It's time to channel your inner rock star and be a geologist!
First things first - find a rock and observe it. This means to look at it closely. Record what you find. You can do this by writing it down, explaining it to someone else who writes it down, recording it with video or audio, or even drawing a picture or making a sculpture.
Observe Your Rock
Use all your senses to describe your rock. If you need to, buddy up with another person and take turns with the different sections.
Sight: Do you see any unusual markings?
* Are there crystals or stripes
* Dark or light bands
* Fossils or strange shapes
* Pieces of other rocks inside of it
Touch: What does your rock feel like?
* Rough or smooth
* Does it have pointy or jagged areas
* Chalky or dusty
* Does it feel like sandpaper
* Does it have holes or ripples
Smell: Is it just dirt or something else?
* Sharp or sweet
* Damp or dry
* Does it smell like pickles?
Sound: Describe sound it makes when you tap it against...
* Another rock
* The dirt
* Your fingernail
Taste: Please ask an adult before licking your rock.
* Does it have a flavor?
* Is it salty?
* Do pieces come off when you lick it?
You can take a look at this table and see if your rock might fit under one of these catagories. Sometimes it's tough to tell!
Rock Type How It Forms Examples
Sedimentary
Sediments get packed together (sand, other bits of rock, organic matter, etc.)
Sandstone
Limestone
Coal
Igneous
Cooling of molten rock: magma (underground) or lava (above ground)
Granite
Obsidian
Pumice
Metamorphic
Other rocks experience extreme temperature and/or pressure conditions
Marble
Gneiss
Quartzite
What else can you describe about your rock?
What kind of rock do you think it is?
Don't forget to name it and introduce it to your friends before you put it back where you found it.
Well done, Junior Ranger!
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
