Heat and pressure are constantly at work below Earth's surface, but sometimes, their amazing effects can be seen aboveground. These powerful forces shape metamorphic rocks, one of the three kinds of rock that cover our planet's surface. Readers will learn how plate tectonics play a role in rock formation, where these rocks appear, and how to identify them based on their physical properties. This text takes its standards-based curricula out of the classroom and into the real world, showing readers how metamorphic rock shapes our lives. The science-rich text is completed with full-color photographs, fun fact boxes, and informative sidebars.