Grade 5 Science TEKS 5.10B:Formation of Sedimentary Rocks and Fossil Fuels

Learning Target: I can explain how sedimentary rocks and fossil fuels are formed and their differences.

Focuses On:

• Formation of sedimentary rocks
• Formation of fossil fuels

Builds On:

4.11C:

determine the physical properties of rocks that allow Earth's natural resources to be stored there

Next Level:

6.10C:

describe how metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary rocks form and change through geologic processes in the rock cycle

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This lesson is designed to support student understanding of the formation processes for sedimentary rocks and fossil fuels.

The lesson begins by examining how sedimentary rocks form through the processes of weathering, erosion, deposition, compaction, and cementation. Students will analyze models to identify each of these stages. The lesson then explains the formation of fossil fuels, outlining the critical steps of rapid burial and the application of heat and pressure over millions of years, while distinguishing between the origins of coal and oil.

This lesson builds upon 4th-grade knowledge of rocks and fossil fuels and prepares students to explore how different rock types change through the rock cycle in 6th grade.