Slate is a strong rock that can be split into flat smooth heavy plates. Good slate is fine-grained and heavy. It's most common color is dark gray thought it may be purple, red, green or black.

                Slate is formed by a softer rock called Shale, which is an igneous rock. Shale is  mud rock formed millions of years ago from very small particles of clay sinking into the seabed around old landmarks that are being worn down by high winds, rain and rivers.

                 Slate is usually found in the U.S.A., Europe & Canada. The most common uses for slate are roofing ,paving roads , flooring and blackboards. Around slate there is a thin black line and when it is heated it turns into a powder and is good for dynamite.

                  Many years ago in the early 1900's , small slates were used in schools for children to wrote on, and about 40 years later paper was invented. Children wrote with a small rod of slate called a slate pencil. There are still some slate pencils around today but very few because now we use lead.

                 The most important use of slate is for roofing.