Sedimentary Rock Formation Activities for 5th Grade Science

This elementary geology unit on sedimentary rocks and fossil fuels includes presentations, worksheets, choice projects, and assessments, all designed for student-led learning. The content is editable and low-prep, offering flexibility for in-class or virtual use. Aligned with TEKS 5.10B, the lesson covers key processes like the formation of sedimentary rocks and fossil fuels. 

Students explore these concepts through differentiated, multimodal learning stations, including hands-on demos, reading passages (available in English and Spanish), research, videos, and various activities like organizing, writing, and illustrating. A bonus Challenge It! station provides extension activities for early finishers. 

The lesson includes editable PowerPoints, interactive notebooks (digital and print), and note-taking templates. Students can demonstrate their understanding through choice projects and assessments aligned with STAAR 2.0. 

With resources for both classroom and virtual environments, this unit promotes flexible, differentiated learning for 5th grade students.

This station lab, aligned with TEKS 5.10B, focuses on the formation of sedimentary rocks and fossil fuels. Designed for 5th grade students, it offers a student-led, modular learning experience with nine differentiated stations. These stations allow students to model, describe, and explore the processes of sedimentary rock formation and fossil fuel creation through hands-on tasks, readings, videos, and digital activities. The station lab encourages independent learning, with the teacher facilitating rather than directing the process.

The activities in the lab cover a range of concepts, including the role of weathering, erosion, compaction, deposition, and cementation in rock formation. Stations like "Explore It!" and "Research It!" give students opportunities to apply and connect new knowledge, while "Watch It!" and "Read It!" offer multimodal ways to engage with the content. Differentiated reading passages and materials in English and Spanish support diverse learners, ensuring accessibility for all students.

Students demonstrate their understanding through output stations such as "Organize It!", where they work with manipulatives, and "Illustrate It!", where they create visual models of rock formation. Other stations include "Write It!" for short answer responses and "Assess It!" for evaluating comprehension through task cards. A bonus "Challenge It!" station offers advanced students opportunities for further exploration. This versatile lab can be used both in the classroom and in virtual learning environments.

These Sedimentary Rock Cycle Student Choice Projects align with the 2021 TEKS Earth Science standard 5.10B and offer 5th graders various ways to demonstrate their knowledge of geology. The project page includes six student-led project options and a "design your own" project. An editable rubric allows for teacher, peer, or self-assessment. 

The projects are flexible and can be adjusted to meet grading needs. There are differentiated versions available for students who require remediation or additional challenges. The resources use common classroom supplies like paper, markers, and scissors, and many projects can be completed digitally.