Highsmith, Carol M. The Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, near Fredericksburg in Texas Hill County is one of Texans' favorite hiking areas. Between 1980 and 2006. Photograph. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/item/2011632495/.
Enchanted Rock has been a site of cultural significance for Native peoples of Texas. “Enchanted Rock has fascinated humans for thousands of years. As a result, it has inspired many stories that endure today. Most of these are rooted in fancy rather than fact. Tonkawa Indians thought that ghost fires flickered on top of the dome. The odd creaking and groaning coming from the dome frightened them. But don’t worry! Geologists say that the dome creaks and groans as temperatures change. As for the ghost fires, the rock glitters on clear nights after rain. Scientists think the glittering is reflections from collected water or wet feldspar” (Texas Parks and Wildlife).
Source: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/enchanted-rock/history
Source: : https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/enchanted-rock/history
- Why might Enchanted Rock be considered a favorite hiking place for Texans?
- What do you notice while looking at the rock?
- Which area of Texas do think this is located in and why?
- Extension Questions: What responsibility do people have to protect natural landmarks like Enchanted Rock?
ELA Standard
7.6E. Response. Interact with sources in meaningful ways such as notetaking, annotating, freewriting, or illustrating.
Social Studies Standard
7.8B: Geography. Locate and compare places of importance in Texas in terms of physical and human characteristics such as major cities, waterways, natural and historic landmarks, political and cultural regions, and local points of interest.
Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their purposes (e.g., for learning, persuasion, and exchange of information).
- The Texas State Historical Association provides information on the legends of the rock.
- The Texas Parks and Wildlife site pulls the reader into the article by explaining how the enormous rock was formed. The giant dome has been around for many, many years.
- Students will engage in a guided Think-Pair-Share to note details about the terrain, vegetation, time, and human interaction in their journal or notebook.
- What features do you notice about the rock?
- What might people do here, now and long ago?
- What mood does the landscape create/evoke? Why?
- Students will engage in a Think-Pair-Share and answer in their journals/notebooks before sharing.
- How does tourism from the cave impact jobs?
- How can preserving Enchanted Rock inspire a community to care for other natural resources?
- How do landmarks like Enchanted Rock shape the cultural and historical identity of a community?
- How might Native peoples’ views on natural landmarks be different from those of settlers and tourists?
- Students should use imagery and figurative language to describe Enchanted Rock as if they were a first-time visitor.
- Groups create a poster advertising a conservation event at Enchanted Rock that encourages tourism and educates visitors while also promoting conservation.
- In their notebooks, students write a descriptive poem or short narrative from the perspective of a first-time visitor, using vivid imagery and sensory language.
- Write a letter to the local government, explaining why the Enchanted Rock should continue to be preserved and promoted.
Rock, James L, and W. I. Smith. Southern and western Texas guide for 1878. St. Louis: A. H. Granger, 1878. https://www.loc.gov/item/rc01002566/.