Rocks minerals and soil

What are rocks?• Rocks are solid materials that are made of one or more minerals... Sedimentary Rock• Sedimentary rocks form when materials settle into layers and harden.. We will

Rocks, Minerals and Soil

Third Grade

Earth Science

What are rocks?

• Rocks are solid

materials that

are made of one

or more

minerals.

3 Types of rocks

1 Sedimentary

2 Igneous

3 Metamorphic

Metamorphic Rocks

Sedimentary Rock

• Sedimentary rocks form when

materials settle into layers and

harden.

• Any rock can become

sedimentary if at the surface.

Igneous Rock

• Igneous rock is a rock that was once melted but has cooled and

hardened.

• Hot lava comes out

from within the earth and is an igneous rock once cooled.

4 ways to identify rocks

3 Size

EXPERIMENT TIME!!!

• You are all now junior

geologist A geologist is

someone who studies

the Earth We will test

the hardness of rocks

using Moh’s scale

Moh’s Hardness Scale

• With your group, test the

hardness of rocks and give it a

Moh’s Scale

• Working as a group, make a bar

graph with your group rating your rocks from softest to hardest Be

sure your graph is labeled and

colorful.

Classify rocks

• As a group, discuss classifications of your rocks Remember

the 4 ways to classify rocks.

1 Color

2 Size

3 Texture

4 Hardness

What are minerals?

How are rocks and minerals different?

• Rocks are made up of

minerals Minerals are

within all rocks The

minerals in rocks are

what makes rocks look

different from other

rocks

Rocks and Mineral

Usually very pretty Not pretty

Has a shape No shape

May contain crystals No crystals

Will not contain fossils May contain fossils

Color is mostly the same May have many colors

Identify the Minerals

Time to Play a Game… How many minerals can you find in the kitchen? (click on refrigerator)

• Clay is smooth when dry and sticky when wet Soils high in clay content are called

heavy soils Clay also can hold a lot of

nutrients, but doesn't let air and water

through it well

• Loam is a mixture of different types of

soils Loam soils feel smooth and spongy when rolled into a ball

Potting Soil

• Potting soil is soil mixture made for use in gardens and potted plants

Potting soil should

be loose and light.

What are fossils?

Mold Fossil

• A mold fossil is a

impression made in a substance It is not the actual living

organism but a

impression.

• The picture is a mold fossil of a leaf.

Cast Fossil

• A cast fossil is

formed when a

mold fossil is filled

in The fossil can

be of anything that once lived (plants, animals, insects).

Trace Fossil

• Trace fossils are

impressions like mold fossils but are not the actual living organism- just evidence of them

• Examples: nests,

burrows, and footprints

True-Form Fossils

• True form fossils are

the actual once living

animal or organism.

• Example: Animal

bones