I have just posted a Sedimentary Rock Identification Lesson on my TpT site. It contains notes that can be displayed to students in the classroom as well as an interactive note guide for students to complete as the information about sedimentary rocks is being described. The texture of sedimentary rocks is very important for students to be able to correctly identify. If students are unable to identify the correct texture of the rock, finding the name of the rock is next to impossible.

Clastic Sedimentary Texture:

The succinctly stated notes that come with this lesson contain images to help demonstrate to students how to differentiate between the three textures of sedimentary rocks. The first texture of sedimentary rocks is clastic. Clastic sedimentary rocks consist of sediment pieces that have been compacted and cemented together. The sediments might be large sediments, these are called gravels, they might be sand- size sediments, and they might be smaller silt or clay size particles.

Clastic rocks start off as a loose pile of sediment but overtime become compacted and cemented together which is the process called lithification. Showing students pictures of the different sediment sizes is very helpful, and on the interactive note guide there is space for students to sketch what they see on the notes.

Chemical and Organic Sedimentary Texture:

The second texture is chemical sedimentary rocks. Chemical sedimentary rocks have precipitated from solution, and can be very difficult to identify without much practice. Here again, pictures are extremely helpful to students when they’re first starting out their identification process. The third texture is called organic. Organic sedimentary rocks come from the remains of plants and/or animals.

Hints on How to Effectively Teach Rock Identification:

it is very important when teaching sedimentary rocks to students that you have class sets of samples for them to look at. Groups of 2-4 students have worked best for me. Here are some other insider tips for teaching this topic:

Assemble boxes of rock samples that can be used year after year. I have a set of 15 boxes containing numbered sedimentary rocks. I also have 15 boxes of igneous and metamorphic rocks as well.
Have students look at the samples of rocks as the notes are being discussed. For example: As you are looking at the clastic sedimentary rock pictures, see if the students can identify samples in the box that are clastic.
Number the samples the same in each box so that when students are instructed to look at sample 1, they are all looking at the same rock: conglomerate. Use a small dollop of white out on the sample on which to write the number.
Color code the samples. I have boxes of igneous sedimentary and metamorphic samples, so I use a different color ink on each type of rock. My sedimentary rocks are labeled in blue marker, igneous in red marker and metamorphic in blue marker.
Letter code the samples. I write an “S” for sedimentary samples with the number next to it, an “I” on the igneous rock samples and an “M” on the metamorphic samples. (See the photograph that goes with this blog)
Choose the correct location for the dollop of white out on each sample. If, for example, a conglomerate sample contains a fabulous round gravel, it should be clearly visible for students to see on the sample. Avoid putting the white on the diagnostic feature. The same is true if one of the ways to identify the rock is that it has layers, I make sure that the numbering system on the sample does not cover up the layering on that sample. (By the way, removing white out from rock samples is very difficult, if not impossible, to do completely. Therefore, think before you “paint”!)
Scramble the rock samples so that not all of the clastic rocks are together, followed by the chemical and then sedimentary samples. Students will look for ways to “cheat” so that they don’t have to think as hard.
The reasoning for 15 boxes is so that students can work in pairs to collaborate and identify the names of the samples. Typically, my classes have around 30 students in them. Having them look at the samples at the same time, ensures that they are talking with each other and having discussions about what features they see before naming the rock.