Welcome to Your Bag-It!
I invite you to join your child and become a geologist studying different types of rocks. Inside
your Bag-It you will find many great things! I have included the following items:
 A copy of the eyewitness book Rocks and Minerals
 Three different colors of clay, 2 sheets of waxed paper, and a plastic knife
 11 pieces to the Rock Cycle puzzle, blank piece of paper, glue stick
 6 different rocks, a board game, 15 division fact cards, and 1 magnifying glass
You will need all of these items to complete three different activities about rocks and the rock
cycle.
Before you jump into the activities please enjoy reading about the different rocks in the book
Rocks and Minerals. You are encouraged to listen to your child read the story to you but you are more
than welcome to read it with your child. This fascinating book contains so much information that I
have marked the parts of the book that talk about the different types of rocks and that will help
complete the three activities. Read through the marked pages first but if you and your child what
to explore more of the book please feel free to do so!
The first activity for you and your child to do together is making a metamorphic rock from
different colors of clay. Attached you will find the materials list and directions to complete the
activity. You are encouraged to help your child read and understand the directions but please
allow them to construct the “rock” on their own.
The second activity is completing a puzzle of the rock cycle. There are six pieces to this puzzle.
Each piece is one part of the rock cycle. Attached you will find a photo of the rock cycle along
with hints you can give your child if they seem to be having trouble completing it on their own.
The final activity is an exciting rock board game for you to play along with your child. The game
also allows them to practice their division facts! Attached you will find the directions and clues
to help you plan the game together.
I hope that you and your child enjoy being geologists and learning about different types of rocks.
The activities are meant to be fun and something for you and your child to do together so enjoy
and have fun. If you would please complete the short three question evaluation of the Bag-it I
would greatly appreciate it. Enjoy!
Please have your child return the Bag-It with the supplies and completed evaluation to
school by this Friday!
Activity One: Making a Metamorphic Rock!
What You Will Need
 Modeling clay in three colors
 2 sheets of waxed paper
 Several heavy books (or your hands)
 Plastic knife
What You’ll Do
1. Make 5 to 10 small balls from each color of clay. These are your rocks.
2. Mix up the colors, and pile the balls close together on one piece of waxed paper. This will
represent the igneous and/or sedentary rocks that come together to form a metamorphic
rock.
3. Place the other piece of waxed paper on top.
4. Stack the books on top of the waxed paper. If the books aren’t heavy enough, you’ll
want to push straight down on them. The pressure from the books represents the heat and
pressure that causes metamorphic rocks to form.
5. Remove the books and pull off the top piece of waxed paper.
6. Break or cut the clay in half to see the layers of “rock” as it has been squished together.
Please feel free to keep your metamorphic rock; just return the plastic knife with the rest of the
Bag-It.
Activity Two: Rock Cycle Puzzle
What You Will Need
 11 pieces of the rock cycle puzzle
 Blank piece of white paper
 Glue stick
What You’ll Do
1. Dump the pieces out of the bag and count to make sure you have all 11 pieces.
2. Lay out the pieces on the blank piece of white paper before you glue the pieces down.
3. Connect the types of rocks together using the arrows that show how the rock types are
made. Don’t forget you can look back at the pages you read to help you. You may also
ask your parents if you get stuck.
4. Once you think you have it laid out correctly check it against the picture, but don’t look
before you have tried it on your own.
5. Glue the pieces onto the white paper. Now you have a completed rock cycle!
6. You are more than welcome to keep the rock cycle, just return the plastic sleeve and glue
stick with the rest of the Bag-It.
Note to Parents: If you see your child is struggling to put it together look at the completed
photo to give them hints. Other hints are: sediments are weathered and eroded rock;
metamorphic rock is made from both igneous and sedimentary rock; melted magma makes
igneous rocks.
Activity Three: Rock Board Game
What You Will Need
 A bag with 5 different rocks
 The colorful board for the board game
 A bag with 15 division fact cards
 Magnifying glass
What You’ll Do
1. Take the division fact cards out of the bag and place them face down on the board game
in the box marked division cards.
2. Each player chooses a rock from the bag. As you take the rock from the bag guess what
kind of rock it is. Each rock has a number on it that corresponds with the rock list below.
Use the magnifying glass to look more closely at the rocks.
Rock 5: Granite (Igneous rock)
Rock 4: Gneiss (Metamorphic; made from granite)
Rock 14: Marble (Metamorphic; made from limestone)
Rock 11: Sandstone (Sedimentary)
Rock 10: Limestone (Sedimentary)
Rock 9: Slate (Metamorphic; made from shale)
3. Place the playing pieces on the start arrow and decide who will go first.
4. The first player takes a division fact card off of the top of the stack and answers the
problem. The answer to the problem is how many spaces the player moves. For example
the card says 4 divided by 2. The answer is 2 so you move your rock to spaces.
5. When you land on one of the squares you must answer the question on that square. If
you answer the question incorrectly no problem, just look up the correct answer. Go over
the question to make sure you understand what the right answer is.
6. The first person to the Finish wins!
Note to Parents: The answers to all the questions on the game board are listed below. They
follow the same sequences as on the game board. Please only look at the answers after you and
your child have tried to answer the question on your own. A suggestion for playing is to have
your child answer the division facts that you pull that way they get more practice with the facts.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Name the three types of rocks. (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic)
Sandstone is a type of ____ rock (sedimentary)
What type of rock is made up of sediments? (sedimentary)
Intrusive and____ are the two types of igneous rocks. (extrusive)
Rocks that can be either igneous or sedimentary? (metamorphic)
Marble is classified as a ____ rock. (metamorphic)
7. Extrusive igneous rocks are formed ____ the Earth. (outside)
8. Granite is classified as a ____ rock. (igneous)
9. When magma erupts from a volcano it becomes _____. (lava)
10. Rocks that have been changed by heat or pressure are? (metamorphic)
11. Intrusive igneous rocks are formed ____ the Earth. (inside)
12. Slate is formed from ____, a type of sedimentary rock. (shale)
13. Gneiss is classified as a ____ rock. (metamorphic)
14. Rock particles created by weathering and erosion are called ___. (sediments)
15. When magma cools it forms what type of rock? (igneous)
16. The metamorphic rock marble is made from ____. (limestone)
17. Name one igneous rock. (granite, gabbro, basalt, obsidian)
18. Weathering and erosion is part of the formation of _____ rock. (sedimentary)
19. Name one sedimentary rock. (conglomerate, sandstone, breccias, chalk)
20. Rocks are always changing in a never ending process called what? (the rock cycle)