Rock Cycle Worksheets - - Free Printable

Explanation:
Let’s walk through the rock cycle step by step using the diagram and word box.

We have 5 numbered arrows (1–5) showing processes, and 5 blank boxes for rock types. The goal is:
- Label each blank box with the correct rock type (from the word box).
- Write the correct process (1–5) next to each arrow.

First, identify the rocks from their pictures:

- Top left: a pile of loose grains → Sediments
- Top right: layered, flat rock → Sedimentary rock
- Bottom right: banded/wavy layers (like gneiss) → Metamorphic rock
- Bottom left: rock with visible crystals, possibly from cooling magma → Igneous rock
- Center bottom: volcano erupting → Magma (molten rock underground; when it erupts, it’s called lava, but here it’s labeled as magma in the word box)

Now match the processes (arrows):

1. Arrow from volcano (magma) to igneous rock → This is Cooling (magma cools and solidifies into igneous rock).
So process 1 = Cooling
Box at bottom left = Igneous rock

2. Arrow from sediments to igneous rock? Wait — no. Look again:
Arrow 2 goes from *sediments* (top left) upward to the *igneous rock*? That doesn’t make sense — sediments don’t turn directly into igneous rock.

Let’s trace the full cycle properly:

Standard rock cycle:
- Magma → cools → Igneous rock
- Igneous rock → weathering & erosion → Sediments
- Sediments → deposition, compaction, cementation → Sedimentary rock
- Sedimentary (or igneous) rock → heat & pressure → Metamorphic rock
- Metamorphic rock → melting → Magma

Now map to diagram:

- Volcano (center bottom) = Magma
- Arrow 1 points from volcano to bottom-left rock → that rock must be Igneous rock, formed by Cooling
✔ So:
 Box (bottom left) = Igneous rock
 Process 1 = Cooling

- Arrow 2 points from bottom-left (Igneous rock) up to top-left (grains) → that’s breakdown into sediments → Weathering & erosion
✔ So:
 Box (top left) = Sediments
 Process 2 = Weathering & erosion

- Arrow 3 points from top-left (Sediments) to top-right (layered rock) → sediments become sedimentary rock via Deposition, compaction, & cementation
✔ So:
 Box (top right) = Sedimentary rock
 Process 3 = Deposition, compaction, & cementation

- Arrow 4 points from top-right (Sedimentary rock) down to bottom-right (banded rock) → that’s metamorphism → Heat & pressure
✔ So:
 Box (bottom right) = Metamorphic rock
 Process 4 = Heat & pressure

- Arrow 5 points from bottom-right (Metamorphic rock) back to volcano (Magma) → melting → Melting
✔ So:
 Process 5 = Melting

Now check if all words are used:
Word box:
Magma — used as starting point (volcano)
Igneous rock — bottom left
Sediments — top left
Sedimentary rock — top right
Metamorphic rock — bottom right
Melting — process 5
Weathering & erosion — process 2
Heat & pressure — process 4
Cooling — process 1
Deposition, compaction, & cementation — process 3

All accounted for.

So the 5 blank boxes (in order as they appear in diagram positions):
1. Bottom-left box → Igneous rock
2. Top-left box → Sediments
3. Top-right box → Sedimentary rock
4. Bottom-right box → Metamorphic rock
5. The center-bottom (volcano) is already shown, but the blank labeled “5” is the process, not a rock — wait, the instruction says:
“Identify and label the different rock types. Also, write the processes (1–5) involved”
And there are 5 blank lines (1–5) at the top for processes, and 5 blank boxes in the diagram (rock types).

Looking at layout:
- Lines 1–5 at top are for writing the *process names*.
- The 5 empty rectangles in the diagram are for *rock types*.

So we fill:
Top lines (processes):
1. Cooling
2. Weathering & erosion
3. Deposition, compaction, & cementation
4. Heat & pressure
5. Melting

Diagram boxes (clockwise or as positioned):
- Left middle (below sediments, arrow 2 ends there): Igneous rock
- Top left (sediment pile): Sediments
- Top right: Sedimentary rock
- Right middle (below sedimentary, arrow 4 ends there): Metamorphic rock
- Bottom center is volcano = Magma (already implied, but not a blank box — the blank boxes are the 5 rectangles around)

Actually, counting the blank rectangles in the diagram: there are exactly 5:
1. Bottom-left (arrow 1 points to it) → Igneous rock
2. Top-left (arrow 2 starts from it? No — arrow 2 points *to* it? Let's re-express based on arrow directions:

Arrows:
- 1: from volcano → bottom-left box
- 2: from bottom-left box → top-left box
- 3: from top-left box → top-right box
- 4: from top-right box → bottom-right box
- 5: from bottom-right box → volcano

So the boxes are:
- Box A (bottom-left): receives arrow 1 → product of cooling → Igneous rock
- Box B (top-left): receives arrow 2 → product of weathering/erosion → Sediments
- Box C (top-right): receives arrow 3 → product of deposition/etc. → Sedimentary rock
- Box D (bottom-right): receives arrow 4 → product of heat & pressure → Metamorphic rock
- Box E (volcano) is *source*, not a blank — but there are 5 blank rectangles, and volcano is drawn, not blank. Wait — looking again: the diagram has 5 empty rectangles:
- One below arrow 2 (left side)
- One above arrow 3 (top left)
- One above arrow 3 (top right)
- One below arrow 4 (right side)
- One below arrow 1 (left bottom)

Actually, standard version of this worksheet (common online) has:
- Top left rectangle: Sediments
- Top right rectangle: Sedimentary rock
- Bottom right: Metamorphic rock
- Bottom left: Igneous rock
- Center bottom (under volcano) is not a box — the 5th box is actually the one *above* the volcano? No.

But the word box includes Magma, and magma is not a rock — it’s molten material. In many worksheets, one of the boxes is “Magma”, placed at the volcano spot — but here the volcano is drawn, and there’s a blank rectangle *next to it*? Hmm.

Wait — the diagram shows:
- 5 blank rectangles (empty boxes) placed at:
1. Left side, middle height — gets arrow 2 pointing into it
2. Top left — gets arrow 3 starting from it? No, arrow 3 goes from top left box to top right box
Let me reconstruct based on standard matching:

Given the arrows:
- 1: volcano → [box] ⇒ that box = Igneous rock
- 2: [box] → [box] ⇒ first box is Igneous rock, second is Sediments? But that contradicts — igneous rock breaks down to sediments, so arrow 2 should go *from* igneous rock *to* sediments.

Yes! So:
- Arrow 1: Magma → Igneous rock
- Arrow 2: Igneous rock → Sediments
- Arrow 3: Sediments → Sedimentary rock
- Arrow 4: Sedimentary rock → Metamorphic rock
- Arrow 5: Metamorphic rock → Magma

Therefore, the 5 boxes (in order of where arrows point *to*) are:
- Box hit by arrow 1: Igneous rock
- Box hit by arrow 2: Sediments
- Box hit by arrow 3: Sedimentary rock
- Box hit by arrow 4: Metamorphic rock
- Box hit by arrow 5: Magma

But magma is not a rock — however, the word box includes “Magma”, and in many school worksheets, they include it as part of the cycle labeling.

And indeed, the diagram likely has a blank box at the volcano position (even though volcano is drawn, the box is for labeling “Magma”).

So final assignment:

Rock type boxes:
- Bottom-left box (arrow 1 ends here): Igneous rock
- Top-left box (arrow 2 ends here): Sediments
- Top-right box (arrow 3 ends here): Sedimentary rock
- Bottom-right box (arrow 4 ends here): Metamorphic rock
- The box that arrow 5 points to is the volcano area — label it Magma

Processes:
1. Cooling
2. Weathering & erosion
3. Deposition, compaction, & cementation
4. Heat & pressure
5. Melting

This matches all words and the cycle.

Final Answer:
1. Cooling
2. Weathering & erosion
3. Deposition, compaction, & cementation
4. Heat & pressure
5. Melting

Rock types (for the 5 boxes, in diagram position order — typically listed left to right, top to bottom, but since the question asks to “identify and label the different rock types” and the blanks are numbered 1–5 at top for processes, the main output expected is the 5 process names).

The instruction says: “write the processes (1–5) involved” — so the answer they want is the 5 process names in order 1 to 5.

Thus:

Final Answer:
1. Cooling
2. Weathering & erosion
3. Deposition, compaction, & cementation
4. Heat & pressure
5. Melting