Rock or metal?
Some meteorites are made of rock. Some are made of metal. Some are a mix of both. Let's sort them!
- Name rock and metal as materials.
- Describe how rock and metal look and feel.
- Sort objects into rock and metal.
Links to: Year 1 science, everyday materials: identifying and naming materials, describing their properties and sorting them.
Stony meteorites
Most meteorites are made of rock. We call them stony meteorites. They are often dark on the outside and grey on the inside. Some have tiny round balls inside, smaller than a grain of rice.
Iron meteorites
Some meteorites are made of metal. We call them iron meteorites. They are very heavy. When they are cut and polished, they are shiny, like a spoon.
The biggest meteorite ever found is made of metal. It is called Hoba, and it is in Africa. It is so heavy it has never been moved.
A bit of both
A few meteorites are half rock and half metal. Some of them have pretty green and gold crystals inside, like stained-glass windows.
Go on a materials hunt. With a grown-up, find five things made of metal (such as a spoon, a key or a coin) and five things made of rock or stone (such as a pebble or a garden stone). Put them in two groups. Use words to describe them: shiny, dull, rough, smooth, cold, heavy.
Quiz
5 questions. Choose an answer to see whether you are right and why. Finish the quiz to complete the lesson.
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Question 1What are most meteorites made of?
Most meteorites are stony meteorites, made of rock.
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Question 2What do iron meteorites feel like?
Iron meteorites are made of metal and are very heavy.
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Question 3Which of these is made of metal?
Spoons are usually made of metal.
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Question 4What is Hoba?
Hoba is a huge metal meteorite in Africa. It has never been moved.
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Question 5What is special inside some half-rock, half-metal meteorites?
Some have green and gold crystals that light shines through, like coloured glass.