Homeschool Guide: These lesson plans are a guide for parents. Content may contain errors — always cross-reference with official exam board specifications.

the rock cycle

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4 detailed 50-minute lessons with teaching scripts, worked examples, parent guides, and assessment criteria.

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Lesson Overview

Total Lessons: 4
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA

Learning Objectives

Prerequisites

Materials & Equipment

Lesson 1: Introduction: the rock cycle

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Write down everything you already know about the rock cycle. Then check against the key terms: GCSE Geology Exam Tips — The Rock Cycle. Use a mini-whiteboard or paper.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide:
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: GCSE Geology Exam Tips — The Rock Cycle.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Teaching Script (35 mins):
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: the rock cycle. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Geology because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
First Look

Start with the revision notes summary, then attempt: explain the key ideas of the rock cycle

Plenary (5 minutes)

Check Out

Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about the rock cycle.

Lesson 2: Core Concepts: the rock cycle

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Review Previous Lesson

Quick recap: write 3 key points from Lesson 1 on the rock cycle. Check them against the notes below.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Key Fact: The rock cycle is a continuous process where rocks are transformed between igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic types
Key Fact: Igneous rocks form from cooling magma/lava; weathering and erosion break them into sediment then sedimentary rocks
Key Fact: Sedimentary rocks can be metamorphosed by heat/pressure to metamorphic rocks; or melted to magma then igneous rocks
Key Fact: Metamorphic rocks can be weathered/eroded to sedimentary rocks; or melted to magma then igneous rocks
Key Fact: Driving forces: internal (heat from Earth's core drives melting, metamorphism, tectonics) and external (the Sun drives weathering, erosion, transport, deposition)
Key Fact: The rock cycle operates over millions of years and is evidence that Earth is a dynamic system

Practice (10 minutes)

Q: explain the key ideas of the rock cycle

Answer:

Plenary (5 minutes)

Explain Back

Your student teaches the key points back to you without looking. Fill any gaps immediately.

Lesson 3: Application: the rock cycle

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Recall the key terms: GCSE Geology Exam Tips — The Rock Cycle. Define each in one sentence.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide: Let your student attempt each question alone first, then compare with the model answer. Award method marks for correct working even if the final answer is wrong.

Work through the practice questions on the revision notes page for this topic.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Error Review

Review any questions answered incorrectly. Identify whether the error was knowledge, method, or reading the question.

Lesson 4: Exam Practice: the rock cycle

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Command Words

Review what these command words require: state (one point), describe (say what happens), explain (say why), compare (both sides), evaluate (judgement).

Main Content (35 minutes)

Exam-Style Question

Attempt a past-paper style question on the rock cycle from the exam board past paper finder (see Resources), then mark it against the scheme.

Exam Tips: Know ALL possible paths between the three rock types, not just one circular route | External processes (Sun-driven): weathering, erosion, transport, deposition | Internal processes (core heat-driven): melting, metamorphism, tectonism, uplift | Be able to trace a specific path (e.g. from sedimentary to igneous)
Common Errors: ✗ The rock cycle always goes igneous to sedimentary to metamorphic to igneous ✓ The rock cycle has many possible paths; rocks can go directly from igneous to metamorphic, or sedimentary to igneous, etc. It is a network, not a single loop ✗ Once a rock becomes metamorphic it cannot become sedimentary ✓ Any rock at the surface can be weathered and eroded, metamorphic rocks exposed by uplift can become sediment just like any other rock type ✗ Weathering and erosion are the same process ✓ Weathering is the in-situ breakdown of rock; erosion is the removal and transport of the broken material, they are different processes
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
  • Synoptic links: explain how the rock cycle connects to another Geology topic you have studied
  • Real-world: research one real-world use or example of the rock cycle
  • Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in the rock cycle?"

Plenary (5 minutes)

Assessment Criteria
  • Got it: Confident explanation + correct worked examples
  • Getting there: Main points OK, needs support with detail
  • Not yet: Confused on key concepts - re-run Lesson 2

Homework & Consolidation

Recommended Resources

🎓 Smart Lesson (Guided)