Alexandria GreenCaroline EdgarInstructor: Donna CucunatoTapestry of a Liberal Studies Education, 49723 February 2011

4th Grade Science Lesson Plan

Task Analysis

1. Goal/Purpose To provide 4th grade students with an understanding that the properties of rocks reflect the processes that formed them. (4a & 4b)

To simulate three of the rock cycle’s methods of formation—weathering, erosion, transport. (4a, 5a & 5c)

2. Transfer/Motivation Transfer knowledge of rock properties (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic) and apply to methods of formation. Motivate students by simulating rock formation with crayon manipulation.

3. Teaching Style Command

4. Facility/Supplies for approximately 28 students Classroom with 7 tables

14 scissors28 squares of aluminum foil 28 crayons White board marker 28 “Science Exploration” worksheets (self-made) 28 take-home worksheets (http://mjksciteachingideas.com/pdf/RockCycleVocab.pdf) Video “Our World: The Rock Cycle”—computer with internet access, projector (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRaInMDNyE8)

Lesson

1. Standards/Anticipatory Set/Pre-testLead Teacher: Alexandria, Assistant: Caroline

Good afternoon boys and girls. Our names are Miss Green and Miss Edgar. We are going to have fun today learning about the rock cycle. Count off to groups of four. Please sit with your group and leave the materials alone until it is time to use them. We are going to teach you our quiet signal. Demonstrate two slow and three quick claps in rhythm. When you hear me clap, you should respond by stopping what you are doing and mimicking the rhythm. Now, you try it! Lovely.

In our last lesson, we learned about the three types of rocks that exist on Earth. Raise your hand if you can name all three. Very good. Today, we are going to learn how the rocks transform over time. Let’s watch this short video (90 seconds). Evan is going to teach you about how this happens. I know he talks fast, so try to write down as many of the ways rock’s change that you can. Are your listening ears open? Great. Let’s watch.

Raise your hands. What ways did you catch? Let’s write them on the board. Very good listeners! It looks like we are ready to do our activity that simulates rock transformation. Can anyone take a guess at what simulate means? Good guess. It basically means the act of copying. In this case, we are going to copy three ways rocks transform by using crayons.

2. Teach

Lead Teacher: Caroline, Assistant: Alexandria First, we are going to simulate how rocks transform by weathering. Can anyone guess

what weathering means? Good. It means to break down. Write on the board and have students write this on the supplied worksheet. Please pick up a crayon and pair of scissors. Shave off little pieces like so. Demonstrate. These shavings are called sediments. After you have completed this task, draw a picture of what your crayon looks like after it has weathered. Make sure to use your observations skills we have been practicing to draw a detailed picture. Share and compare your pictures with your table mates. How did you and your partner draw your observations differently? Very good. Sometimes, our eyes see different things even when looking at the same object.

Second, we are going to simulate how rocks transform by erosion. Can anyone guess what erosion means? Good. It is the movement of rocks by wind, water, ice, or gravity. Write on the board and have students write this on the supplied worksheet. Please pick up a few sediments that have been weathered and literally move them to another place on the table. Repeat. After you have completed this task, draw a picture of this action. Make sure to use your observations skills we have been practicing to draw a detailed picture. Share and compare your pictures with your table mates.

Lead Teacher: Alexandria, Assistant: CarolineNext, we are going to simulate how rocks transform by deposition. Can anyone guess

what deposition means? Good. It is adding material to an existing landform. Write on the board and have students write this on the supplied worksheet. Please place a square of aluminum foil in front of you. Pick up the sediments are place them on the foil. Fold the foil into a packet. Demonstrate. After you have completed this task, draw a picture of what your sediments look like after they have been deposited. Make sure to use your observations skills we have been practicing to draw a detailed picture. Share and compare your pictures with your table mates. Do not loose these deposited packets. We will be using them in our science exploration tomorrow.

Using the new knowledge we have learned today, we are going to think about a real world application and brainstorm other methods of rock formation. Flip your science exploration worksheets over. Read the questions carefully and complete independently. Do not worry about the “right answer.” Use the new information to the best of your ability. We will have a chance to share our responses afterward. Give students 3-5 minutes to complete. Give me a thumbs-up if you are ready to move on. Great! Now, turn to your partner and discuss your responses.

3. Guided Practice Managerial Strategies – Remember when you hear me clap in rhythm, stop what you are doing and repeat the rhythm after me. Let’s try it! Students perform actions as each part is presented. We monitor. We frequently check for understanding by asking students if they need clarification. Feedback/Reinforcement – General, specific, and value comments will be made throughout the lesson such as: “Good, I see that everyone has been very careful with their materials (i.e. scissors).” & “It is evident that you have been working on your observation skills!”

4. Closure

Lead Teacher: Caroline, Assistant: Alexandria a. What are three of the ways rocks change/transform? b. What does simulate means? c. What is weathering? d. What are sediments? e. What is erosion? f. What is deposition?

5. Independent Practice Observation and recording of transformations on “Science Exploration” worksheet. Critical thinking activity on backside that requires students to apply the information to the real world and predict the missing methods of rock formation. Take home cut and paste activity that reinforces types of rocks and these three methods of formation.

6. Subsequent Objective Next time students will use crayon simulation for other types of rock formation—compaction, heat and pressure, melting and cooling.

7. Criteria for Success a. 80% will be able to describe weathering as a method of rock formation as shown by number of hands raised in closure question. (4a) b. 60% will be able to differentiate between observation and inference by responding to questions about their observation drawings. (6a) c. 80% will be able to describe erosion as a method of rock formation as shown by number of hands raised in closure question. (4a & 5c) d. 65% will be able to describe deposition as a method of rock formation as shown by number of hands raised in closure question. (4a)

8. Source http://mjksciteachingideas.com/rocks.html