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Weighing and Comparing Rocks

By Karen Cox | Affiliate Disclosure

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What preschool kid doesn’t enjoy collecting rocks? Here’s an integrated science and math activity where kids have the opportunity to work with one of their favorite treasures.

What's Lighter than a Rock? science experiment for preschool kids

This is an activity you can have in your science center, or it could be used as a small group activity. For this activity, you’ll need a balance scale, rocks collected by the children, and an assortment of objects found around the classroom. These are the objects chosen from our classroom: a small board book, a bear counter, train, hole puncher, scissors, marker, seashell, dinosaur, and a wood block.

Weighing and Comparing Rocks: science for preschool kids

Be sure to find a variety of things that will include both lighter and heavier than your average rocks. Other than that, the activity is pretty straightforward.

Children will place their rock in one side of the balance scale with different classroom items in the other side to see whether it is lighter than the rock …

Weighing and Comparing Rocks: science for preschool kids

… or heavier than the rock.

Weighing and Comparing Rocks: science for preschool kids

This printable recording sheet can be used for children to record what they found by drawing things that were lighter and heavier than the rock. (This is not a worksheet; recording sheets are different.)

Weighing and Comparing Rocks: science for preschool kids

My students also love to keep rock collections in the science center. We have both a store bought rock collection as well as a set collected by the children. Check out our Rock Collections here.

Download the Rocks Recording Sheet

Download: Printable Recording Sheet

Note: This is a free printable, just click to download.

Thanks to Ashley Hughes & Little Red for the great graphics used in this printable.

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11 Comments

About Karen Cox

Karen is the founder of PreKinders.com. She also works as a full-time Pre-K teacher in Georgia. Read more...

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Doris Itzkowitz says

    March 10, 2015 at 7:41 am

    Karen, I have been teaching over 40 years, and I enjoy all your ideas, thanks

    Reply
  2. L blume says

    March 10, 2015 at 9:36 am

    I recently found your site and so happy I did 🙂 Thank YOU so much for all the information you share. I have used many of your great ideas and look forward to seeing a new idea weekly. Thank YOU!!!!!!

    Reply
  3. Jainie says

    March 10, 2015 at 11:47 am

    Thanks Karen for the science resource ,weighing and comparing rocks helping young children understand difference between heavy and light things needed this.

    Reply
  4. April says

    March 10, 2015 at 12:44 pm

    We are studying rocks right now, how timely! I love your recording sheet. We have made rock journals that each child keeps their info in and one large one in the discovery area I am adding your page there. Thanks
    We tried looking at how rocks are formed using crayon shavings. It was hard for the children to get enough shavings so we had to postpone putting them together to see how rocks are made till tomorrow. What have you done to help children understand how rocks are made?
    We made a model of sedimentary rocks in a plastic jar with sand, pea gravel and dirt that was interesting .
    Do you have some ideas for the word wall under rocks?

    Reply
  5. Carol says

    March 10, 2015 at 8:20 pm

    Thank you so much for the rock recording sheet. I will use it tomorrow! I enjoy getting your updates each week and have used many of your ideas. I appreciate you hard work. carol

    Reply
  6. Darlene Orr says

    March 10, 2015 at 11:17 pm

    Karen,

    I love all of your ideas. I look at everything you send! Thank you!

    Reply
  7. Maryann says

    March 11, 2015 at 1:48 pm

    Thanks! I love your site! Easy to read, great pictures! And developmentally appropriate!

    Reply
  8. Sabrina says

    March 19, 2015 at 7:29 pm

    Thanks for sharing your weekly genius ideas, The recording sheet is awesome!

    Reply
  9. Sajid shaikh says

    November 25, 2015 at 7:00 am

    I m so thankful for ur weekly post.I enjoy all these with my students.

    Reply
  10. linda says

    February 23, 2016 at 1:54 pm

    do you have a site you got the scales from?

    Reply
    • Karen Cox says

      February 24, 2016 at 7:13 pm

      Here’s one that’s sold on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1KLVG2j (affiliate link). You could get one on the Learning Resources website.

      Reply

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Welcome!

Glad you're here! You'll find hands-on learning activities, themes, and printables for Pre-K, Preschool, and Kindergarten kids. I'm Karen Cox, a Pre-K teacher in Georgia. I have taught 4-5 year olds for 20+ years! Read More…

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Welcome!
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Welcome!
Would you like to join my FREE weekly update newsletter? Join 85,000+ subscribers!
We collect, use, and process your data according to our Privacy Policy.
Don't worry - we never sell or share email addresses!