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Rocks and Minerals

Sedimentary Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   high interest, readability grades 6 to 7
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   6.3

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    cementation, clastic, compacted, compaction, deposition, non-clastic, recrystallization, recrystallize, sandstone, sedimentary, organic, shale, boulders, natural, original, material

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Sedimentary Rocks
By Patti Hutchison 		  
1     If you put some muddy water in a jar and let it set a few days, what would you see? The water would become clear. There would be layers of dirt and stones at the bottom. This is called sediment. This is what sedimentary rocks are made from.
 
2     The sediments are pieces of rock. They have been broken apart by weathering. Wind, water, and ice break down rocks and minerals into smaller particles. These pieces come together in different ways to form sedimentary rocks.
 
3     Running water, such as streams and rivers, helps form sedimentary rocks. The water carries the broken pieces of rock. Then it drops them in layers wherever the current slows down. This is called deposition.
 
4     After the layers are deposited, sedimentary rocks begin to form. This can happen in one of three ways. They can be formed by a process called compaction. Layers of sediment are squeezed together. The pressure of the rocks on top causes this to happen.

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