Rocks are everywhere! They form mountains and caves, underwater tunnels, and sometimes even fly about in space. We sit on them, throw them around and dig them up from the ground. But what exactly is a rock? Try and think about it for a moment.
Here’s what a rock is:
A rock is a solid which can be hard or soft.
A rock is formed naturally, without the help of humans. It is made of different minerals.
Rocks come in all shapes, sizes and colours. Some are very beautiful and have crystals, some have metals, and some have fossils. Fossils are the remains of once-living animals or plants.
When rocks are broken down into very fine pieces they are called sand. Sand is made up of the same or very similar properties as rocks. When sand contains air, water and organic materials, it becomes soil. Soils are a great environment for plants and organisms to grow.
Next time you go to the beach, take a look at the sand and imagine what kind of rocks it came from.
