Canadian Shield

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/canadian-shield

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the geological province?The North American Craton, composed of Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks
2. What is the estimated age of bedrock?Between 2.5 billion and 4 billion years old
3. How old are the rocks in the Canadian Shield?The rocks in the Shield are between 2.5 and 4 billion years old, making them some of the oldest on Earth.
4. Why does the Canadian Shield have so many lakes?Glaciers from the last ice age carved out many depressions that later filled with meltwater, creating millions of lakes across the Shield.

Precambrian: The earliest geological eon, predating the Cambrian period, characterized by the formation of the Earth's crust and early life.
Craton: A stable, ancient block of continental lithosphere that forms the nucleus of a continent, often characterized by Precambrian rocks.
Igneous Rocks: Rocks formed from the cooling and solidification of molten rock (magma or lava), such as granite and basalt.
Metamorphic Rocks: Rocks that have been transformed from their original form by heat, pressure, or chemical reactions, such as gneiss and schist.