Subject:  Science
Topic:  Rocks & Minerals
Grade Level:  4
Student Lesson name and URL:    ctap295.ctaponline.org/~wgommel/student/

Earth Sciences
4. The properties of rocks and minerals reflect the processes that formed them. As a basis for understanding this concept:
a. Students know how to differentiate among igneous, sedimentary, and metamor-phic rocks by referring to their properties and methods of formation (the rock cycle).
b. Students know how to identify common rock forming minerals (including quartz, calcite, feldspar, mica, and hornblende) and ore minerals by using a table of diagnostic properties.
5. Waves, wind, water, and ice shape and reshape Earth's land surface. As a basis for understanding this concept:
a. Students know some changes in the earth are due to slow processes, such as ero-sion, and some changes are due to rapid processes, such as landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes.
b. Students know natural processes, including freezing and thawing and the growth of roots, cause rocks to break down into smaller pieces.
c. Students know moving water erodes land forms, reshaping the land by taking it away from some places and depositing it as pebbles, sand, silt, and mud in other places (weathering, transport, and deposition).

  

Back to the top

 

Students will begin this rocks and minerals lesson by taking a thirty-two question pre-test and then work as a class identifying the kinds of things the students know about rocks, and what they want to know.  Students will use a KWL diagram to help them fill in their information.  

Back to the top

Day 1 Students will observe a variety of rocks using a mini-hand lens.  From their observations, students will write in their science journals and all the information they collect.  Student will share to the class their findings.  Students will also visit website.

Day 2  Go over pre-test taken on the introductions lesson and have a discussion.  Then review what students have observed so far with the rocks they observed and investigated on day 1.  Students will then sort more rocks any way they choose.  Then get students started on discussion about why they classified the rocks the way they did.

Day 3  Review what was discussed in day 2 lesson why students classified the rocks the way they did.  Then have students get the rocks they used form day 2, and have them discuss the following questions with their partners:  How does each rock feel?  How does each rock look?  Which rocks are heavy?  Which rocks are light?  How are they all alike?  How are they different?  And the hardness of rocks.  Finally read selection "Rocks-Here, There, Everywhere" to the students from the Rocks and Minerals book from NSRC|STC.

Day 4  Today students will look at minerals and how they compare to rocks by observing closely between the two.  Ask students how are they similar? and how are they different?  Students will also use hand lens issue to them to look at rocks with tiny pieces in them and in the minerals.  Students will then discuss their finding about the minerals they were observing or investigating.  Finally read about feldspar from Rocks and Minerals book from NSRC|STC.

Day 5  Students will continue to observe minerals and how they are the same and different.  In this lesson, students will use water to drop on each mineral to better observe its color and smell.  Students will need a sheet of paper for each mineral, so they can use to describe everything they observe for each mineral.  After completing each sheet, read about sulfur in Rocks and Minerals book from NSRC|STC.

Day 6  Today students will mainly focus on the color of minerals and its texture, especially to light.  Students will use same minerals they have been using for the last couple of days.  Today they will sort them by their color and then discuss their findings.  Then students will use a flashlight to observe how much light shines through them.  Form a discussion.

Day 7  From the minerals students have been observing and investigating, they will use words such as metallic, glassy, waxy, and dull to describe the shine, or luster of minerals.  Students will get their minerals sheets they have been using since day five and write down their findings.  Also, students will investigate the hardness of minerals by scratching it with a hard sharp object such as a nail and categorize each one.  Finally discuss findings with the class.

Day 8  Today students will be focusing on whether or not minerals have any type of magnetic properties.  Students will predict which minerals might have a magnetic attraction and write it down in their science logs.  Students will come back together to discuss their findings.  Students will then about how Lodestones Lead the Way from STC/Rocks and Minerals.

Day 9  Today students will look closely at each mineral with their hand lens and penlight.  Students will hypotheis whether each mineral is translucent or opaque.  Students will also write down their findings.  Students will also visit the website on the three layers.

Day 10  Students are introduced to geologic forms of the earth from everything to weathering, erosion, and natural events such as earthquakes to tornados.  Students will visit a website on this subject and writing down their finding.  Students will also finish the KWL Chart we started at the beginning of this lesson.  Students will also visit website on natural disaster and erosion.

Day 11  Students will take the final post test.

Culminating Activities

Leading up to the final post-test, students will look for all of their information on rocks and minerals and write what they have learned during this unit.  Then students will complete the KWL chart which was started back on day one.  Finally students will take the rocks and minerals post-test.

Students will take a pre-test and post-test during this unit and will do a quick write at the end of each day to see what they have learned.  

Back to the top

Information will be posted during the middle of March on all information from this unit ranging from the pre and post test and student writings.  

Back to the top

These web sites are good resources for this unit on rocks and minerals.

Discovery Channel                              Rock Hounds

KidsClick by Cal Berkely Librarians    Discoveryschool.com

Rock Cycle Picture Tour                   Rocks and Mineral

Rock Cycle:  The Three Layers            Rocks for Kids

Rocks and Minerals w/photos

Rocks and Minerals Pictures

What Rocks and minerals are

Back to the top

Final Presentation

Mission Elementary
2100 Mission Avenue, Oceanside, California 92054
Walter Gommel  gommel6@netscape.net
Last Revised: 05/18/01