Junior Ranger
Activity Guide
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks
National Monument
Public Lands Belong To You!
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is a federal
government agency that takes care of more than
245 million acres of land. Most of these lands are
in the western part of the United States. These
lands are America’s public lands, and they belong
to all Americans. Public lands are almost equal in
area to all the land in the states of Texas and
California put together.
The BLM manages public lands for many uses.
Public lands supply natural resources, such as coal,
oil, natural gas, and other minerals. They also
provide habitats for plants and animals. People
enjoy the big open spaces on the lands. The lands
also contain evidence of our country’s past, ranging
from fossils to Indian artifacts to ghost towns.
To download this guide, visit our
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument
web page at:
www.blm.gov/new-mexico
Before you Begin your
Adventure...
Import
ant
Stuff!
•Befo
someonre hiking, tel
be and e where you l
return. when you wil will
l
Bring
o
t
s
lt)
Thing
an adu
with
•Stay on
marked
trails.
•Obey sig
ns
tions. and ranger
instruc
•Take out
what y
d
n
bring in
ou
ater a
.
w
f
o
r
nty
e
e
l
m
P
m
.
1
su
n get
k. (In
a snac this area ca d
s
ee
month d you will n
n
HOT a ater.)
w
f
lots o
at.
nd a h
a
n
e
e
scr
2. Sun
t.
Aid Ki
t
s
r
i
F
3.
a he are u
t
f
o
ap
yo
4. A m now where
k
are
always where you
d
are an
.
going
lothing e
c
r
e
p
5. Pro r eye on th
ou
keep y and dress
er
weath ately.
ri
approp
(along
The Oath of
the BLM Junior Ranger
___________________
(fill in your name)
As a Junior Ranger, I promise to:
• treat the earth and all living things with
care and respect,
• be aware of how my actions can affect
other living things and the evidence of
our past,
• keep learning about the importance of
nature and history, and
• share what I have learned with others!
Welcome to
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks
National Monument
This Junior Ranger Guide is YOUR official
opportunity to get involved with the Kasha-Katuwe
Tent Rocks National Monument. Let us take you on
a tour of all the geology, history, fun facts, stories,
and important information that surrounds this
Monument.
You can work through the activities on your own or
invite a sibling, parent, or an adult you know to join
you. When you complete all of the activites inside
this book, you will be qualified
to be a Junior Ranger.
w
Turn
the
page
and
start
earning
your
credentials
as a
Junior
Ranger!
1
People of the Past and Present
T
he air is cool and the sun is just peeking over the horizon
as young Blue Sky and his father head out of the village.
Today, Blue Sky will have his first hunt.
The pair walk for hours with wide eyes and quiet footing so as
not to scare away any game. Finally, Father spots a young deer
grazing on the low-hanging leaves of an aspen tree. Father
motions Blue Sky to take aim. With all his might, Blue Sky
pulls back the string of his bow, aims his arrow and lets it go.
The arrow misses the deer and hits a large rock, breaking the
arrowhead in half. The deer runs away.
Meanwhile, Blue Sky’s mother and sister begin their day in the
bustling village with much work to be done. Mother grinds corn
(maize) with a metate and mano, storing the flour in a clay pot.
The corn flour will be used later for porridge or “piki” bread.
Sister makes clothing for the family using tools made from
stone and bone.
Ancient people, like these hunters and villagers, lived in this
area, and many of their descendants, like the Cochiti, still live
close by today. Archaeologists study the ruins and artifacts
left behind to understand how they once lived. Often, the only
clues we have to the past are artifacts like the arrowhead,
clay pot, and bone tools mentioned in this story. Sites and
artifacts are special and should not be disturbed.
CH
D WAT
R
O
W
s
studie
es.
t who ir activiti
s
i
t
n
e
e
i
c
h
S
t
:
f
t
gis
sed by
ns o
d or u
aeolo the remai
e
h
c
c
u
r
d
A
ro
gh
tely p
hrou
libera
ople t
e
e
p
d
s
t
l
s
pa
k part
les.
eria
r too
e mat
t peop
s
o
h
a
T
d
p
:
e
s
act
e liv
peopl
Artif
ing.
cient
n
hunt
a
s
e
a
r
e
h
c
h
u
sw
ty s
Place
activi
SITES:
in an
2
T
he earliest human presence in this area was probably
around 4,000 years ago — The Archaic Period.
Hunter-gatherers roamed the landscape in search
of food. Gradually, plants such as corn and squash
were planted and people began to make permanent
settlements. These are the Pueblo people.
Pictured below is an ancient tool used for grinding corn.
The larger stone is called a “metate” and the smaller
stone with which to grind is called a “mano.”
What group of people lived (and still live) in this area?
__________________________________________
What animals do you think they hunted?
__________________________________________
What did they make with ground corn?
__________________________________________
3
Axe
Bow & Arrow
Awl & Thread
Rawhide
Pot
Moccasins
Deer
Arrowhead
Metate & Mano
Corn/Maize
4
Charting
Use your imagination and
travel back through time!
Past people used things
from nature to make
food, clothing, and tools.
Place the artifact’s name
(from the left) into the
appropriate boxes to
complete your chart.
TOOLS
CLOTHING
FOOD
5
6
Geology
Rocks!
7
8
Igneous rock
Sediment
u
Did Yo
Know?
ogist is
A geol
o
tist wh
a scien he
t
studies tructure
s
Earth’s ry.
to
and his a
f
Much o ’s work
t
s
geologi
e
s on th
focuse
s
of rock
y
d
u
t
s
nerals.
and mi
Sedimentary rock
W OR D
WA
TC
H
rock: A rock is composed of one
or more minerals. Minerals are nonliving
materials found in nature and that are chemically
the same all the way through. Copper, diamond, gold,
lead, pyrite, mica, and quatrz are all minerals.
pyroclastic: are rocks composed solely or
primarily of volcanic materials.
9
10
How is a Hoodoo made?
A
n important part of this area’s geologic story is the
formation of the actual cone-like, vertical tents or
“hoodoos.”
The “hoodoos” are products of volcanic eruptions and
erosion.
bb
(See the diagram to the left.)
These eruptions happened 6 to 7 million years ago leaving
pumice, ash and tuff deposits over 1,000 feet thick. If
you look closely, you will see small, black, glass fragments
in these layered deposits. These fragments are obsidian
or “Apache Tears.”
Softer rocks, like the ones found in this area, are more
easily worn away by the effect of weathering. Some
“hoodoos” have a boulder on top. These caprocks protect
the soft pumice and tuff (volcanic fragments) below them.
The tents that have lost their hard, resistant caprocks
will wear down more quickly than those that have one.
Over time, erosion by wind and water have cut into these
deposits, creating what you see here today.
The weathering and erosion can cause many different
shapes and sizes of rock formations to develop. Water
freezing and thawing can cause cracks or breaks in rocks.
Wind can carry sand or pebbles. The sand and pebbles
carried by the wind can hit rock surfaces and wear the
rock into shapes such as arches, pillars or cones. Ice, wind
and running or moving water can cause erosion in rocks,
eventually carving out canyons such as the slot canyon in
this Monument.
11
Down to the Nitty Gritty!
T
he rocks found in this area are called the Peralta
Tuff. This was formed during a time when
volcanoes were very active. At least 20 small volcanoes
in the area erupted repeatedly, producing large
quantities of volcanic ash, pumice, and other material.
3
different layers are represented
within the Peralta Tuff.
Ash fall deposits: These
deposits form flat or
parallel-bedded layers that
follow a volcanic explosion.
Pyroclastic surge deposits
are typically “layers” that
result from reworking
volcanic material, mostly
by water currents, but also
by wind.
Pyroclastic flow: This layer
is a result of a massive
flow of a turbulent mixture
of hot gases and unsorted
pyroclastic material
(volcanic fragments,
crystals, ash, pumice,
obsidian, and glass shards).
12
GY
O
L
O
Z
P UZ
ACROSS
2. Weathering and erosion
create many new rock_____.
5. Small, round, translucent fragments
known as volcanic glass or Apache Tears.
ers
nsw ges
a
e
h
pa
—t
d in
Hint e foun
b
can !
9-12
8. _____ocurs when moving wind, water,
or ice wears away weathered rocks.
11. A_____is carved by running water.
DOWN
1. _____carries sand and pebbles through the air.
3. To_____is to melt ice.
4. Water_____and thawing can cause cracks and breaks in rocks.
6. _____is a small particle carried through the air that wears away
rock surfaces.
7. A_____is a cone-like, vertical structure created by erosion.
9. When water freezes it turns into_____.
10. A_____is a combination of minerals.
13
Help Seymour Antelope
find his way to the
trailhead.
14
Don’t forget your
sunscreen and water!
Using Your Senses
In this activity, you will use 4 of your 5 senses to
explore the area around you.
HEARING
Close your eyes, and listen carefully. Write down all of
the sounds you hear. Remember to include human-made
sounds, too.
1. _______________________________________
2. _______________________________________
3. _______________________________________
4. _______________________________________
5. _______________________________________
15
SMELL
What do you smell around you? What scents are
present in the air? Sniff a tree. Does it smell like wood,
syrup, flowers, vanilla? Write down whatever your nose
detects.
1. _______________________________________
2. _______________________________________
3. _______________________________________
4. _______________________________________
5. _______________________________________
TOUCH
Look carefully around the area and find items that have
the following textures. Write down the object that
matches the texture.
Soft_______________
Brittle________________
Smooth_____________ Crunchy_______________
Rough _____________
Gritty________________
16
SIGHT
Look around the area and write down the things you see.
Remember to look up and look down.
1. _________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________________
17
Be a Wildlife Detective
As you walk the trail, listen and look for signs of wildlife.
Check off the clues below if you find them.
18
Word Search
FIND THE HIDDEN WORDS
Archeologist
Arrowhead
Ash
Canyon
Caprock
Cave
Cochiti
Environment
Erosion
Formation
Geologist
Hoodoo
Igneous
Maize
Metate
Moccasins
Obsidian
19
Pumice
Rock
Sediment
Squash
Tuff Volcano
Water
Weathering
Wind
Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument
has completed the Junior Ranger Activity Guide
and is now an official
Junior Ranger for
______________________________________________
your name here
Congratulations!
Answers
Charting
People of the Past and Present
1. Pueblo people.
2. Mammals such as deer, rabbit,
bear, birds etc.
3. porridge, piki bread
TOOLS
CLOTHING
Moccasins
Rawhide
Find the Trailhead
Metate & Mano
Arrowhead
Bow & Arrow
Axe
Pot
Awl & Thread
FOOD
Corn
Deer
Word Search
Crossword
Puzzle
1. wind
2. formations
3. thaw
4. freezing
5. obsidian
6. sand
7. hoodoo
8. erosion
9. ice
10. rock
11. canyon
21
22
Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Albuquerque District
Rio Puerco Field Office
100 Sun Ave., N.E.
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109
505/761-8700
the Monument 505/331-6259
www.blm.gov/new-mexico
BLM/NM/GI-13-01-8367
