rocks and soil

Genre Comprehension Skill Text Features Science Content
Nonfi ction Draw Conclusions • Captions
• Labels
• Glossary
Natural Resources
Scott Foresman Science 2.6
Standards
Preview
Standard Set 3. Earth Sciences
3. Earth is made of materials that
have distinct properties and provide
resources for human activities. As the
basis for understanding this concept:
3.a. Students know how to compare
the physical properties of different
kinds of rocks and know that rock is
composed of different combinations
of minerals.
3.b. Students know smaller rocks come
from the breakage and weathering of
larger rocks.
3.c. Students know that soil is made
partly from weathered rock and partly
from organic materials and that soils
differ in their color, texture, capacity
to retain water, and ability to support
the growth of many kinds of plants.
3.e. Students know rock, water, plants,
and soil provide many resources,
including food, fuel, and building

materials, that humans use.
ISBN 0-328-23510-5
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Earth Sciences
by Mary Beth Spann
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Vocabulary
fuel
luster
minerals
natural resources
rock
soil
weathering
Picture Credits
Every effort has been made to secure permission and provide appropriate credit for photographic material. The
publisher deeply regrets any omission and pledges to correct errors called to its attention in subsequent editions.
Unless otherwise acknowledged, all photographs are the copyright of Dorling Kindersley, a division of Pearson.
ISBN: 0-328-23510-5
Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any
prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form by any means, electronic,
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Permissions Department, Scott Foresman, 1900 East Lake Avenue, Glenview, Illinois 60025.
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Rocks and Soil
by Mary Beth Spann
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2
What are rocks
and minerals?
Rocks are all over the place!
They are in your backyard.
They are at the beach and in the forest.
A rock is the hard, solid part of the
Earth that is not soil or metal.
How are
these rocks
different?
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<PHOTO: Lake from SE p. 172>
3
Rocks can be different sizes and colors.
Some are small and light.
Others are large and heavy.
These rocks are found
at Mono Lake, California.
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4
Minerals
Minerals make up rocks.
Minerals are nonliving materials that
come from Earth.
Gold, silver, and iron are all minerals.
We make rings, coins, and nails from
minerals.
This mineral is silver.
We make coins and

jewelry from silver.
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5
Most rocks have several minerals.
The rock on this page is granite.
Granite has three minerals.
They are quartz, feldspar, and mica.
You can see the minerals in the granite.
Granite
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6
Properties of Minerals
Minerals have properties.
A property is something about an object
that you can observe.
Some minerals are hard.
Others are soft.
Hardness is a property of minerals.
Diamond is the
hardest mineral.
It can scratch glass.
Talc is a soft
mineral. You
can scratch it.
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7
Color is another property of minerals.
So is luster.
Luster is how shiny or dull a mineral is.
Limonite’s luster is dull.

Azurite’s luster is shiny.
Azurite
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8
What is
weathering?
Weathering is the breaking apart and
changing of rocks.
Weathering can change a rock’s size.
It can change a rock’s color and shape.
Weathering can make rocks smaller.
Rocks can be changed
by weathering.
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9
Changes in temperature can weather
rocks.
Water can fl ow into cracks in rocks.
When it freezes, the rocks break apart.
Plants can also cause weathering.
Their roots can grow into cracks and
break rocks apart.
Small rocks Gravel Sand
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10
Other Causes of Weathering
Look at the picture below.
Water dissolved rock.
The water washed the rock away.
Dripping water made shapes in

the cave.
Weathering also
happens in caves.
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11
Some rocks have iron in them.
The iron can mix with air when the rocks
get wet.
Rust forms on the rocks.
The rocks turn reddish brown.
The rust weakens the rocks.
The rocks may break apart.
Rust can
weather rocks.
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12
What is soil?
Soil is the top layer of Earth.
Plants need soil to grow.
Look at the picture below.
Many things make up the soil.
Worms loosen
and mix the soil.
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13
Soil is full of weathered rock.
It also has leaves and twigs in it.
Soil has parts of living things that died.
Soil changes when animals dig in it.
Animals loosen and mix it as they dig.

This gopher loosens
and mixes soil.
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14
Kinds of Soil
Different plants grow best in different
soils.
Sandy soils hold water poorly.
Most plants do not grow well in them.
Clay soils hold water well.
But some plants cannot grow in them.
Iron makes some clay soils red.
Clay soil is smooth.
It also feels soft and sticky.
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15
Most plants grow well in loam.
Loam is good at holding water.
Plants that grow in loam get the water
they need.
Loam has parts of plants
and animals that have died.
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16
What are natural
resources?
Resources are things we use.
Natural resources are useful
materials that come from Earth.
They include soil, water, rocks,

and plants.
Cotton is a resource.
It is used to make clothes.
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17
Natural resources meet our needs.
They give us food, clothing, shelter,
and fuel.
We use rocks to build things.
We use soil to grow plants for food.
We use plants for fuel and to build things.
Water is a natural
resource. Living things
need water.
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18
Other Natural Resources
Rocks are a natural resource.
We use rocks to build things.
We can mix rocks with sand, cement,
and water.
This makes concrete.
Concrete is used for roads, sidewalks,
and steps.
Concrete steps
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19
Wood is a natural resource.
Oil and gas are also natural resources.
We use these things for fuel.

Fuel is anything that is burned to make
heat or power.
This fi replace uses
wood for fuel.
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20
fuel anything that is burned
to make heat or power
luster how shiny or dull a
mineral is
minerals nonliving materials that
come from Earth
natural resources useful materials that
come from Earth
rock the hard, solid part of
Earth that is not soil or
metal
soil the top layer of Earth
weathering the breaking apart and
changing of rocks
Glossary
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What did you learn?
1. What are some things people make from
minerals?
2. What three minerals does granite have?

3.

You learned about talc,

limonite, hardness, diamond, luster, and
azurite in this book. Write some sentences
that group these things into their proper
relationships.
4.

Draw Conclusions If you found some
rocks that were reddish brown with rust on
them, what might you conclude?
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