Look around you. The walls of your house, the road you walk on, the stone statues in temples -- all of these are made from rocks. Rocks are found everywhere -- on mountains, under the ground, at the bottom of rivers, and even under the sea.
But did you know that not all rocks are the same? Some were formed from hot melted material deep inside the Earth, some from layers of sand and mud, and some were changed by great heat and pressure. Let us learn about these amazing rocks!
A rock is a hard, natural material found on the Earth. Rocks are made up of one or more minerals. Minerals are natural substances found in the Earth, like quartz, mica, and feldspar.
Rocks come in different shapes, sizes, and colours. Some rocks are very hard (like granite), and some are soft (like chalk).
Scientists group rocks into three types based on how they were formed:
1. Igneous Rocks (Fire Rocks)
Igneous rocks are formed when hot, melted rock material called magma (or lava when it comes out of a volcano) cools down and becomes hard. The word "igneous" means "made from fire."
Examples: Granite (used in kitchen counters and buildings), Basalt (found in the Deccan Plateau of India).
2. Sedimentary Rocks (Layered Rocks)
Sedimentary rocks are formed when tiny pieces of sand, mud, shells, and pebbles settle down in layers over many, many years. These layers get pressed together and become hard rock.
Examples: Sandstone (used to build the Red Fort in Delhi), Limestone (used to make cement and chalk).
3. Metamorphic Rocks (Changed Rocks)
Metamorphic rocks are formed when existing rocks are changed by great heat and pressure deep inside the Earth. The word "metamorphic" means "changed in form."
Examples: Marble (used to build the Taj Mahal), Slate (used for roofing and old-style writing slates).
| Feature | Igneous | Sedimentary | Metamorphic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formed from | Hot lava or magma | Layers of sand, mud, shells | Existing rocks changed by heat and pressure |
| Examples | Granite, Basalt | Sandstone, Limestone | Marble, Slate |
| Texture | Hard, may have crystals | Grainy, may show layers | Smooth, shiny, hard |
| Found in India | Deccan Plateau (basalt) | Red Fort, Delhi (sandstone) | Rajasthan (marble) |
Rocks are very useful to us in many ways:
| Use | Rock Used | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Building houses and monuments | Granite, Sandstone, Marble | Taj Mahal (marble), Red Fort (sandstone) |
| Making roads | Basalt, Granite | Crushed rocks are mixed to make strong roads |
| Making statues and carvings | Marble, Granite | Temple carvings in Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu |
| Making cement | Limestone | Cement is used to build houses and bridges |
| Writing | Slate, Limestone (chalk) | Chalk for blackboards, old writing slates |
Minerals are found inside rocks. We use many minerals every day without even knowing it:
| Mineral | Where We Use It |
|---|---|
| Salt | In our food for taste; obtained from sea water and rock salt mines |
| Iron | To make tools, vehicles, bridges, railway tracks |
| Gold | To make jewellery; found in Karnataka (Kolar Gold Fields) |
| Diamond | In jewellery and for cutting hard materials; found in Madhya Pradesh |
| Mica | In electrical equipment; found in Jharkhand and Bihar |
| Coal | As fuel for cooking and making electricity; found in Jharkhand and West Bengal |
India is rich in rocks and minerals. Here are some important ones:
Deccan Basalt: The Deccan Plateau in Maharashtra is covered with basalt rock, formed from ancient volcanic eruptions millions of years ago.
Rajasthan Marble: The beautiful white marble of Makrana in Rajasthan was used to build the Taj Mahal in Agra.
Jharkhand Iron Ore: The state of Jharkhand has large deposits of iron ore, which is used to make steel for buildings and machines.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Rock | A hard, natural material made up of one or more minerals |
| Mineral | A natural substance found in the Earth (like quartz, salt, iron) |
| Igneous | Rocks formed from cooled lava or magma (fire rocks) |
| Sedimentary | Rocks formed from layers of sand, mud, and shells pressed together |
| Metamorphic | Rocks changed by heat and pressure inside the Earth |
| Magma | Hot melted rock material inside the Earth |
| Lava | Magma that comes out of a volcano onto the surface |
Look around your home and neighbourhood. Find three things made from rocks or minerals. Write them in the table below:
| Thing I Found | Rock or Mineral Used | Type of Rock (if known) |
|---|---|---|
Example: Kitchen counter -- Granite -- Igneous rock
Want to use this as a worksheet? Switch to the A4 printable view.
Look around you. The walls of your house, the road you walk on, the stone statues in temples -- all of these are made from rocks. Rocks are found everywhere -- on mountains, under the ground, at the bottom of rivers, and even under the sea.
But did you know that not all rocks are the same? Some were formed from hot melted material deep inside the Earth, some from layers of sand and mud, and some were changed by great heat and pressure. Let us learn about these amazing rocks!
A rock is a hard, natural material found on the Earth. Rocks are made up of one or more minerals. Minerals are natural substances found in the Earth, like quartz, mica, and feldspar.
Rocks come in different shapes, sizes, and colours. Some rocks are very hard (like granite), and some are soft (like chalk).
Think about it: The chalk your teacher uses on the blackboard is actually a soft rock called limestone!
Scientists group rocks into three types based on how they were formed:
1. Igneous Rocks (Fire Rocks)
Igneous rocks are formed when hot, melted rock material called magma (or lava when it comes out of a volcano) cools down and becomes hard. The word "igneous" means "made from fire."
Examples: Granite (used in kitchen counters and buildings), Basalt (found in the Deccan Plateau of India).
2. Sedimentary Rocks (Layered Rocks)
Sedimentary rocks are formed when tiny pieces of sand, mud, shells, and pebbles settle down in layers over many, many years. These layers get pressed together and become hard rock.
Examples: Sandstone (used to build the Red Fort in Delhi), Limestone (used to make cement and chalk).
3. Metamorphic Rocks (Changed Rocks)
Metamorphic rocks are formed when existing rocks are changed by great heat and pressure deep inside the Earth. The word "metamorphic" means "changed in form."
Examples: Marble (used to build the Taj Mahal), Slate (used for roofing and old-style writing slates).
| Feature | Igneous | Sedimentary | Metamorphic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formed from | Hot lava or magma | Layers of sand, mud, shells | Existing rocks changed by heat and pressure |
| Examples | Granite, Basalt | Sandstone, Limestone | Marble, Slate |
| Texture | Hard, may have crystals | Grainy, may show layers | Smooth, shiny, hard |
| Found in India | Deccan Plateau (basalt) | Red Fort, Delhi (sandstone) | Rajasthan (marble) |
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Rock | A hard, natural material made up of one or more minerals |
| Mineral | A natural substance found in the Earth (like quartz, salt, iron) |
| Igneous | Rocks formed from cooled lava or magma (fire rocks) |
| Sedimentary | Rocks formed from layers of sand, mud, and shells pressed together |
| Metamorphic | Rocks changed by heat and pressure inside the Earth |
| Magma | Hot melted rock material inside the Earth |
| Lava | Magma that comes out of a volcano onto the surface |
Rocks are very useful to us in many ways:
| Use | Rock Used | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Building houses and monuments | Granite, Sandstone, Marble | Taj Mahal (marble), Red Fort (sandstone) |
| Making roads | Basalt, Granite | Crushed rocks are mixed to make strong roads |
| Making statues and carvings | Marble, Granite | Temple carvings in Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu |
| Making cement | Limestone | Cement is used to build houses and bridges |
| Writing | Slate, Limestone (chalk) | Chalk for blackboards, old writing slates |
Minerals are found inside rocks. We use many minerals every day without even knowing it:
| Mineral | Where We Use It |
|---|---|
| Salt | In our food for taste; obtained from sea water and rock salt mines |
| Iron | To make tools, vehicles, bridges, railway tracks |
| Gold | To make jewellery; found in Karnataka (Kolar Gold Fields) |
| Diamond | In jewellery and for cutting hard materials; found in Madhya Pradesh |
| Mica | In electrical equipment; found in Jharkhand and Bihar |
| Coal | As fuel for cooking and making electricity; found in Jharkhand and West Bengal |
India is rich in rocks and minerals. Here are some important ones:
Deccan Basalt: The Deccan Plateau in Maharashtra is covered with basalt rock, formed from ancient volcanic eruptions millions of years ago.
Rajasthan Marble: The beautiful white marble of Makrana in Rajasthan was used to build the Taj Mahal in Agra.
Jharkhand Iron Ore: The state of Jharkhand has large deposits of iron ore, which is used to make steel for buildings and machines.
A. Fill in the Blanks
B. True or False
C. Multiple Choice Questions
D. Answer in One or Two Sentences
Look around your home and neighbourhood. Find three things made from rocks or minerals. Write them in the table below:
| Thing I Found | Rock or Mineral Used | Type of Rock (if known) |
|---|---|---|
Example: Kitchen counter -- Granite -- Igneous rock