Rocks (Book)

SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

Did you know that the White House, the official home and workplace of the President of the United States of America, is made out of the same material as the rock faces in Figure? This material is a sedimentary rock called sandstone. Sandstone is very porous. Water can easily move through it.

So the sandstone of the White House could have been water damaged. But during construction workers covered the sandstone in a mixture of salt, rice, and glue. This mixture protects the sandstone and is what gives the White House its distinct white color.

Image of Layers of sand turned to rock are seen in the Navajo sandstone

Layers of sand turned to rock are seen in the Navajo sandstone. The geologic feature is a slot canyon called Antelope Canyon.

Standards

SCI-MS.ESS2.01 Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth’s materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.

Vocabulary

Lesson Objectives

  • Describe how sedimentary rocks are formed.
  • Describe the properties of some common sedimentary rocks.
  • Relate some common uses of sedimentary rocks.