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 The first day of our field trip began with a hike through the Grand Canyon. We visited many types of geology found in the canyon along with come local wildlife. The canyon is mostly sedimentary rock, including limestone and sandstone. Metamorphic rock is known to be at the very bottom of the canyon.  Although we only found squirrels and a few condors, wildlife such as bighorn sheep, bobcats, and elk are known to live in the canyon. Plants such as agave, shown in the second picture, are also common. You can also find Ponderosa pine and many other kinds of cacti.  A trail known as the Trail of Time can be found along the south rim of the canyon. This trail showcases the canyon's geology. There are small fossils surrounding the trail. One is shown in the third picture. These fossils are part of limestone, a rock created when the fossils of small aquatic creatures become part of the rock. Grand Canyon attracts many tourists every year, about 5 million. Not only is there a national park, but also a school. A popular building is shown in the fourth picture.  The hike was fun and interesting, and we really learned a lot about the canyon. It was nice to get some exercise after the long bus ride. Not to mention out tour guide was British.





 Our second day was dedicated to three main activities, one being a boat ride through Glen Canyon. Like the Grand Canyon, this canyon was formed by a river and flooded in 1983. One popular formation in the canyon in Finger Rock.  After we had made our way deeper into the canyon, we stopped at a small beach where there was sand, a quarter-mile hike, and very cold water. Halfway through the hike, a few canyon walls were visible over the shrubs.  The hike lead to a wall with Native American pictographs. There were pictures of people, animals, and other odd symbols. The third picture shows what appears to be a hunter and a few animals, along with some strange symbols.  Not only did we learn about geology and Native American pictographs, but the boat ride in general was very fun. The water was so cold, we would cool off the lemonade by putting it in the water. Splashing around on the beach was also very entertaining.



 After our ride through Glen Canyon, we stopped at Wupatki National Monument. The Native Americans used many ancient technologies and survived off the land. The black soil from nearby volcanoes provided good soil for farmers. A small room known as the Kiva (pictured first) was carefully built so every sound would echo off the walls and be heard anywhere else in the small village. There was also a geological phenomenon known as the Blowhole. Air in an underground cavern tries to find balance with the air in the atmosphere, creating a hole that either blows in or out.  There were a few trails winding around the national monument. We found Mr. Davi ahead of us and took a picture.  Another building was the Ball Court, where Native Americans played sports. We gathered in this structure to talk about the Earth and conserving it, because it was Earth Day.  The ruins of Wupatki were very interesting. The ancient technologies that people had were fascinating.





 Our final trip was Sunset Crater National Monument. This area was surrounded by volcanoes. Sunset Crater got its name from the multicolored rock on its surface. It is a cinder cone volcano.  We hiked along the Bonito Lava Flow. Here, there was a former lava tube called the Ice Cave, which manages to keep ice inside of it all year long. It also emits cool, refreshing air. Pioneers used to keep their supplies cool inside of the Ice Cave.  The Bonito Lava Flow created a large amount of basaltic rock, and destroyed many trees along the way. The third picture is a tree that was burned in a recent eruption. The lava rock and volcanic activity is uncommon for Arizona. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> Basaltic rock covered a large portion of the hike. It streamed from the sides of the volcano hundreds of years ago. The rock cooled and formed the igneous rock. Lichens, shown in the last picture, are known to cover the rock.The lichens thrive off of the nutrients contained in the basalt. The lichens also help to break down the rock into soil. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;"> We learned a lot at Sunset Crater, along with the other destinations. The trip was very fun and educational, and we all enjoyed it.