A Nature-Inspired Pre-K/K Curriculum

by Leah M cDermott © 2015

ROCKS
 OVERVIEW
Purpose: A rock is something that is so simple, and something that your
child is likely to encounter on a daily basis regardless of the geographical
area in w hich you live. How ever, despite a rock being so simple, they are
crucial to the structure of our planet! By making rocks the center of
discussion, your child is able to explore and manipulate them in w ays that
they may not otherw ise have the opportunity to explore. Even at their
young age, preschool children are capable of understanding the three
types of rocks and how they are formed, creating a solid foundation for
higher level science (geology) understanding as they get older. In this
theme, your child w ill learn about identifying types of rocks, animal life
that is dependent on rocks for shelter, and w ill discover the importance of
rocks to our natural environment.

Key Learning: Rocks make up an important part of the Earth' s

structure and provide shelter for many creatures and insects.

Focus Words: rock, shelter,

formed, ground, change, hard,
texture, earth, pebble, stone

Rocks Theme 1
 Recommended Books
Find these great books at your local library, bookstore, or online resource!

If You Find a Rock by Peggy Christian

A Rock is Lively by Dianna Hutts Aston
If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet by Leslie M cGuirk
Under One Rock by Anthony D. Fredericks
Stone Soup by M arcia Brow n (there are many versions of this classic! )
These Rocks Count by Alison Formento
Sylvester and the M agic Pebble by William Steig
Beach Stones by M argaret Carruthers (photo book)
Let' s Go Rock Collecting by Roma Gans
Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor and Peter Parnall

Literature Lesson in Prediction using Sylvester and the M agic Pebble by William Steig
M aterials Needed: book
Purpose: M aking predictions before and during reading is an essential skill for reading
comprehension. When a child is able to use pictures from the story and their own prior knowledge
from other texts or their own world to make predictions about what is going to happen in a story,
they are making connections to the text that helps them form better comprehension.
Procedure: Before you begin reading, show your child the cover of the book and read the title to
them. Ask your child what they think this story will be about. If this is the first time you've done
something like this, it's perfectly normal for your child to say "I don't know" - don't pressure them
to make something up. The prediction skill will come with time. If your child is unsure, you can
model making your own predictions. Periodically while reading the story, stop to ask your child
what they think will happen next. Point out something in the illustrations that might give them a
clue or let them go wild imagining the next part of the story! This activity can be repeated with a
text the child has read before, giving them confident answers to predict what will happen next!

Rocks Theme 2
 Nature Explorations
Rock Identification - Pair this activity w ith the book Let' s Go Rock Collecting by Roma Gans, as it w ill
give you and your child a great synopsis of how to identify and sort rocks by the three categories -
sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous. For a brief overview : sedimentary rocks are created by
sediments/small particles forming layers and compressing over time; metamorphic rocks are formed
w hen existing rocks are exposed to intense heat/pressure; and igneous rocks are formed w hen
magma cools and solidifies. After reading the book, head out on a nature w alk and collect a variety
of different rocks. Bring them home and practice identifying the type of rocks they are. You w ill
probably need to help your child determine w hich of the three categories the rocks belong in.
Rock Sorting - Using rocks you' ve gathered on nature w alks, set up an invitation to explore by
asking your child to sort the rocks into various categories. This can be completely open-ended and
child-led by doing open sorting to see how your child responds on their ow n. You can also make it
more structured by providing the categories for your child to sort by. Some examples might be
sorting by w eight: light, medium, heavy; sorting by color; sorting by size: small, medium, large;
sorting by texture: smooth, rough, mixed; etc.
Outdoor Rock Play - This is a very open-ended activity. Take your child outside w ith rocks that you' ve
gathered on a nature w alk and encourage them to find w ays to play w ith the rocks. M aybe they can
play a game similar to marbles. M ake mazes or designs on the ground. M ake rock sculptures - read
the book Beach Stones by M argaret Carruthers for some amazing stone art inspiration.
Painted Rock Treasure Hunt - After a rock art painting
session, take your child' s rocks outside (or inside if the
w eather is not permitting) and hide them around the
yard, garden, nature trail, or home. Then encourage
your child to go on a treasure hunt finding the painted
rocks that have been hidden! This is a super fun w ay for
your child to explore nature and use their artw ork. It' s
probably safe to say that this activity w ill be requested
numerous times, so be prepared!
Under the Rocks - Pair this activity w ith the book Under
One Rock by Anthony D. Fredericks to learn about all
the creepy craw lies that hide in and under rocks! After
reading, head out on a nature w alk, or even just a w alk
around the neighborhood, and find some rocks to
carefully overturn and peer under. The excited squeals
you' ll hear w ill be so exciting! A great time to do this
activity is right after a rainstorm or first thing in the
morning w hen the ground is w et.

Rocks Theme 3
 Art Activities
Rock Painting - In this very simple activity, provide your child w ith a variety of rocks gathered during
a nature w alk and several different colors of tempera paints and paintbrushes. Your child can paint
solid colors, rainbow colors, patterns, pictures, designs, etc. This is very open-ended. Tip: While your
child is already w orking w ith the paint, you could join in and paint some of the rocks as w ell for
later open-ended play. Paint a variety of facial features on different rocks to make rock faces. Paint
the rocks in chalkboard paint for a fun draw ing activity. Paint several different objects on rocks to
make story stones for making up stories together. M ake Rock Dominoes (see later in theme).
Rock M andalas - M andalas are geometric figures (in the shape of circles, generally) that have a
variety of designs and color schemes, said to represent one' s dreams. Using rocks from nature
w alks, encourage your child to create their ow n natural mandala by placing the rocks in a circle and
create a design. To inspire your child, you could print out images of mandalas to put near the w ork
table. One w ay to extend this activity w ould be to provide a sand tray along w ith the rocks. This
w ould give your child the opportunity to add design elements to
their mandala by draw ing in the sand, and placing their rocks in
various places.
Wire-Wrapped Rocks - Add some simple, thin craft w ire to a rock
invitation to create to add an element of sculpture and
process-based creativity. Your child can w rap the w ire around the
rocks individually, connect them together, etc. This activity
connects the natural w orld w ith hand-eye coordination, manual
dexterity, and imaginative creation, and your child w ill certainly
enjoy w orking w ith a material that they rarely have the opportunity to use. For younger children
w ho may have trouble getting started, you can make the inital few w ire w raps around the rocks and
secure the w ires w ith a few tw ists to make that first step easier.
Simple Rock Creations - Set up an invitation to explore w ith a variety of rocks in a basket and a
sheet of w hite felt. Encourage your child to make faces, people, animals, shapes, etc. This is an easy
to facilitate activity that allow s for open-ended creation and imagination!
Hot Rocks M elted Crayon Art - * Note: this project needs adult interaction as the rocks w ill be hot
and shouldn' t be touched by the child* First, place your rocks on a foil-lined cookie sheet in a 250
degree oven - do not preheat; put them directly in the oven. Place foil in the bottom of a bow l - one
for each rock being colored. Peel the paper halfw ay dow n on several colors of crayons (the
remaining paper acts as a "safety zone" for the child). When the oven reaches temp, remove the
rocks and allow them to cool just enough to make them w arm to the touch. Test each rock - they
may not heat evenly. Explain to your child that they shouldn' t touch the rock - if they need to rotate
it, use the bow l. Place the rocks in the individual bow ls and have your child color on the rocks.
Allow to dry completely. These make gorgeous porch or garden decorations!

Rocks Theme 4
 Sensory Experiences
Playdough and Rocks - Turn playdough time into a
w onderful fine motor, theme-based activity by adding
various sizes and colors and shapes of rocks, ideally
gathered on your nature w alks. Offer a few colors of
playdough (store-bought or homemade) along w ith
the basket of rocks as an invitation to play and create.
This open-ended activity w ill provide your child w ith
the opportunity to manipulate the materials,
strengthen hand muscles and grasping skills, and
encourage their imaginative play.
Cleaning Rocks - This is a child favorite! Provide your
child w ith a bucket of rocks, freshly gathered from the
nature floor is best, a spray bottle or bow l of w ater,
some shaving cream, and a rag and/or brush, and let
them go to tow n w ashing the rocks. This sensory activity is great for developing a life skill, hand-eye
coordination, and open-ended play. As a bonus, the rocks from your nature w alks w ill be nice and
clean for use in rock art activities!
River Rocks - Simulate a river in this sensory bin activity, probably best done outdoors. Fill a large bin
(or w ater table) w ith various rocks and w ater. Add in toy animals or plants that w ould be found in a
river to extend the imaginative play opportunities. A few drops of blue food coloring or blue and/or
clear w ater beads w ould also make this sensory bin even more enticing and open-ended. Provide
your child w ith tools to extend play - scoops, containers, etc.
Bugs and Rocks Bin - This activity is a great one to set up along w ith a reading of Under One Rock
by Anthony D. Fredericks. Fill a sensory bin w ith a variety of rocks and bury some toy bugs
underneath the rocks. Add in a magnifying glass, tw eezers, and some bug boxes to make the
open-ended activity imaginative. As your child "finds" the bugs, ask them to tell you about the bug' s
features. Count the legs together or talk about the colors you see. Compare any of these to w hat
you find in the book. This activity is perfectly follow ed up by an Under the Rocks bug hunt nature
w alk!
Light Table Rocks - Use a light table to explore and extend rock sensory play! Depending on your
geographical location, adding sea glass or agates that w ere found on nature/beach w alks w ould be
a phenomenal addition to light box play! If you don' t have a light box, placing mirrors on the
w orkspace provides a similar opportunity for your child to explore the rocks in a different sense.
* Note: If using mirrors, make sure to explain to your child that they need to be extra careful placing
the rocks on the surface to avoid cracking the mirror.

Rocks Theme 5
 Science Experiments
Crayon Rocks - Along w ith the discussion about the three different types of rocks, conduct this science activity to give
your child hands on experience w ith the w ay rocks are formed. You' ll need about three or four different colors of
crayons, papers peeled and then made into shavings (use a pencil sharpener to make this easy), three squares of
aluminum foil, a stir stick, a mug, and boiling w ater. To make sedimentary rocks: Sedimentary rocks are formed w hen
several layers of sediment or minerals are compressed together. To mimic this, in the center of a square of foil, have
your child sprinkle the crayon shavings in different layers. Fold the foil up tightly and compress it by having your child
press really hard on the foil. This takes some effort to get the shavings to stick together so some adult help (and body
heat from pressure) may be needed. Carefully unfold the foil to see the w ay the colored layers stuck together. To make
metamorphic rocks: M etamorphic rocks are formed w hen rocks are exposed to extreme heat or pressure. To mimic this,
complete the same process as the sedimentary rock by layering shavings on a piece of foil. Fold up the sides of the foil
around the shavings to make a boat. Pour boiling w ater in the mug and float the boat on top for about 15-20 seconds
until the shavings begin to melt. Remove the boat and quickly fold the foil to compress the melted shavings. Allow it to
cool and then slow ly open to see the metamorphic rock! To make igneous rocks: Igneous rocks are formed w hen
magma cools and becomes solid. To mimic this, complete the same steps as w ith a metamorphic rock, only you w ill
leave the foil boat floating on the boiling w ater longer - about a minute or tw o until all of the shavings have melted
completely. Stir the shavings up to combine them. Remove the foil boat and allow to cool completely.
Rock in a Cup - After learning how the three different types of rocks are formed, use this experiment to show case how
a sedimentary rock is formed (compressed pieces of minerals and sediments). In a paper cup, first have your child put a
teaspoon of sand. Then add a teaspoon of gravel. In a separate cup, mix a teaspoon of w ater w ith five teaspoons of
sugar and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Next, slow ly pour the sugar w ater solution over the sand and
gravel to moisten the materials. Carefully pour out any excess w ater. Allow the "rock" to dry. Carefully tear the paper
cup aw ay from the rock and allow to sit out and harden completely - probably about tw o days. Give your child a
magnifying glass and have them look closely at the layers in their rock, explaining that they made a sedimentary rock
because it w as made from layers of different materials that hardened together.
Rock Demo - There' s no better w ay to figure out how something goes together... than by taking it apart! The same can
be said for rocks! Since many rocks are formed by the compression of tiny particles, breaking them apart is a very visual
w ay for your child to see how the rock w as formed from those smaller pieces. Not to mention, w hat child doesn' t like to
smash things?! For this activity, you' ll need a variety of rocks (mostly sedimentary rocks - or ones that w ill fairly easily
crumble, though it w ould be a good idea to mix in some ones that w ill * not* break so that your child can compare), a
small hammer, and safety goggles or sunglasses for your child. You can choose w hether to explain to your child how
they w ill be breaking the rocks apart to see how they w ere formed or simply provide the activity as an invitation to learn
and allow your child the freedom to explore on their ow n.
Erosion Study - For this activity, you w ill need to have rocks that have been gathered from
tw o locations - a "beach" location (or any body of w ater w here the rocks w ill have been
w eathered smooth from w ater flow ) and a "mountain" location (or any place w here the rocks
have not been w eathered). If you do not have access to a "beach" location near you, you can
purchase smooth rocks at a craft store or online for quite cheap. Have your child observe the
rocks and tell you w hat they notice. Ask your child to sort the rocks into tw o piles - smooth
and rough. Explain to your child that all of the rocks started out rough, but the smooth rocks
w ere w orn dow n over a long, long period of time by w eather and flow ing w ater, slow ly
breaking off small pieces and smoothing it dow n to give it that smooth feel. You could
demonstrate this further by giving the child some sandpaper and asking them to w ear dow n
the rough-edged rocks. When the child notices that they are not making much of a difference
in the rock, they can better understand the very long amount of time that erosion takes.

Rocks Theme 6
 Math Connections
Rock Dominoes - These w ill need to be painted by an adult in advance; a great time to do this is
w hen your child is rock painting. To make, w rap a thin piece of tape around the center of a rock
(nice round or oval ones w ork best), and then paint each side of the tape in contrasting colors, a
few in the same color, making a colored domino set. When the paint is dry, remove the tape.
M arvel at your beautiful rock domino set! You can use these to play w ith your child or allow it to be
a solo child-directed play opportunity. M atching the colors and lining them up w orks pattern
recognition skills that are very useful for math connections! Tip: To save the set for future play, you
can spray paint a clear coat on the rocks. These make great center or shelf activities.
Shape Rocks - Use a w hite paint pen to draw lines on a group of rocks that w ill fit together to make
shapes. M ake a variety of shapes - square, triangle, circle, rectangle, diamond, etc. To visualize this,
place the blank rocks in the shape of your choice, and then draw the shape on top of the rocks w ith
the paint pen, essentially making a puzzle. Give your child one shape at a time and have them build
the shape, count the sides, and identify w hat the shape is. This activity can be easily varied for your
child depending on their age and/or ability level. For younger children, use few rocks; for older
children, increase the number of rocks you use.
Rock Counting Tubes - Using recycled toilet paper rolls, create number tubes by w riting the numbers
1-10 (or higher or low er depending on your child' s age/ability level) on the tubes and placing them
in order on a table. Provide a basket of small rocks, gathered on a nature w alk, and a utensil for
moving the rocks - spoon, scoop, tw eezers, etc. Have your child identify the number on the tube,
and then count the number of rocks by adding them one at a time into the tubes. This is a great
math activity to leave out on an exploration table for the duration of this theme.
Five Rock Stack Challenge - Set this activity up as an invitation to
play. Provide your child w ith five rocks, ideally round, smooth ones
(easily found near w ater or in craft stores if w ater isn' t accessible)
and ask them to stack them. You can provide an image of stacked
rocks as inspiration or set up the book Beach Stones by M argaret
Carruthers on the w orkspace for an additional visual. This challenge
provides your child w ith practice in hand-eye coordination, balance,
and problem solving.
Rock Weight - You w ill need some form of tw o-sided scale for this.
You can purchase one or craft a DIY one by suspending strings and
bins on each side of a w ire hanger hung by a string from the hook.
Provide your child w ith a variety of rocks of different shapes and
sizes and allow them the freedom to explore how the rocks' w eights
vary by using the scales. Your child w ill gain practice in problem
solving, w eight and measurement, and balance.

Rocks Theme 7
 Fun With Food - Stone Soup
After a reading of Stone Soup by M arcia Brow n, make this delicious and
giggle-inducing meal of Stone Soup! Depending on your child' s age, there
are various w ays that they can assist w ith making this meal, from simply
adding the items to the pot to chopping vegetables!

Ingredients:
1 large, very clean stone
4 cups of broth (any kind)
3 large carrots, chopped
3 potatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 can of corn, drained
1 can of sw eet peas, drained
dash of salt

Directions:
1. Place the broth in a large pot and add the stone.
2. Chop and add the carrots, potatoes, and onion to the broth.
3. Bring the soup to a boil and simmer until the vegetables are soft. Add
tomatoes, corn, and peas. Stir.
4. Add salt to taste. Cook another 10 minutes.
5. Remove the stone.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Rocks Theme 8