ROCKS AND MINERALS

The study of rocks (also known as geology) is very important to the study of Earth Sciences, the Earth is mostly made of rock after all! We use rocks to build, to create art sculptures and are an important part of growing food, as as minerals are a key ingredient of soil.

The activities on this page are suitable for pupils in Key Stage 2 (Year 3 - Year 6) although younger students can have a go with the help of someone older.

Topics covered on this page:

The different types of rock and how they are formed, including activities to make your own edible sedimentary rock and build an erupting volcano.
Exploring the GeoBus rock collection and a rock description matching game.
Describing rocks, including a game to improve description skills.

Curriculum links:

Comparing and grouping together different kinds of rocks on the basis of their appearance and simple physical properties.
Working scientifically to observe, identify, and classify rocks according to whether they have grains or crystals, and whether they have fossils in them.
Exploring different kinds of rocks and soils, including those in the local environment.

YOU CAN FIND more rocks activities AS THE PART OF THE Rocks and minerals ACTIVITY PACK HERE.

*The rock cycle worksheet and activity pack has been updated to use correct key words

Different types of rock

There are three main types of rock: sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous.

Rocks are different because of differences in how they are formed, but all the rock types are linked through the rock cycle.

Explore the three main types of rock below, by looking at the rocks in the GeoBus collection, following the activities and testing your knowledge with the Rock Descriptions Name Game.

Sedimentary rocks

Sedimentary rocks are made from sediment which can include pebbles, rock fragments, and sand. Sedimentary rocks can also contain fossils, ranging from small pieces of shell to dinosaur remains!

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GeoBus sedimentary rock collection

There are lots of different types of sedimentary rock. What they look like depends on what kind of sediment they are made from.

Explore some of the sedimentary rocks in the GeoBus collection below. Move your mouse over the top of the first image to find out more about that rock.

Sandstone

This orange sandstone is made of lots of tiny sugar-like grains of sand. It has a rough texture, similar to a sugar cube. Sandstone is a common building material as it is relatively soft and can be carved easily.

Limestone

This limestone is a creamy-beige colour and has lots of small bits of fossilised shell inside. Limestone typically forms underwater from sediment building up over long periods of time. Because of this, it is common to find the fossils of sea creatures in limestone, such as ammonites and trilobites.

Flint

Flint is very smooth, and can have very sharp edges that make it very useful for making tools like spear heads. This flint is brown and grey with some bits of white on the outside. Flint actually forms inside chalk, another sedimentary rock.

Conglomerate rock

‘Conglomerate’ is a way to describe rocks that are made up of other smaller rocks such as pebbles and grains. If you look closely at this conglomerate, you can see that it is made of grey fragments of rock that are held together by very small red grains.

Chalk

Chalk is smooth, white and very soft. It is so soft that you can easily scratch the surface with your fingernail and use it to draw with. The White Cliffs of Dover are made out of chalk.

To learn more about sedimentary rocks and how they are made, use our instructions below to make an edible sedimentary rock using biscuits, chocolate and dried fruit!

Make an edible sedimentary rock

Igneous rocks

Igneous rocks can be made from magma or lava.

Igneous rock can form from magma under the Earth’s surface. Magma is very hot molten rock that can harden when it cools underground, forming igneous rock.

Igneous rocks can also be formed on the surface of the Earth. When magma reaches the surface we call it lava. When the lava cools it hardens and becomes an igneous rock.

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GeoBus igneous rock collection

There are lots of different types of igneous rock and what they look like depends where they formed.

Explore some of the igneous rocks in the GeoBus collection below. Move your mouse over the top of the first image to find out more about that rock.

Volcanic rock from Mount vesuvius, Italy

This rock is from one of the most dangerous and active volcanoes in the world, Mount Vesuvius in southern Italy. It has a very rough and uneven texture and is full of holes (pitted). Looking closely you can small shiny black minerals that could be obsidian, an igneous glass. When Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, it destroyed the city of Pompeii.

Obsidian

This piece of obsidian is from Anatolia in Turkey. Obsidian forms when molten rock cools very quickly, forming a volcanic glass instead of a rock. It is usually smooth, shiny and black like this piece in our collection. Obsidian can also be broken to have very sharp edges and was actually used in the Stone Age to make spear heads.

Basalt

Basalt is a very common igneous rock and is mostly formed by cooling lava, but can also be formed from magma cooling inside the Earth. Our basalt has lots of little holes (pitted) which are formed by gases being trapped as bubbles inside the lava as it cooled into rock.

Pumice

This pumice is from the Lipari Islands in Italy. Pumice is very light because it is full of so many small holes (pitted). It can float in water and even form giant rafts across oceans. Typically formed in very explosive volcanic eruptions, the holes inside are formed by bubbles of gas.

Porphory

Porphory is an igneous rock that primary forms inside a volcano, in the magma chamber. Our porphory has black, pink and grey crystals of all different sizes, from small too large.

Volcanoes are made from layers of igneous rocks. Use the worksheet below to find out how volcanoes grow by making your own erupting volcano!

Build an erupting volcano

Metamorphic rocks

Metamorphic rocks form when already existing rock (can be igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic) is put under pressure (squeezed) and heated underground.

When a rock is heated and put under pressure it changes into a metamorphic rock.

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GeoBus metamorphic rock collection

There are lots of different types of metamorphic rock, and what they look like depends on what rock has been changed and how much heat and pressure has changed it.

Explore some of the metamorphic rocks in the GeoBus collection below. Move your mouse over the top of the first image to find out more about that rock.

Marble

You can get lots of different types and colours of marble, but the marble in our collection is white with medium sized crystals. The crystals reflect light so that it looks glittery. Limestone changes into marble when put under intense pressure and heat.

Gneiss

This rock has a very strange name that is difficult to say! The correct way to pronounce is without the G and sounds like ‘nice’. Gneiss is one of the oldest type of rocks you can find on Earth. The Gneiss in our collection is grey and shiny, with some pink and black crystals. It is quite hard to see, but this example shows banding - stripes of either black, grey or pink minerals.

Schist

Another difficult to pronounce rock name! Try it it without the C, sounds like ‘shist’. This piece of schist is one of our favourite rocks in the collection because it is made up of large dark purple crystals of garnet. It is grey and shiny, and also a favourite amongst students.

Think you know your rocks?

Put your geology skills to the test and play our Rock Descriptions Name Game.

Rock descriptions name game

Describing Rocks

A geologist is a scientist who studies rocks, have a go at being a geologist with this activity!

Find a rock!
Try and find a rock at home, maybe you or someone in your family has a rock that they have collected that you could borrow? Or you could try looking outside in your garden, the park or on a walk. If you get your rock from outside, you might want to give it a quick wash. If you still can’t find one, then pick a rock from our collection above. The more interesting the rock you find, the better this activity will be!
Investigate!
Once you have your rock, you need to investigate. What does it look, feel or even smell like? Pay close attention to the colours in the rock and small details you notice. You could try describing it out loud to someone at home and see what they think – do they agree with your description?
If you struggled with describing you rock, or would like to work on your description skills, play our Object Description Game! Designed for students to play over video call, it’s a great way to have some fun with your classmates and friends.

Object Description game

3. Make a rock description!

When a geologist finds a rock, they will make a rock description, which includes a sketch to help others identify the rock. Use our Rock Description Worksheet below to make your very own geologists rock description. You can then use our Geoguide Booklet to help identify your rock.

Rock description worksheet

Geoguide booklet

Other things to do!

Still want to learn more about Earth sciences? Have a look at our other school resources by clicking on the button below to take you to our Home Resources page.

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