Sedimentary rocks are unique because they are the only types of rocks that can contain fossils of sea shells and animals.  Fossils form when the soft parts of plants and animals decay and leave the hard parts (such as bones) behind.  The hard parts that are left are then covered with layers of sediment.  When the sediment becomes a rock, the hard parts are preserved in the rock as a fossil.

Read more about geology in the Dig Into Geology section of our website.

Question:

Answer: The three basic rock types are Igneous, Metamorphic and Sedimentary.  Igneous rock form from hot liquid magma. The magma either erupts from a volcano, cools and hardens into extrusive igneous rocks, or forms intrusive igneous rock when the hot magma is trapped beneath the earth’s surface, cools and hardens.

Sedimentary rocks are formed when sand, small pieces or rock, or mud are pressed together to form layers of sediment. These layers of sediment are pressed together over a long period of time and form a sedimentary rock.  A metamorphic rock is formed when a sedimentary or igneous rock changes form because the temperature or pressure changes. This change typically occurs over time when the sedimentary or igneous rocks are buried beneath the earth’s surface.

Read the article titled Geology is All Around You in the “Dig Into Geology” section of our website for more information on these rock types, minerals and the geologic time scale.

Question: What are the three big groups of rocks?

Answer: The three basic rock types are Igneous, Metamorphic and Sedimentary. See the article titled Geology is All Around You in the “Dig Into Geology” section of our website for more information on these rock types.

Look at this photo.  Do you see the white rocks that look like they cut through the gray rock?  These are igneous rocks that were probably injected from a magma source underground into the gray rock above, likely through cracks in the rocks.  Rock formations can tell you a great deal of information about he history of an area.

Also included in the kit is a hand magnifier and a CD with 30 pages of rock information, sample identification activities, puzzles, coloring pages, and experiments.  Adult supervision is required for some of the experiments.

Other fun activities on the CD include creating your own adventure story, making a personal geologist’s field notebook and your very own rock collection box!

The CD requires free Adobe Reader 9.0 which can be downloaded at www.adobe.com.  This software is easy to download and use so please use version 9.0 which makes the CD very fun to view!  Mini CDs fit in center of tray disk drives.  The Mini CD in the kit may not play in slot drives without an adapter.  Consult computer manufacturer’s recommendations before inserting the mini CD into a slot drive.

Kids will learn about some of the Earth’s most beautiful and interesting rocks in Mini Me Geology’s Sedimentary Rock collection.  Try to identify each rock using the hand magnifier and information cards included with each kit.  If you need a hint, the name of each rock is beneath the foam padding.  If you need help using the hand magnifier or identifying the minerals, check out the Dig Into Science section of our website for tips on how to use your new Sedimentary Rock kit.

 Each kit includes:

• 10 Large Sedimentary Rock Samples:  arkose, bituminous coal, conglomerate, coquina, loess, fine-grained limestone, oolitic limestone, sandstone, shale, and siltstone
• Hand Magnifier
• Identification Card for each rock
• Sturdy compartment box with snug latches for secure and organized storage.

  Rock samples obtained worldwide.  All other materials made and assembled in the USA.
  Safety Warnings
  WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD Small Parts. Not for children under 3 years.

Sedimentary rocks are unique because they are the only types of rocks that can contain fossils of sea shells and animals.  Fossils form when the soft parts of plants and animals decay and leave the hard parts (such as bones) behind.  The hard parts that are left are then covered with layers of sediment.  When the sediment becomes a rock, the hard parts are preserved in the rock as a fossil.

Find out more about rocks and minerals at MiniMeGeology.com!