Rocks topic and can be used with the other part of the Rocks resource, which covers the different types of rocks and their properties.
Preparation needed
You will need:
One vocabulary PowerPoint and an Interactive White Board (IWB)/projector for whole class teaching.
One set of word cards PowerPoint , to be used as flash cardsor pairs gamesfor each small group or pair of learners.
You will need to:
Print out the word cards slides, cut and use asdifferentiated activities.
Curriculum objectives
To recognise and learn twenty-one key words that are associated with the rock cycle
To understand the meaning of these key words
Language/Literacy objectives
Functions / Structures
Describing / Simple present tense: ‘A volcano is a mountain …’
Defining / ‘Freeze thaw is the repeated ...’
Asking questions / Can you remember how a … rock is formed?
What does … mean?
Vocabulary
Rock cycle words: brittle, crack, crumble, crystals, dike, erosion, expansion or contraction, fossil, freeze thaw, igneous, lava, magma, metaphoric rock, molten rock, scree, sediment, sedimentary, sill, texture, volcano weathering
Conjunctions: when, of, by

This resource could be used:

whole class

as differentiation within class

one to one or small group

independent learning

Ideas for using the resource

What to do

Vocabulary PowerPoint:

  • To teach the key words, select a word from the index slide to show what it means or go through the whole PowerPoint slide by slide.
  • To revise key words, ask learners what a particular word means and then show the answer by selecting the vocabulary from the index slide, to show its definition.

Rock word cards PowerPoint:

  • Game 1: match vocabulary to definitions with or without the images to give more or less support.Divide the class into two teams.The teacher (or a student) is the host and has all the vocabulary cards; each team has a set of definitions cards; preferably divide each set of cards equally amongst the players.The host reads out a vocabulary card, the person who reads out the correct definition first retains the matched pair of cards for his/her team.When all the vocabulary cards have been used, the winning team is the one that has most pairs.
  • Game 2:Divide the class into a number of groups, each with a host and two teams.Divide the cards so each group has a similar number of words to play.Play as Game 1, then rotate the groups until each has played the different sets of cards.
  • Variation: play Game 1 or Game 2 with ‘targeted’ vocabulary cards only.

Other ideas for making the best use of this resource

Differentiation:

  • Play as above but match picture to vocabulary or picture to definition.

Possible extension activities

Independent/homework: use the matched cards after the game(s) to support writing sentences,e.g. A volcano is a mountain ...