Room+15B

 Lily Nielsen and Corinne Monteleone

 The Grand Canyon is one of the top tourist attractions in the United States. Believe it or not, the Grand Canyon used to be under water. When the Pacific and Atlantic plates converged, it made gigantic mountains which changed over time. The most powerful force to have an impact on the Grand Canyon is erosion, primarily by water (and ice) and second by wind. The layers of the canyon are like a book, each a different chapter. The bottom layer is 1.6 billions years old, and the newest layer is 2.300 million years old. The rocks are made out of limestone, which makes sense because limestone forms underwater, and are actually made out of fossils. Fungus and algae grow on limestone. Geologists are still learning about the rich information the canyon has.

//Day 1 Schedule (4/21/11)//

 At 6:30 A.M. we had to be at the school and ready to board the bus. When our bus arrived we chose a seat next to Marisa and Judy. The next six or seven hours we tried to entertain one another while the landscape outside changed. We arrived at our first destination, the Kaibab Trail.

**Kaibab Trail**

 As we hiked the trail, the guide told us how the Grand Canyon was formed. There was one area that had many green plants because they had the right amount of sunlight and water.



We hiked almost half way down the trail, but had to wait most of the time for two of our group members. Around 4:30 P.M., we hiked back up the trail, where dinner awaited us. We ate dinner at Canyon Café, where we ate until we felt like was going to explode. Then around 10:30 P.M., we reached the motel in Page, Arizona, and we passed out quickly.

 //Day 2 Schedule (4/22/11)//

 When we woke up, we ate a big breakfast, and headed for the Colorado River. The Colorado River cuts through the canyon like a snake. It starts in Colorado and flows into the Gulf of California.

**Colorado River**

The first people to explore the Grand Canyon and ride the Colorado River was John Wesley Powell and his men.The people working at the Glen Canyon separated us into groups. We rode banana boats down the river, and discussed the canyon and its features. We learned that there is a point in the canyon where you can shoot a shot gun and not hear the echo for about 20 seconds. Then we stopped for a while at a beach. After we stopped at the beach we hopped back on our boats and journeyed further into the canyon. At about 2:00 P.M. we got off the boats and back on the bus.

**Indian Ruins**

 Shortly after we got on the bus we headed to some Indian ruins. Our first stop was ball court blow hole which is the largest pueblo in the ruins. There was an area called the Ball Court Blowhole, where the Apache Indians used to gather where no matter how quiet you talk everyone can hear you. The explanation to this is because of the shape and acoustics of the Ball Court Blowhole. Because the room is circular, it made it possible for sounds to go around the room clearly. This area was also used for gatherings such as when someone was born or an animal was hunted successfully. Scientists are still trying to figure out why the Apache Indians left without their belongings. It is like the apache Indians just disappeared into thin air. Scientists predict that it could have been because of warfare with other Native Americans, weather such as a drought, or little resources that could have caused them to vanish from their homes. Others say that the people were realizing that they were wealthy; they forgot and lost their religious ways, which made them want to start over somewhere else. After our guide told us some fascinating facts, we were allowed to stroll around and take some pictures. The most memorable thing from the Indian ruins was the blowhole. We learned that when the air is co ld and heavy, the blowhole sucks the air in. When the air is warm and light, the blowhole blows the air out. Other than that there was a cemetery for the Apache members, who are still buried today. At the end of the tour, we enjoyed it too much we were the last ones to board the bus.

   **Sunset Crater**

<span style="color: #00ff00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-indent: 0.5in;"> The last stop was Sunset Crater. Sunset Crater Volcano was born in a series of eruptions sometime between 1040 and 1100. Powerful explosions profoundly affected the lives of local people and forever changed the landscape and ecology of the area Did you know that animal life can feel danger coming? The view was spectacular; there were trees and plants everywhere. We couldn’t actually go that close to the crater, but we saw a smaller crater that was safe to go near. Also we saw a little tunnel that could have collapsed at any moment while we were there. There are ways you can tell if a volcano is near by. The first clue could be an earthquake, which means magma is making its way to the surface. The second sign is the smell of sulfur, which kind of smells like rotten eggs. The last hint is the explosion when lava spills out of the volcano, and ashes would fall out of the sky. We thought the way to the smaller crater was a little rough, but at the end it was so worth it. <span style="color: #00ff00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%; text-indent: 0.5in;"> <span style="color: #00ff00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">**Good Bye Grand Canyon**

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> We are so disappointed that our trip is over. We were having so much fun that time went by too quickly. There was tons of information that neither of us knew until we went on this amazing trip. We agreed that this was one of our best field trips ever, and we can't wait what lies ahead.