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.
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.
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 …
… or heavier than the rock.
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.)
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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Karen, I have been teaching over 40 years, and I enjoy all your ideas, thanks
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!!!!!!
Thanks Karen for the science resource ,weighing and comparing rocks helping young children understand difference between heavy and light things needed this.
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?
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
Karen,
I love all of your ideas. I look at everything you send! Thank you!
Thanks! I love your site! Easy to read, great pictures! And developmentally appropriate!
Thanks for sharing your weekly genius ideas, The recording sheet is awesome!
I m so thankful for ur weekly post.I enjoy all these with my students.
do you have a site you got the scales from?
Here’s one that’s sold on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1KLVG2j (affiliate link). You could get one on the Learning Resources website.