Basalt

Imagine being all warm and gooey, like melted chocolate. Squeeeezy and hot. That's me. I come from way, way deep inside the Earth where it is super fiery. A big mountain, a volcano, gives a big burp and I fly out as hot, red lava. Whoosh. Then, the cool air tickles me and I get harder and harder until I am a super strong, dark gray rock. Hello. I am Basalt. It is so nice to meet you. I am one of the strongest rocks in the whole world.

I love to help people build things. A long, long, long time ago, people in a sunny place called ancient Egypt used me to make strong floors for their big, special buildings. They would walk on me every single day. Much later, people called Romans used me to build amazing roads. Clip-clop, clip-clop went the horses pulling carts all over my strong back. I am so tough that some of those very same roads are still here today for you to see. People also learned they could chip and shape me into helpful tools, like little axes to chop wood and build homes. I was a great helper.

Today, you can find me all around you, still helping. Sometimes I get crushed into little tiny pieces to help make the sidewalks you skip on. I am also in the roads that your family car drives on. Vroom vroom. I help big buildings stand up tall and safe so you can play inside. I am a little piece of the Earth's fiery start, and I am here to help you build a strong and wonderful world. The next time you see a tough, dark gray rock on the ground, say hello. It might be me.