1. PLAN Primary Science – Supporting Assessment
Rocks Year 3 Na’ilah
© Pan London Assessment Network (PLAN) Se[tember 2018
This resource has been developed by the Pan London Assessment Network and is supported by the Association for Science Education.

2. PLAN Primary Science - Supporting Assessment
PLAN Primary Science is a set of resources produced to enable teachers to have a clearer understanding of National Curriculum expectations for meeting the standard. Annotated collections of children’s work provide examples of what working at the expected standard for primary science might look like for the knowledge and conceptual understanding statements of the programmes of study (POS).
It is not the intention of these resources to specifically exemplify the working scientifically statements.  However, aspects of working scientifically have been shown as an integral part of the teaching and learning of the knowledge and concepts.
The resources provided have been cross moderated multiple times before publishing so that they can be used with confidence by teachers and subject leaders.
Each collection of work shows one example of how a pupil has met National Curriculum statements for a particular area of content but these are not intended to be the definitive way of teaching these statements.

3. Structure of the resources
Each resource contains the relevant National Curriculum statements for the unit of work and prior learning, a planning matrix, annotated work and a summary sheet.  The matrix provides an interpretation of the key learning of the National Curriculum statements, and suggestions of key vocabulary.  In order to be meet the expectations pupils must firstly understand the key concept and then be provided with opportunities to apply that knowledge. This is a key planning tool.
Key Learning
Possible Evidence
Secure
Show understanding of a concept by using scientific vocabulary correctly
Overview paragraph describing curriculum
Key vocabulary – list of words
Possible ways to demonstrate key learning, particularly correct usage of vocabulary
Apply knowledge in familiar related contexts
Suggestions of contexts to use.
Possible ways to demonstrate that a pupil has gone beyond recall of facts and can apply the key learning, for example using the vocabulary and basic principles to produce explanations, usually within Working Scientifically contexts.

4. Contents of the materials
Please note: The NC statements for each topic area for the relevant year group are stated on the slide. Only the statements in bold on that slide have been exemplified. In these cases the teachers have chosen to split the statements within the topic area to teach at different times.
The prior NC statements relevant to the topic area are also stated and use to determine pupils’ knowledge at the start of the unit.
Each slide has been annotated with coloured text. Please see key below:
Red Commentary to explain how evidence meets/does not meet NC statements
Blue Commentary to highlight features of working scientifically
Green   Pupil Speak
Grey Other relevant information eg. vocabulary used

5. Year 1 objectives – prior learning
Pupils should be taught to:
distinguish between an object and the material from which it is made
identify and name a variety of everyday materials, including wood, plastic, glass, metal, water, and rock
describe the simple physical properties of a variety of everyday materials
compare and group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of their simple physical properties

6. Year 2 objectives – prior learning
Pupils should be taught to:
identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials, including wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock, paper and cardboard for particular uses

7. Year 3 objectives Pupils should be taught to:
compare and group together different kinds of rocks on the basis of their appearance and simple physical properties
describe in simple terms how fossils are formed when things that have lived are trapped within rock
recognise that soils are made from rocks and organic matter

8. SECURE Assessment guidance Key learning Possible Evidence
Shows understanding of a concept using scientific vocabulary correctly
Rock is a naturally occurring material. There are different types of rock e.g. sandstone, limestone, slate etc. which have different properties. Rocks can be hard or soft. They have different sizes of grain or crystal. They may absorb water. Rocks can be different shapes and sizes (stones, pebbles, boulders). Soils are made up of pieces of ground down rock which may be mixed with plant and animal material (organic matter). The type of rock, size of rock piece and the amount of organic matter affect the property of the soil.
Some rocks contain fossils. Fossils were formed millions of years ago. When plants and animals died, they fell to the seabed. They became covered and squashed by other material. Over time the dissolving animal and plant matter is replaced by minerals from the water.
Key vocabulary:
Rock, stone, pebble, boulder, grain, crystals, layers, hard, soft, texture, absorb water, soil, fossil, marble, chalk, granite, sandstone, slate, soil, peat, sandy/chalk/clay soil
Can name some types of rock and give physical features of each
Can explain how a fossil is formed
Can explain that soils are made from rocks and also contain living/dead matter
Applying knowledge in familiar related contexts, including a range of enquiries
Observe rocks closely
Classify rocks in a range of ways based on their appearance
Devise a test to investigate the hardness of a range of rocks
Devise a test to investigate how much water different rocks absorb
Observe how rocks change over time e.g. gravestones or old building
Research using secondary sources how fossils are formed
Observe soils closely
Classify soils in a range of ways based on their appearance
Devise a test to investigate the water retention of soils
Observe how soil can be separated through sedimentation
Research the work of Mary Anning
Can classify rocks in a range of different ways using appropriate vocabulary
Can devise tests to explore the properties of rocks and use data to rank the rocks
Can link rocks changing over time with their properties e.g. soft rocks get worn away more easily
Can present in different ways their understanding of how fossils are formed e.g. in role play, comic strip, chronological report, stop-go animation etc.
Can identify plant/animal matter and rocks in samples of soil
Can devise a test to explore the water retention of soils

9. Later Statements
Pupils do not need to be taught content they will learn in later year groups. They can be challenged by applying the content for their year group in broader contexts.
In Year 6 Evolution and inheritance pupils will be taught to:
Recognise that living things have changed over time and that fossils provide information about living things that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago.

10. Initial activity to explore rocks in the local environment
compare and group together different kinds of rocks on the basis of their appearance and simple physical properties
The children started their rock unit within their own school grounds, participating in a rock detective walk to begin to recognise the different types of rocks, their physical properties and their uses. They began to describe the rocks and grow their vocabulary to do so.
Na’ilah begins to use generic descriptive words to describe rocks in the school building and grounds and can identify objects made from rocks.

11. Initial activity to explore rocks in the local environment
compare and group together different kinds of rocks on the basis of their appearance and simple physical properties
The children then continued their rock detective walk around the local environment, including visiting a local church and grounds. .
Key vocabulary – rock, layers, names of common rocks and words to orally describe throughout the walk.
We saw lots of layers of different rocks on our walk. The church used lots of hard limestone in its building.
Na’ilah is beginning to associate rocks with certain places and functions in the local environment, including in buildings. She used a range of descriptive vocabulary orally during the walk to describe and name different characteristics, although this needs further development.

12. Exploring gravestones and how they differ
compare and group together different kinds of rocks on the basis of their appearance and simple physical properties
The children visited a local church graveyard to look at the gravestones. They observed the range of rocks used for gravestones, naming any that they knew, and also observed how damaged or worn the gravestones were and considered this in relation to their age.
Na’ilah demonstrates that she recognises that changes occur to rocks over time and that this process is dependent on the type of rock. Her description of why these changes occur needs further consolidation, as here she records simply that ‘over time they (the rocks) will disappear’.

13. Exploring gravestones and how they differ
compare and group together different kinds of rocks on the basis of their appearance and simple physical properties
The children then visited a local cemetery park, as part of a workshop at the Soanes Centre to look again at the gravestones. They were better able to explain the damaged and worn stones and could explain in terms of weathering and make references to different properties of rocks.
Na’ilah is able to describe the link between properties of rocks and changes that have occurred to them over time.

14. Exploring rocks and how they are similar or different
compare and group together different kinds of rocks on the basis of their appearance and simple physical properties
The children were each given a range of rocks in their pairs and were asked to observe closely a magnifying glass. They spent time talking about the visual characteristics of each of the rocks. They were asked to sort them in different ways.
They then completed a compare and contrast grid to demonstrate what they had observed.
Me and my partner sorted rocks by which ones had sparkly bits, which Miss said were crystals. Some didn’t have any crystals at all.
Na’ilah compares and groups rocks together in a number of different ways with increasing confidence and describes their simple properties and sometimes talk about the effects of these differences.

15. Exploring the nature and characteristics of different rocks
compare and group together different kinds of rocks on the basis of their appearance and simple physical properties
The children investigated common rocks types for 3 properties which could be tested: porosity, density and durability. They conducted simple observational investigations for each property and recorded the results in a table.
We dropped water from pipettes onto our rocks to see if they absorbed any water or if it fell off the rocks. The limestone absorbed water and it could also be worn away with the sandpaper. This is like we saw on our trip to the church.
Na’ilah conducts simple tests with her group to determine core properties of rocks. She collects data from observations by using notes and tables.

16. Exploring soils
recognise that soils are made from rocks and organic matter
The children were given a sample of soil from their school grounds to explore. They mixed the sample with water and then observed them as they settled into different layers.
My soil has twigs and bits of leaves in it. It also has some little stones. The rocky soil went to the bottom of the jar and the sandy soil was on top of it.
When questioned further Na’ilah identified the dead twigs and leaves as organic matter. She explained that they may have come from plants which were once alive in the grounds.

17. Exploring soils
recognise that soils are made from rocks and organic matter
The children were asked to classify a range of soil samples. Na’ila’s sorted them in a variety of ways including lightest to darkest and crumbliest to most solid.
Na’ilah and her group chose their own sorting criteria. Na’ilah offered simple explanations through discussion for differences in their groupings based on their learning to date in this unit.
Lots of the soils looked like ground down rocks. Some had other bits of stuff in them too like bits of plants. We found a bit of shell from a dead snail too.
Na’ilah recognises that soils are made up of a mixture of broken down rocks and parts of dead plants and animals.

18. Fossil formation – making fossils from dog biscuits
describe in simple terms how fossils are formed when things that have lived are trapped within rock
A number of pupil quotes capture the practical activity where they learnt how fossils can be formed by modelling the process using a dog biscuit.
First we flattened the sea bed and added the dead sea creature and sea water.
Sediment is all made up of shells and bits of rocks and bits of dead animals and some sandy bits too.
The children flattened plasticene in a small plastic pot to make the sea bed. They then imagined that a sea creature, represented by the dog biscuit (bone shaped) had died and fallen onto the sea bed. Then they added the sea (salty, diluted food colouring) and shredded up kitchen roll to represent the sediment.

19. Fossil formation – making fossils from dog biscuits
describe in simple terms how fossils are formed when things that have lived are trapped within rock
We’re now digging with my tool through lots of sediment layers looking for bones and things from dead animals. The bones have changed to fossils because of the salt.
I’m making the sediment. I’m pushing down the shells and bits of rocks into the sea bed but speeding it up millions of years.
Imagining they were an archaeologists some thousands of years later, pupils unearthed their fossils using a pick (tooth pick). They could identify imprint fossils, using the visualiser to help to identify the shape of the fossil imprint and they found the fossilised bones of the dead sea creature itself.
Na’ilah could recount the whole process of how fossils are formed when a once living creature is trapped within rocks from this model making.

20. Overall summary – secure
Na’ilah has experienced a range of hands on exploration activities that have helped her to understand the characteristics of a range of different rocks, including those commonly found in local buildings. She has an understanding of different uses for different rocks and also how they change over time. She has consistently demonstrated her use of the key vocabulary and can talk about both observable and testable features of rocks. She has been given the opportunity to take part in a range of off site activities and a workshop to consolidate her understanding of this unit of work. She can recognise the difference between soils and can sort them according to different observable characteristics. She has identified organic (plant and animal matter) and inorganic (rock) material within soils. She has secured an understanding of how fossils are formed, through a hands on model making activity and was confident in retelling the whole sequence of events within the process.

21. Acknowledgements