Grades 2–4
Layers of Soil
Label humus, topsoil, subsoil and bedrock on the diagram, then fill in three sentences.
Science worksheet · Rocks, soil and fossils
Rock Detective
Look at four rocks: color, shine, texture and a scratch test, then draw your favorite up close.
- Grade level
- Grades 2–4
- Time
- About 25 minutes
- Answer key
- Not needed: answers vary
- Kids practice
- Rocks and minerals, Soil, Fossils
What kids do
Printed on the sheet:
- Find four rocks. Look at each one closely. For the scratch test, try to scratch it with your fingernail, then with a penny. Soft rocks scratch easily.
- Scratch test: hard or soft?
- Draw your favorite rock up close.
- Where did you find it? What do you think it is made of?
Teacher tip
A steel nail and a penny are enough for a simple scratch test.
How to use it
- Pass around real rocks and magnifying glasses.
- Show a jar of layered soil and water that has settled overnight.
- Let partners compare answers and settle any differences with a book or a video.
Watch for
Kids may think all rocks are the same age. Some are billions of years old.
Talk about it
- What can fossils tell us about the past?
- What question do you still have?
Take it further
Start a class rock collection with labels kids write.
US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.
More rocks, soil and fossils worksheets
Grades 3–5
How a Fossil Forms
Number the five steps that turn a dead animal into a fossil, then draw a fossil you would like to find.
Grades 3–5
Layers of the Earth
Label the crust, mantle, outer core and inner core, then answer three questions.
Grades 3–5
Three Kinds of Rocks
Match igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic to how they form, then sort six rocks.
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