| Name: ______________________________ | Date: ______________ |
Instructions
- Explore the rock cycle and learn how rocks change over time.
- Read each question carefully and use scientific vocabulary.
- Complete all 20 questions.
- Remember: metamorphic rocks change form without melting.
Example: A rock changes because of intense heat and pressure but does not melt. What type of rock can it become?
Answer: Metamorphic rock
Part 1: Rock Explorer Vocabulary
Complete each sentence with the correct scientific word.
1. The outer, thin layer of Earth is called the __________.
2. Molten rock found inside Earth is called __________.
3. Small pieces of rock that may form sedimentary rocks are called __________.
4. The continuous process of rocks changing from one type to another is the __________.
Part 2: How Rocks Change
Choose the best answer for each question.
5. What makes a rock metamorphic?
| ○ A. It is changed by heat and pressure without melting | ○ B. It cools from lava at the surface |
| ○ C. It is made only from loose sediment | ○ D. It evaporates in sunlight |
6. What does the word part “meta” mean in metamorphic?
| ○ A. Change | ○ B. Layer |
| ○ C. Melt | ○ D. Mineral |
7. What is pressure in the formation of metamorphic rocks?
| ○ A. A force squeezing rocks | ○ B. Water cooling lava |
| ○ C. Wind carrying sediment | ○ D. Minerals melting completely |
8. What happens during recrystallization?
| ○ A. Minerals grow larger and reform without melting | ○ B. Rocks break into sediment |
| ○ C. Magma cools into lava | ○ D. Sediments are carried by rivers |
Part 3: Match the Rock Family
Match each parent rock or description with its correct metamorphic rock or term.
| 9. | Limestone | __________ | A. Gneiss |
| 10. | Shale or mudstone | __________ | B. Quartzite |
| 11. | Sandstone | __________ | C. Marble |
| 12. | A rock with light and dark mineral bands | __________ | D. Slate |
Part 4: Rock Cycle Checkpoint
Write True or False for each statement.
13. Metamorphic rocks form when existing rocks change because of heat and pressure. True / False
14. Metamorphic rocks must melt completely before they form. True / False
15. Compaction and cementation can turn sediment into sedimentary rock. True / False
16. The rock cycle has one fixed beginning and one fixed end. True / False
Part 5: Deep Earth Mission (optional challenge)
Answer each question using a complete sentence or clear scientific phrase.
17. Explain how contact metamorphism differs from regional metamorphism. |
18. What is foliation, and how does it form? |
19. Why can slate be described as a low-grade metamorphic rock and gneiss as a high-grade metamorphic rock? |
20. Give one use of slate and one use of marble, and explain why each rock is useful. |
Answer Key
| 1. | crust |
| 2. | magma |
| 3. | sediment |
| 4. | rock cycle |
| 5. | A (It is changed by heat and pressure without melting) |
| 6. | A (Change) |
| 7. | A (A force squeezing rocks) |
| 8. | A (Minerals grow larger and reform without melting) |
| 9. | C (Marble) |
| 10. | D (Slate) |
| 11. | B (Quartzite) |
| 12. | A (Gneiss) |
| 13. | True |
| 14. | False |
| 15. | True |
| 16. | False |
| 17. | Contact metamorphism is caused mainly by heat from nearby magma, while regional metamorphism is caused by heat and pressure over a large area, often where tectonic plates collide. |
| 18. | Foliation is a layered or banded texture formed when minerals are arranged into sheets by pressure. |
| 19. | Slate forms under lower heat and pressure, while gneiss forms after greater heat and pressure and usually has larger crystals and stronger banding. |
| 20. | Slate can be used for roofs because it is durable and waterproof. Marble can be used for sculptures and buildings because it can be polished. |