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rock deformation & stress

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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: rock deformation & stress

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Write down everything you already know about rock deformation & stress. Then check against the key terms: key terms from rock deformation & stress. Use a mini-whiteboard or paper.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide:
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: key terms from rock deformation & stress.
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: rock deformation & stress. 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 rock deformation & stress

Plenary (5 minutes)

Check Out

Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about rock deformation & stress.

Lesson 2: Core Concepts: rock deformation & stress

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Review Previous Lesson

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

Main Content (35 minutes)

Key Fact: Stress is the force applied to rock; strain is the resulting deformation
Key Fact: Brittle deformation: rocks fracture under stress, producing joints, faults and fractures (dominant at shallow depths, low temperature, fast strain rate)
Key Fact: Ductile deformation: rocks bend or flow under stress, producing folds and cleavage (dominant at depth, high temperature, slow strain rate)
Key Fact: Normal faults form under tension: the hanging wall moves down relative to the footwall
Key Fact: Reverse (thrust) faults form under compression: the hanging wall moves up relative to the footwall
Key Fact: Strike-slip faults form under shear stress: blocks move horizontally past each other

Practice (10 minutes)

Q: explain the key ideas of rock deformation & stress

Answer:

Plenary (5 minutes)

Explain Back

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

Lesson 3: Application: rock deformation & stress

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Recall the key terms: key terms from rock deformation & stress. 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: rock deformation & stress

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 rock deformation & stress from the exam board past paper finder (see Resources), then mark it against the scheme.

Exam Tips: Brittle vs ductile: depth and temperature are the key controls | Normal fault = tension (hanging wall down); Reverse fault = compression (hanging wall up) | Joints have NO movement; faults HAVE movement | Stress is the cause; strain is the effect
Common Errors: ✗ All rocks fracture under stress ✓ Rocks near the surface fracture (brittle), but at depth under high temperature and pressure they fold (ductile) ✗ Normal faults form under compression ✓ Normal faults form under TENSION, the hanging wall moves DOWN. Reverse faults form under compression, the hanging wall moves UP ✗ Joints and faults are the same thing ✓ Joints are fractures with NO movement; faults are fractures WITH movement along the plane
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
  • Synoptic links: explain how rock deformation & stress connects to another Geology topic you have studied
  • Real-world: research one real-world use or example of rock deformation & stress
  • Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in rock deformation & stress?"

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)