Year 3 Rocks and Soils Worksheet - Intermediate

Year 3 Rocks and Soils worksheet for Year 3 (Key Stage 2 / Year 3-6 (Ages 7-11)). Intermediate level science practice, aligned to the UK National Curriculum. Print-ready with answer key included.

Science•Key Stage 2 / Year 3-6 (Ages 7-11)•Materialsintermediate

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Rocks, Fossils and Soils: A Year 3 Science Investigation

Key Stage 2 • Year 3 • Intermediate

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Instructions: Read each question carefully and use the information on the page to help you. Give a reason when a question asks you to explain. Write your answers in the boxes.

Recognising Rock Types

Use the word bank to name each rock type. Think about how the rock formed or what it is like. Write one rock type in each box.

Word bank: igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic

1. This rock forms when melted rock cools and becomes solid.

2. This rock forms when layers of sediment are pressed together over a long time.

3. This rock changes because heat and pressure act on an existing rock.

4. Granite is an example of this rock type.

5. Chalk is an example of this rock type.

How Fossils Form

Put the fossil-formation events in the correct order. The events are mixed up. Write 1 for the first event, 2 for the next event and so on in each box.

A. More layers of sediment build up and press down.

B. A plant or animal dies and its remains are buried in sediment.

C. Over a very long time, the sediment turns to rock and a fossil is preserved.

D. The hard parts or an imprint of the living thing remain in the rock.

Fossil Detective

Choose the best answer for each question. Fossils are clues about living things from the past. Read all the options before deciding.

1. Where are fossils most often found?

2. What can a fossil show us?

3. Which event can help preserve a fossil?

4. Why are fossils useful to scientists?

What Is Soil Made From?

Use the word bank to complete each sentence. Soil contains a mixture of materials. Choose the word that best completes each sentence.

Word bank: rock particles, humus, air, water, living things

1. Tiny pieces of broken-down rock in soil are called ___.

2. Decayed plant and animal material in soil is called ___.

3. Spaces between soil particles can contain ___.

4. Soil can hold ___ that plant roots need.

5. Worms and other ___ can be found in soil.

Compare the Rocks

Read the observations in the table. Answer each question using evidence from the table. Give a short reason where asked.

Rock	Observation	How it formed	Example use
Granite	Hard with visible crystals	Cooled melted rock	Building stone
Chalk	Soft and pale	Layers of sediment pressed together	Writing on a board
Slate	Can split into thin sheets	Changed by heat and pressure	Roof tiles

1. Which rock in the table formed from cooled melted rock?

2. Which rock is described as soft and pale?

3. Which rock can split into thin sheets?

4. Which two rocks formed through changes to existing material or layers?

Explain Your Science

Answer in a clear sentence. Use the science ideas from this worksheet and include a reason in each answer.

1. Why might a fossil be found inside sedimentary rock?

2. Why is soil a mixture rather than just tiny pieces of rock?

3. A rock has visible crystals and formed as melted rock cooled. What type of rock is it, and what evidence supports your answer?

4. How can a fossil help us learn about living things from long ago?

Answer Key

Activity 1: 1. igneous ; 2. sedimentary ; 3. metamorphic ; 4. igneous ; 5. sedimentary

Activity 2: A = 3 ; B = 1 ; C = 4 ; D = 2

Activity 3: 1. In sedimentary rock ; 2. What an ancient living thing was like ; 3. Quick burial by sediment ; 4. They provide evidence of life long ago

Activity 4: 1. rock particles ; 2. humus ; 3. air ; 4. water ; 5. living things

Activity 5: 1. Granite ; 2. Chalk ; 3. Slate ; 4. Chalk and slate

Activity 6: 1. Sediment can bury remains, and layers build up and harden into sedimentary rock, preserving the remains or an imprint. ; 2. Soil also contains humus, air, water and living things. ; 3. Igneous; its visible crystals and formation from cooled melted rock are evidence. ; 4. Fossils provide evidence of what living things from long ago were like.