GoalMatch rocks to the jobs they do, using their properties.
New words
property · what a material is like, such as hard or smoothbuilding · a house, a school or another thing with walls and a roofstatue · a figure of a person or an animal carved in stone
Explanation
We choose a rock for a job because of how it looks and feels. Soft chalk rubs off easily, so teachers can draw with it on a board. Marble can be polished until it shines, so people carve statues from it and lay it on floors. Granite is very hard and strong, so it is good for steps, walls, bridges and kitchen worktops. Slate splits into thin, flat pieces that keep the rain out, so it makes good roof tiles. Coal burns and gives heat. Each rock has the right properties for its job.
Worked examples
A bridge must be very strong to hold up cars and trucks. Builders use granite for some bridges.
Slate for a roof is flat, thin and keeps the rain out.
A sculptor can carve a statue from marble because it is hard, smooth and can be made to shine.
Class activity
Rock detectives (with an adult): go for a walk around your street or school. Look for rock in walls, steps, bridges, floors and roofs. Count how many places you find. Which job needed a hard, strong rock? Draw one thing and say why that rock was chosen. Do not break or pick at the walls.
Practice
1
Why is chalk good for writing on a board?
It is soft, so it leaves a white mark.
2
Which rock is best for a strong building wall: chalk, granite or coal?
Granite, because it is very strong.
3
A builder needs thin, flat pieces of rock for a roof. Which rock splits into sheets?
