Howardites

A printable worksheet for the lesson Looking after meteorites, and staying safe (Start here: Beginner). It prints on A4 without the website around it. The answers are on a separate sheet for the teacher.

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Start here: Beginner · Ages 7 and upHowardites worksheet

Looking after meteorites, and staying safe

Name:Class:Date:

Key words

Meteorite
A meteorite is a piece of space rock that has survived its fall through the air and landed on Earth.
Fall
A fall is a meteorite that people saw coming down and then collected.
Find
A find is a meteorite discovered on the ground without anyone having seen it fall.
Mineral
A mineral is a natural solid with a fixed chemical recipe and an orderly inner arrangement of atoms.
Fusion crust
Fusion crust is the thin, dark skin that forms on a meteorite as its surface melts during its fall.
Chondrule
A chondrule is a tiny round grain, often smaller than a grain of rice, that formed as a melted droplet in space before the planets existed.

Choose the right answer

Circle the letter of the right answer.

  1. Which of these would scientists most like to study?
    • AA fresh fall picked up in a clean bag
    • BA stone passed round a whole classroom
    • CA stone kept in a damp shed
    • DA stone that was washed and scrubbed
  2. Should you wash a possible meteorite before showing it to an expert?
    • AYes, soak it in water overnight
    • BNo, keep it dry and do not scrub it
    • CYes, scrub it with soap
    • DYes, rinse it under the tap
  3. Your family is planning a rock hunt in another country. Why should an adult check the rules first?
    • ARocks abroad are always dangerous to touch
    • BMeteorites only ever fall in Britain
    • CMeteorite laws differ from country to country
    • DPhotos of rocks are banned abroad
  4. Which clues can you usually see only if a museum meteorite has been cut open?
    • AIts smooth, rounded edges and corners
    • BShiny metal specks and tiny round chondrules
    • CA thin, dark fusion crust on the outside
    • DThumbprint dents all over its surface

True or false?

Is the answer given right? Tick True or False.

  1. Which of these is a sensible safety rule for rock hunters?

    Answer given: Wash your hands after handling rocks from outdoors TrueFalse

  2. Apart from where you found it, what should you write down?

    Answer given: The date you found it TrueFalse

Write your answer

Answer in a word or a short sentence.

  1. Is it safe to look at and hold a meteorite?
  2. How should you pick up a possible meteorite that may have fallen recently?

Task

Make a meteorite finder's kit: a notebook, a pencil, a ruler, a clean plastic bag and a fridge magnet on a string. Next time you visit a museum, use your notebook to sketch a meteorite you see there.

Howardites · free to copy for use in your classroom · answers are on the separate teacher's answer sheet