These are the buttons for going to teacher resources.
Above right is the search button. You can get to this 'toolkit' screen from the search, too. Most useful when students have a specific word in mind.
This is the main textbook. It opens in a new tab or window. To close the book, close the tab or window. On a mobile you can swipe to turn pages and also pull corners. On the top right there is a button for searching within the book. You can also zoom in on a page and drag the page to where you want it. Some books have videos embedded.

If there is an 'explorer' book opposite with a similar title it is also a textbook, but with a 2 year reading level lower than the main book.
These creative topics books cover specific topics and reinforce the main book. Use them as further reading, or when more detail is needed for project work.

The books are colour banded using a system of reading ability levels as is standard across British schools. If there are coloured dots, they tell of reading level and also guide you as to how hard the subject matter is: the more dots the harder it is.
This is the interactive topic. It covers the same ground as the book, but with less text and it focuses on read-outs. Suited to whiteboards as well as individual use. Each text passage can be read out and stopped by mouseover or tap. There is a question with interactive answer. Especially helps those with reading challenges.
This is the video gallery. It contains all of the videos in the i-topic and more. You can use this if you wish to manage videos rather than have them as part of the i-topic.
This is an interactive audio-visual experience. It contains a wide variety of topics to help students approach a topic in a less formal way. They select items and hear them read out. Copyright restrictions apply: the material cannot be used in other websites.
These are additional resources, such as topic books.
  • Statutory programme of study.

• The books below cover the ground needed for each statutory requirement.

• If you need guidance on how to teach the topic, take the academy course by clicking the 'Lessons' icon. (Also suited to parent use.)

• Remember you can enhance this by using our safe search. For example, search basalt, granite, humus.
• Also remember each book has its own search, top right immediately above the page.
• For teacher guides and more visit the academy links.

Year 3 has the following 5 themes. This page is about Rocks and soils

1. Plants

2. Animals including humans

3. Rocks and soils (this page; scroll down)

4. Light

5. Forces and magnets

3. Rocks, weathering and soils

• (a) compare and group together different kinds of rocks on the basis of their appearance and simple physical properties

Extra guidance: .
Classification of rocks

Text books and academy to use:


Simple, whole textbook

Specially written book for this topic.

Additional reading books to use:

Note: We have dozens and dozens of individual rock and mineral videos. Just search one, such as agate, granite. They are videos of artefacts held in the hand.


• (b) describe in simple terms how fossils are formed when things that have lived are trapped within rock

Extra guidance: .
Rocks with fossils

Text books and website area to use:


Specially written book for this topic.

Visit the website section

Additional reading books to use:

Note: We have dozens and dozens of fossils as videos as part of the video museum. Search for the one you want, such as ammonite (and Mary Anning; we also have a biography on Mary Anning; search: Anning and Charles Darwin; search: Darwin ).


• (c) recognise that soils are made from rocks and organic matter.

Extra guidance: .
Weathering of rocks
Rocks with fossils
Rock abrasion
How soils are formed.

Text books and academy to use:


Specially written book for this topic.

Specially written book for this topic.

Simple, whole textbook


Additional reading books to use:

Note: the requirement is for organic matter to be included. Many creepy crawlies live in the soil, decomposing dead leaf and animal matter and producing humus which living plants use for nourishment. The book 'How plants changed the world' explains how organic matter combine with rock fragments to make soil. Also, as a bonus, look at how soil can be used as a building material in 'A home of soil'. The cave book is about how limestone dissolves in water.

Go to section 4: