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🪨 Sorting Rocks

No two rocks are quite the same! Some are shiny, some are rough, some are heavy. Become a rock detective and learn to sort rocks by the way they look and feel.

3
lessons
~15 min
to learn
🔬 Science
subject
Ages 6–12
level
Start the course →

What you’ll learn

  1. Rocks Are All DifferentUnderstand that rocks have properties and that color is one way to describe them.Rocks come in every color, shape, and size. A property is a way to describe a rock, such as its color or shine. Rock detectives use properties to tell rocks apart, and color is one of the easiest properties to sort by.
  2. Looking CloselyDescribe rocks by shine, texture, and grain size, and sort them by feel.Looking closely reveals more properties. Some rocks are shiny and some are dull, some feel rough and some feel smooth, and some have big grains while others have tiny ones. These properties help us sort rocks into groups.
  3. Sorting Like a ScientistCompare rocks by hardness and follow steps to sort a pile of rocks by a property.Rocks can be hard or soft, and a hard rock can scratch a softer one. To sort like a scientist, look closely, feel each rock, pick one property such as color or texture, and group the rocks that match. Every rock has properties to discover.

Questions this course answers

What is a property of a rock?

A property is a way to describe a rock, such as its color, shine, or how rough it feels.

Which of these is a way to sort rocks?

Color is an easy property to sort by, such as putting grey rocks in one pile and red rocks in another.

What does it mean if a rock is shiny?

A shiny rock sparkles in the light, while a dull rock looks flat and plain. The way a rock shines is called luster.

Why do river pebbles feel smooth?

Rocks that tumble in a river for a long time become smooth as the water wears off their rough edges.

How can you tell if one rock is harder than another?

A hard rock can scratch a softer rock, but the softer one cannot scratch it back.

What is the first thing a rock detective does to sort rocks?

First you look closely at each rock's color, shine, and grains, then feel it and pick a property to sort by.

Grounded in trusted sources

  • United States Geological Survey (USGS)
  • National Geographic Kids
  • Britannica Kids
  • Smithsonian Institution

Every Wunder lesson is built from real, reputable sources — never invented.

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