Rocks Worksheet for 8-Year-Olds: 30 Questions on Types of Rocks

Instructions

Read each question carefully and choose the best answer. Use your knowledge about the three types of rocks: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic!

Part 1: Multiple Choice

Circle the correct answer for each question.

1. Which type of rock is formed when hot, melted lava from a volcano cools down?

   A) Sedimentary
   B) Igneous
   C) Metamorphic

2. If you find a rock with layers of sand and tiny pebbles pressed together, what kind is it?

   A) Igneous
   B) Metamorphic
   C) Sedimentary

3. Which word means "to change form"?

   A) Igneous
   B) Metamorphic
   C) Sedimentary

4. A rock that has been changed by lots of heat and pressure deep inside the Earth is called:

   A) Metamorphic
   B) Igneous
   C) Sedimentary

5. You are most likely to find a fossil in which type of rock?

   A) Igneous
   B) Sedimentary
   C) Metamorphic

6. Melted rock that is still inside the Earth is called:

   A) Lava
   B) Sediment
   C) Magma

7. Obsidian is a shiny, black rock that looks like glass. It is formed from lava that cooled very quickly. What type of rock is it?

   A) Metamorphic
   B) Igneous
   C) Sedimentary

8. Sandstone is a type of...

   A) Sedimentary Rock
   B) Igneous Rock
   C) Metamorphic Rock

9. Marble is a beautiful rock used for statues. It is formed when limestone is put under heat and pressure. Marble is a type of...

   A) Sedimentary Rock
   B) Metamorphic Rock
   C) Igneous Rock

10. Which rock often has a "holey" look because gas bubbles were trapped inside as it cooled? (Hint: It can sometimes float in water!)

    A) Marble
    B) Sandstone
    C) Pumice

Part 2: True or False

Read each sentence. Decide if it is true or false and circle your answer.

11. Sedimentary rocks are formed in layers.

    True / False

12. Igneous rocks are made from heat and pressure.

    True / False

13. A rock can change from one type to another over a very long time.

    True / False

14. Metamorphic rocks often have sparkly crystals.

    True / False

15. Lava is melted rock that flows out of a volcano.

    True / False

Part 3: Fill in the Blanks

Complete each sentence using a word from the word box below.

16. Deep under the Earth's surface, heat and _________________ can change a rock into a metamorphic rock.
17. Sedimentary rocks are made of many _________________ piled on top of each other.
18. A _________________ is a mountain that can erupt with hot lava.
19. The preserved parts of ancient plants or animals found in rock are called _________________.
20. Igneous rock forms when hot _________________ or lava cools and hardens.

Part 4: Your Turn to Think!

Write or draw your answers in the spaces below.

1. What are the three main types of rocks?
2. Name one place where you might find sedimentary rocks.
3. What is the difference between magma and lava?
4. If you found a rock with a seashell shape inside it, what type of rock would it most likely be? Why?
5. What does a metamorphic rock need to form? (Name two things).
6. Draw a volcano erupting. Label the lava. What kind of rock will it make when it cools?
   Type of rock: ____________________
7. Draw a sedimentary rock with at least three layers. You can draw tiny fish bones or leaves in one layer to show a fossil.
8. Imagine a rock. A river carries it and breaks it into tiny pieces (sediments). The sediments settle at the bottom of a lake. What kind of rock will they become after millions of years?
9. Imagine you are a rock detective. You find a rock that is very hard, has wavy bands of color, and some sparkly crystals. What type of rock do you think it is? (Igneous, Sedimentary, or Metamorphic?)
10. Draw your favorite type of rock. Is it Igneous, Sedimentary, or Metamorphic?
    My favorite is: ____________________

Answer Key

Part 1: Multiple Choice

1. B) Igneous
2. C) Sedimentary
3. B) Metamorphic
4. A) Metamorphic
5. B) Sedimentary
6. C) Magma
7. B) Igneous
8. A) Sedimentary Rock
9. B) Metamorphic Rock
10. C) Pumice

Part 2: True or False

11. True
12. False (Metamorphic rocks are. Igneous are made from cooled magma/lava.)
13. True
14. True
15. True

Part 3: Fill in the Blanks

16. Pressure
17. Layers
18. Volcano
19. Fossils
20. Magma

Part 4: Your Turn to Think! (Example Answers)

1. Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic.
2. At the bottom of a lake, a riverbed, the ocean, or in a canyon.
3. Magma is melted rock inside the Earth. Lava is melted rock on the surface of the Earth.
4. Sedimentary rock. Because it's made of layers that can trap things like shells and preserve them as fossils.
5. Heat and pressure.
6. (Drawing should show a volcano erupting with lava). Type of rock: Igneous
7. (Drawing should show a rock with clear layers. Bonus for fossils inside).
8. Sedimentary rock.
9. Metamorphic rock.
10. (Student draws a rock and correctly identifies it as one of the three types).