Types of Rocks and Minerals
Name one type of rock
Igneous (also, Sedimentary or Metamorphic)
What is the top layer of the Earth called?
The crust
What is the name for the living and non-living things in one place together?
Ecosystem
What breaks rocks into smaller pieces: weathering or erosion?
Weathering (but erosion also moves the pieces)
What kind of rock forms from melted rock that cools down?
Igneous rock
What do we call the big pieces of land that make up the Earth’s crust?
Plates (tectonic plates)
What is the first thing in a food chain?
Producer (usually a plant)
Name one thing that can cause erosion.
Water (also wind or ice)
Name one way you can tell rocks apart using your senses
Colour, texture, hardness, or shape
What happens when two plates push together?
Mountains or earthquakes can form
Name a plant or animal that is a “consumer.”
Cow, human, kangaroo, fish (any animal that eats plants or other animals)
How do humans stop erosion on beaches?
Planting plants, building sea walls
What is a mineral?
A naturally occurring, solid substance with its own chemical makeup and structure
Where would you find the oldest rocks in layers of sedimentary rock?
At the bottom of the layers
What does a decomposer do?
Breaks down dead plants and animals
What must happen for a fossil to form?
The organism must be quickly covered and protected from decay
What type of rock is obsidian?
Igneous
What causes plates to move?
Convection currents below the crust.
What might happen if humans cut down lots of trees in an ecosystem?
Animals could lose their homes, food chains change, soil erosion
Why are fossils important to scientists?
They show what life was like long ago and help us learn about Earth’s history