PRINT A SEDIMENTARY ROCK IDENTIFICATION FLOW CHART

Use this Sedimentary Rock ID Flow Chart for fun way to learn rock identification.  The link to download and print your free sedimentary rock identification flow chart is located at the top of this page. 

HOW TO USE OUR IDENTIFICATION FLOW CHART

To use our Sedimentary Rock Identification Flow Chart, it will be easiest if you print out your own copy first.  The flow chart moves from left to right, following the arrows.

Step 1:  Select a Sedimentary rock - Choose a sedimentary rock that you want and place it on the “Sedimentary Rock to Identify” block.

Step 2:  Determine the Texture – Once you have chosen your rock, take a look at the texture.  The texture is the appearance of the crystals.  You will see that either the rock is:

• No Crystals where the rock does not have any crystals.  These rocks are either:

              Organic where the rock is made from plants and not minerals

              Shelly where the rock is made of mostly shell pieces

• Fine-Grained where you can not see each individual crystal (very tiny crystals)
• Medium-Grained where you can see the individual grains (medium size crystals)
• Coarse-Grained where you can very easily see the individual grains (large size crystals)

Step 3:  Determine the Color – The next step is to decide the color of your sedimentary rock.  Some sedimentary rocks can be a variety of colors so choose the color that most closely matches the overall color of your sample. 

Step 4:  Test Special Features – Many of the special features can been seen by looking through your hand magnifier.  Two of the rocks will fizz when you put a drop of vinegar on the surface.  Kids, get an adult to help you with the vinegar.  Sometimes, the special features are needed to identify your sedimentary rock, other times; the special features are simply a fun characteristic to see. 

Follow these steps for each of your sedimentary rock samples until you identify them all. If you need help, grab an adult and give us a call!

CONGRATULATIONS!

YOU DID A GREAT JOB IDENTIFYING YOUR NEW SEDIMENTARY ROCKS.
YOU ARE A TRUE MINI ME GEOLOGIST!