By: Alex Gilkey

Why the national park was founded  The park was opened in 1919 by President Theodore Roosevelt-President Theodore Roosevelt said of Grand Canyon, "Leave it as it is. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it. What you can do is to keep it for your children, your children's children, and for all who come after you, as one of the great sights which every American should see."  The park was founded because in the 1800 and 1900s many people (pioneers, Indians, Hispanic people) wanted to have some of this land. To protect it, the government made it a national park.

How the canyon was formed  The actions of plate tectonics lifted up the whole area  The Colorado river eroded the rock layers forming the Grand Canyon  The Colorado River flows through the Grand Canyon  Over millions of years, the river eroded through the layers of limestone, sandstone, shale, and other rocks to form the canyon

Rocks Found in the Grand Canyon  The story begins almost two billion years ago  Igneous and metamorphic rocks formed the inner gorge  Above these old rocks lie layer upon layer of sedimentary rock, each telling it’s own story of how the Grand Canyon was formed

Special features  Caves  They have an important part in scientific research because they have the remains of mummafied plants and animals  The caves aren’t open to the general public, only to researchers.

Special Features  Fossils  The oldest fossils found in the Grand Canyon are older than dinosaurs

Land currently changing  The way the land is changing is the Colorado river running along the bottom and eroding away the rocks on the canyon making the Grand Canyon even bigger.

Images of the Grand Canyon

Bibliography rand+canyon&hl=en&gbv=2&tbs=isch:1 &sa=N&start=60&ndsp=20 0grand%20canyon&hl=en&gbv=2&ndsp =20&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=iw