Learning About Rocks Worksheet PDF

Name............................ Learning About Rocks Rocks are all around us! They are found in many places, like our school garden, parks, and even at home. Let’s learn more about rocks and how we can sort them based on their characteristics. What Are Rocks? Rocks are n...

Name............................ Learning About Rocks Rocks are all around us! They are found in many places, like our school garden, parks, and even at home. Let’s learn more about rocks and how we can sort them based on their characteristics. What Are Rocks? Rocks are not living things. Rocks come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Each rock has special characteristics that make it different from others. How to Study Rocks You can explore rocks by sorting them into groups. Let’s find out how! Materials Needed A magnifying glass A few rocks (from the garden, park, or home) A notebook and pencil  Name............................ Learning About Rocks Steps to Study Rocks Step 1: Collect Rocks Find a few rocks from your garden, park, or school. Label them as A, B, C, and so on. Step 2: Sort the Rocks Sort the rocks in five ways: 1. By Colors Look closely at the rocks. Group them into these colors: White Gray Brown Mixed colors Write your findings in a table. 2. By Cleavage Check if the rocks have cracks or lines (called cleavage). Sort them into two groups: Rocks with cleavage Rocks without cleavage Write your findings in a table. 3. By Weight Use your hands to compare the weight of the rocks. Group them into: Light rocks (easy to lift) Medium rocks (need both hands to lift) Heavy rocks (too heavy to lift) Write your findings in a table. 4. By Hardness Check how hard the rocks are: Hard rocks: Can scratch glass. Soft rocks: Cannot scratch glass but can be scratched by a fingernail. Very soft rocks: Easily scratched by a fingernail. Write your findings in a table.  5. By Texture Feel the surface of the rocks and look at them closely: Coarse-grained: Grains are big and can be seen easily. Fine-grained: Grains are tiny and need a magnifying glass to see. Glassy: No grains at all. Write your findings in a table.  What Did We Learn About Rocks? 1. Colors: Rocks come in different colors like gray, white, brown, and mixed colors. 2. Cleavage: Some rocks have cracks or lines that make them split easily. 3. Weight: Big rocks are heavier than small rocks. Some rocks, like pumice, are so light they can float on water! 4. Hardness: Hard rocks can scratch glass. Soft rocks can be scratched by a fingernail. 5. Texture: Coarse-grained rocks have grains you can see. Fine-grained rocks have grains that are hard to see. Glassy rocks have no grains at all. Fun Facts About Rocks Pumice rocks are very light and can float on water. Rocks are used to build roads, houses, and even statues!  Worksheet: Learning About Rocks Circle the correct answer. 1. What are rocks? a) Living things b) Non-living things c) Plants 2. Rocks can be found: a) In the sky b) Around us c) Only at home 3. A rock that floats on water is: a) A heavy rock b) A pumice rock c) A glassy rock  Worksheet: Learning About Rocks Circle the correct answer. 4. Rocks with grains you can see easily are called: a) Coarse-grained b) Fine-grained c) Glassy 5. A rock that can scratch glass is: a) Soft b) Hard c) Very soft Part 2: Matching Match each description to the correct type of rock. Can be scratched with a fingernail................................ Has no grains at all.................................... Has cracks or lines called cleavage................................... Feels rough with big grains......................................... Coarse-grained, Very soft, Glassy, Rocks with cleavage Part 3: Fill in the Blanks Use the words below to complete the sentences: (Words: colors, heavy, light, cracks, scratch) Rocks can have different __________ like gray, white, and brown. Some rocks are __________ and easy to lift. Rocks with __________ can split along those lines. Hard rocks can __________ glass. Big rocks are usually __________ and hard to carry.