Sedimentary rock

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

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/sedimentary-rock

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 formation mechanism?Lithification of sediments through compaction and cementation, driven by surface processes
2. What are sedimentary rocks and how do they form?Sedimentary rocks are made of tiny bits stuck together. They form when sediments from weathered rock, volcanic ash, or plant and animal remains pile up and then get pressed and glued together by minerals.
3. Why do sedimentary rocks have layers?Layers, or strata, form because each new batch of sediment settles on top of the old one. This creates a record of time, like pages in a book.

Lithification: The process by which loose sediments are transformed into solid sedimentary rock.
Stratigraphy: The study of rock layers (strata) and their sequence, age, and correlation.
Paleoclimatology: The scientific study of past climates, often inferred from geological evidence in sedimentary rocks.