Chalk It Up to Gypsum

Drawing with sidewalk chalk is a fun way to express your creativity! Chalk is made from a mineral called gypsum (JIP-sum). Gypsum is found inside layers of sedimentary (seh-duh-MEN-ter-ee) rock, which is made from sand, mud, and pebbles.

The Bible says that during the global flood, "the fountains of the great deep burst forth” (Genesis 7:11). These waters were filled with dissolved minerals, like gypsum. When hot waters mixed with cooler ocean waters, these minerals formed layers within other sedimentary rocks.

Today, gypsum is found in all kinds of things from shampoo to cement—and of course chalk.