Name Dat e

Types of Rocks
Rock Stars: Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic

Learn more about this topic! Each section gives more detail on one of the lyrics from the song. Read each section, and
then respond by answering the question or taking notes on key ideas.

1. There are three types of rocks on Earth. Each rock type forms in a Notes
different way. Igneous rocks were the first rocks on Earth. They form from
molten rock. Molten rock is rock that has turned to liquid because of
extreme heat. Lava is the name for the molten rock that erupts from
volcanoes. When molten rock is below the Earth’s surface, it’s called
magma. When molten rock—either lava or magma—cools, it hardens into
a solid. This forms igneous rocks. Some examples of igneous rocks are
granite, obsidian and basalt. Much of Hawaii’s coast is covered in basalt.
Waves break the basalt down over time, creating the black sand of some
Hawaiian beaches.

2. Sedimentary rocks begin forming when existing rocks are worn away by Notes
wind and rain in a process called weathering. Weathering breaks rock into
smaller pieces called sediment. Erosion is the removal and movement of
sediment. Weathering and erosion happen slowly, over thousands and
even millions of years. Eventually, layers of sediment are deposited on top
of one another and pressed together. Sedimentary rock is formed when
sediment sticks together after liquid is squeezed out. Sometimes, fossils
get trapped between sediment layers.

The sediment of sedimentary rocks can range in size from a grain of sand
to a shell or pebble. The name of the rock that’s created depends on the
sediment that it’s made of. For example, shale is made of clay.
Conglomerate is made of coarse sediment the size of small pebbles. The
sediments of limestone are small shells.

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3. “Metamorphosis” means a change in form. Metamorphic rocks form Notes
when existing “parent” rocks change because of intense heat and/or
pressure. The deeper a rock is in the Earth, the more pressure it is under.
There is also pressure from the boundaries of tectonic plates pushing
together. Heat can come from being exposed to the hot material below the
Earth’s crust. Remember that metamorphic rocks don’t melt from heat--
igneous rocks form from liquid rock. The heat and pressure that form
metamorphic rock changes an existing rock’s structure. It’s like a ball of raw
pizza dough being flattened and baked in the oven. It doesn’t melt, just
changes form!

Slate is a metamorphic rock formed from the sedimentary rock, shale.

Gneiss is another metamorphic rock formed from granite, an igneous rock.
Marble forms when limestone morphs from heat and pressure.

4. The rock cycle describes the formation, breakdown and reformation of Notes
rocks. It includes many processes that move and shape Earth’s materials.

After an igneous rock forms, it can melt into magma and then cool into a
new igneous rock. Or, weathering and erosion can break it into sediments
that create a sedimentary rock. Otherwise, it may be heated and/or put
under pressure, transforming into a metamorphic rock.

Like igneous rocks, a metamorphic rock can break down into sediment and
then become part of a sedimentary rock. A metamorphic rock can also
melt into molten rock and cool into an igneous rock.

If exposed to exposed to wind and water, a sedimentary rock can become

sediment again. That sediment might be eroded, deposited and
compacted as a new sedimentary rock. Or, like igneous rock, a sedimentary
rock can be heated and put under pressure to become a metamorphic
rock.

5. We identify types of rocks by how the rocks form. If you’re not sure what Notes
type of rock you’re holding, look for clues. Because igneous rocks form
when magma and lava cool, they often have crystals. Crystals are clear,
hard solids. The longer the rock takes to cool, the bigger the crystals will be.
Basalt has large crystals because it cools slowly. Other igneous rocks cool
so quickly that gas from the magma doesn’t have time to escape into the
air before the magma turns solid. This leaves some igneous rocks, like
scoria, with holes or spaces in them. Igneous rocks rarely contain fossils
and are not layered.

6. How can you tell if a rock is sedimentary? Again, thinking about how Notes
rocks form can help you. Look for particles, or sediment, in the rock—like
sand, pebbles or shells—that might be stuck together. Sedimentary rocks
tend to be softer than the other rock types. They also are much more likely
to contain fossils. Some sedimentary rocks contain stripes due to the
layers of sediment that form them. The red stone of Sedona, Arizona, are
striped in this way. Those rocks are sandstone, a sedimentary rock.

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7. Metamorphic rocks are a bit harder to identify because they can share Notes
traits with the other rock types. Again, thinking about the formation
process can help. Metamorphic rocks have been heated and squashed.
This can lead the minerals in them to line up, creating ribbon-like layers
called bands. These rocks are called foliated metamorphic rocks. You can
see these bands in gneiss. If a metamorphic rock has fossils, you know it
was formed from a sedimentary rock. Because of the heat and pressure,
the fossil will be hard to recognize and out of shape.