Grades 2–4
Rock Detective
Look at four rocks: color, shine, texture and a scratch test, then draw your favorite up close.
Science worksheet · Rocks, soil and fossils
Three Kinds of Rocks
Match igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic to how they form, then sort six rocks.
- Grade level
- Grades 3–5
- Time
- About 20 minutes
- Answer key
- Yes, page 2 of the PDF
- Kids practice
- Rocks and minerals, Soil, Fossils
What kids do
Printed on the sheet:
- 1. Draw a line from each kind of rock to how it forms.
- 2. Write each rock in the right column.
- Which kind of rock might have a fossil in it? Why?
Words on this sheet
igneousmarbleslategranite
Teacher tip
Bring a real sample of each kind if you can, even a piece of chalk or granite.
How to use it
- Pass around real rocks and magnifying glasses.
- Show a jar of layered soil and water that has settled overnight.
- Start with a two-minute “I notice, I wonder” talk about the picture on the sheet.
Watch for
Kids may think all rocks are the same age. Some are billions of years old.
Talk about it
- How do you think this rock formed?
- What did you notice that surprised you?
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 2–4
Layers of Soil
Label humus, topsoil, subsoil and bedrock on the diagram, then fill in three sentences.
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.
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