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    Background:
     
    Black Canyon is unique in its depth and beauty. It can be, however, classified by its characteristics and compared to other canyons of the world. Below is an excerpt of a web page that will be used in this lesson. Become familiar with this site (see link below) before engaging students in their exploration.
    Many factors influence the sculpting of a canyon including faulting and fracturing, volcanic and glacial activity, water volume, stream gradient, and rock composition. Variations in each of these factors and their many possible combinations create a diverse array of canyon topography. Canyons vary in their length, width and depth. Some are normally dry. Others contain long still pools or swift-flowing streams. Canyons can be relatively flat-bottomed, requiring nothing more than basic hiking skills and a little bouldering. Or they can contain many precipitous drops that require rappelling and advanced technical skills.
    From:  http://www.canyoneering.net/canyoneering_canyons.html
     
    Resources/Materials/Supplies
     
    Internet access
     
    Description:
     
    In this activity students will:
    • Describe several factors that influence the formation of a canyon including:
      • The effects of water (hydrologic influences)
      • Rock type of the canyon area (igneous, metaphoric. volcanic and sedimentary)
      • Gradation and Weathering (the rock movement and weather)
    • Will use their information to classify Black Canyon and other canyons
    Management Tips and Hints
     
    Begin with a discussion of "what makes a canyon a canyon" and create a list from the class of the common features and characteristics. Also create a list of areas they are unsure about and have further interest.
     
    Explain the purpose of the lesson and the strategies that will be used. At first each group will research the same website and after a class discussion, the groups will become an expert on a specific canyon applying their understanding of their research. In this phase each group will be given a different web site to explore.
     
    Each "expert group" will then prepare a report to the class that describes the characteristics of their canyon.