Rocks and Minerals Vocab
6 TH G R A D E S C I E N C E
Anticipation Guide
1. Set up the next page in your journal titled:
Rocks and Minerals Anticipation Guide
2. Answer the following questions based on what you know
(there are no wrong answers).

Has the world always been how it is now? Explain why/why not.

What are rocks composed (made up) of?

Why do rocks come in different sizes and shapes?
Vocabulary Sort
 Work with your partner to try to match the
definitions to the vocabulary words that are
underlined.
Rock
 Naturally formed
solids made up of
one or more
minerals.
Igneous
 Relating to rocks
formed by the
cooling and
hardening of
magma or molten
lava.
Sedimentary
 Relating to rocks
formed when
sediment, such as
sand or mud, is
deposited and
becomes tightly
compacted.
Metamorphic
 Relating to rocks
formed when
igneous,
sedimentary, or
other metamorphic
rocks undergo
physical change
due to extreme heat
and pressure.
Magma
 The molten rock
material that
originates under
the Earth’s crust
and forms igneous
rocks when it has
cooled. When it
reaches Earth’s
surface, it flows out
as lava.
Decompose
 The separation of a
substance into a
simpler substance,
the process of
decaying or rotting.
Weathering
 The various
chemical and
mechanical
processes that
cause rock to
decompose.
Geologist
 A scientist who
studies the origin of
Earth along with its
rocks, minerals,
and landforms, and
of the history of the
changes these have
undergone.
Mineral
 A naturally
occurring, solid,
inorganic element
or compound
having a uniform
composition and a
specific crystal
structure.
Deposition
 Solid material left
or laid down by a
natural process.
Erosion
 The gradual
wearing away of
land surface
materials,
especially rocks,
sediments, and
soils, by the action
of water, wind, or a
glacier.
Natural Resource
 Materials that are
found naturally on
Earth and are
useful to people for
a variety of reasons.
Vocabulary 4 Square
 Create a Vocabulary 4 square for the vocab word that
is assigned to you.
WORD
DEFINITION
SENTENCE
PICTURE