Science: Rocks, Earth, and Volcanoes

Learn about the three categories of rocks: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. How does each type of rock form? What are the characteristics of each? This file includes the article and comprehension questions.

Fossils can tell us a lot about plants and animals that lived thousands of years ago. Find out how fossils form and why they're important in this article. Comprehension questions are included.

Students will search the classroom for fun facts about rocks and minerals. When they find a fact, they record it on their question sheet.

Look at the word box and find the rock or mineral names in the puzzle.

This article on Arches National Park in Utah discusses how the park's unique rock formations came to be over millions of years.

An informative article on the layers of the Earth (crust, mantle, inner core, and outer core). Includes comprehension questions.

Assemble a booklet that illustrates the four layers of planet Earth.  (Note:  This is a large file that may take a minute or two to download.)

Label the Earth's crust, mantle, inner core, and outer core.

Wind your way through the word maze to reveal an interesting fact. Words include: crust, mantle, inner core, and outer core. Fact reads: The crust and top pat of the mantle are made of moving pieces called tectonic plates. Movements of these plates can cause earthquakes.

This reading comprehension article and worksheet gives a great overview on the concept of erosion.

Discover why volcanoes erupt; learn the four different types of volcanoes; and read interesting volcano facts. Includes five comprehension questions.

Read about Mount St. Helens and its famous volcanic eruption. Then answer reading comprehension questions about the article.

With this worksheet, students can search for the volcano-themed words hidden in the puzzle.

Hide these cards around the room and have students search for them. When they find and read each card, they should be able to answer all of the questions on the worksheet.

The Ring of Fire is an area of the earth that contains a large string of volcanoes and areas with major seismic activity. This map shows plates, trenches, volcanoes, rises, and ridges in the area.

This coloring page shows a volcano erupting. There are also palm trees around the volcano.

Here's a reading comprehension passage about tsunamis. It includes questions and a vocabulary activity.

Cut out the sun and the house scene. Attach the sun with a brass paper fastener. Move the sun from the east to the west as it rises and sets.
For best results, print on thick card stock.