Grade 4 Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Read the short story. Then answer each question.
Rocks
Are all rocks the same? No way! Rocks can be different shapes,
sizes, textures, and colors. There are 3 different types of rocks that
can affect what a rock looks and feels
like. The three types of rocks are
sedimentary, igneous, and
metamorphic.
Sedimentary rocks are a
mixture of dirt, rocks, mud, shells,
and other materials that are on the bottoms of oceans and other
bodies of water, and get compacted together over many years.
Sometimes you can even see different layers in sedimentary rocks.
These types of rocks feel grainy, like sand, and are easier to crumble
than other types of rocks. Sometimes sedimentary rocks will have
plant or animal imprints!
The second type of rock is the igneous rock. These rocks are created
from magma that cools and hardens. Many rocks start out as
igneous rocks. I gneous rocks have glass crystals filled with minerals in
them. They do not usually hav e layers, and are very smooth.
The third type of rock is the metamorphic rock. These rocks are
formed when the other types of rocks are subjected to intense heat
and pressure to change them. Metamorphic rocks are hard and
smooth, like igneous rocks.
Reading and Math for K-5 © [Link]
Grade 4 Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Just l ike plants and animals have a life cycle, rocks can go through
a rock cycle! Many rocks start from magma or lava, so they are
igneous rocks. The igneous rocks could get broken up in a river or
stream and settle to the bottom of a lake. Over thousands or mi llions
of years, the broken up rocks could get compac ted into a
sedimentary rock. The sedimentary rock could get exposed to
intense heat, and change to a metamorphic rock. Then the
metamorphic rock could get covered by many other rocks and end
up deep in E arth’s crust. I t may melt and turn into magma, and the
cycle could start over again. The rock cycle is different than a life
cycle of a plant or animal, though, because a rock doesn’t have to
go through the cycle in order, and it may not go through all the
stages.
Even though there are only three different types of rocks based on
how they’re formed, each type actually has many different
subcategories of rock. For example obsidian, granite, and basalt are
three types of igneous rocks. This is why there are so many different
colored rocks. Many people love to collect rocks because of how
different each one can be.
Reading and Math for K-5 © [Link]
Grade 4 Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Questions:
1. What are sedimentary rocks? Highlight the sentence that has
the answer.
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________________________________________________________________________
2. What are the three types of rocks?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. How are life cycles and the rock cycle diffe rent?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. Do you think all sedimentary rocks look the same? Why or why
not? Support your answer with evidence from the passage.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. What else do you wonder abou t rocks after reading the
passage?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Reading and Math for K-5 © [Link]
Grade 4 Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Answers:
1. What are sedimentary rocks? Highlight the sentence that has
the answer.
Sedimentary rocks are a mixture of dirt, rocks, mud, shells, and
other materials that are on the bottoms of oceans and other
bodies of water.
2. What are the three types of rocks?
The three types of rocks are sedimentary, igneous, and
metamorphic.
3. How are life cycles and the rock cycle different?
Many rocks s tart from magma or lava, so they are igneous
rocks. The igneous rocks could get brok en up in a river or
stream and settle to the bottom of a lake. Over thousands or
millions of years, the broken up rocks could get compacted
into a sedimentary rock. The sedimentary rock could get
exposed to intense heat, and change to a metamorphic rock.
Then the metamorphic rock could get covered by many other
rocks and end up deep in Earth’s crust. I t may mel t and turn
into magma, and the cycle could start over again.
4. Do you think all sedimentary rocks look the same? Why or why
not? Support your answe r with evidence from the passage.
No, all sedimentary rocks do not look the same. Sometimes you
can even see different layers in sedimentary rocks. These types
of rocks feel grainy, like sand, and are easier to crumble than
other types of rocks.
5. What else do you wonder abou t rocks after reading the
passage?
Answers will vary.
Reading and Math for K-5 © [Link]
