Rock Cycle
Follow rocks as they melt, harden, erode and change into new types.
Rock Cycle shows the classic diagram of rocks changing from one kind to another. In Level 1 children decide whether a rock is igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic, sometimes from a picture and sometimes from a written clue. They get used to the three main types before the arrows enter the picture.
Level 2 names the processes on each arrow, such as weathering and erosion, deposition, compaction, melting, cooling, and heat and pressure. After that children tell what happens to a rock under a process, work out which rock forms at an arrow, and follow a path with a missing step. The cycle becomes a map they can read rather than a diagram to memorize.
What children practice
- Tell igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks apart
- Name processes like weathering, deposition and cooling on arrows
- Explain what happens to a rock under heat and pressure
- Say which type of rock forms at each arrow
- Follow a rock through several steps of the cycle
- Find the missing step or box in a path
Levels
- Level 1: Rock types
- Level 2: Name the arrow
- Level 3: What happens to the rock
- Level 4: Which rock, which process
- Level 5: Follow the path
How it works
- Five levels run from rock types to following a path around the cycle.
- Levels unlock in order, after five right answers and a short stretch of practice.
- A wrong answer says try again, so your child can reread the diagram and choose again.
- The speaker button reads each prompt, and each right answer shows a quick explanation.
Best for: A good fit for grades 4 to 8 during an earth science unit, or for any child who collects rocks and wonders how they form.
Tip for parents: Take a walk and look for rocks, then ask your child which type each might be and what could have happened to it. A pebble on a creek bed is a nice way to talk about erosion.
Questions parents ask
What are the rock types in the game?
The game uses igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, with clues such as how each one forms. The cycle diagram also shows magma and sediment as steps, and questions ask which process connects one box to the next.
Does the game cover uplift and melting?
Yes. Level 3 includes questions about mountains rising and lifting deeply buried rock, and about melting. Processes are named on the arrows in Level 2, so children first learn the words and then apply them to rocks.
Do children need to memorize the diagram?
No. The diagram is on screen for every question. By asking for the arrow, process or rock at each step, the game helps children understand the connections, and the explanations give the reason behind each answer.
Ready to try it?
Rock Cycle is free with a parent account. A parent adds a child profile, and the child's progress is saved.