Rocks and Minerals
Lesson 2
Objectives: Students observe and describe properties of 12 rocks; students sort rocks by properties observed.
Procedure:
- With the class at their seats, review the lesson from the previous week, talking about what they observed while looking at the original 3 rocks.
- Create a list of the properties observed from the last lesson:
- Color, size, weight, shape, texture, etc.
- Explain that 9 more rocks will be added today for a total of 12 rocks. The class will sort the rocks according to properties such as the ones listed on the board. They will then write the name of the property in their science notebook, explain the property and list the numbers of the rocks included in it.
- After the activity the class will come back together and share their findings and observations, comparing the differences in how students labeled properties and what rocks they placed in each group.
Washing Hands Activity:
After the lesson ends, explain to the class the phenomenon that was the “Pet Rock” in the 1970s. While students are leaving the room in small groups to wash their hands, have the class consider what would make a pet rock a good pet and a bad pet, keeping a list in their science notebook. Allow students to share their opinions.
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Lesson 3
Objectives: Students use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the properties of rocks; students read and discuss how rocks are formed; students identify observable properties of how rocks are formed.
Procedure:
- With the class at their seats, review the lesson from the previous week. This is done by listing two rocks on the board and having the class suggest properties for each rock.
- Circle any shared properties of the two rocks and ask the class what kind of organizer could be used to show what properties the rocks share and don’t share.
- Draw a Venn Diagram on the board and have the class draw one in their notebooks as well. Fill in the diagram for the two rocks on the board, talking about the usefulness of such an organizer.
- Lead into the activity for the day by asking the class if they know the broader categories (3 of them) that rocks can be categorized into based on their similarities.
- See if the class can come up with Sedimentary, Metamorphic and Igneous
- Talk about how they are going to be broken into groups of 3 and assigned a section of an article to read. They will then make a list of the properties that the rocks in their category share and select the rocks from the class set that share those properties as well.
- If students finish their selection early, have them read the other parts of the article as well.
- After the group work, have the class share their findings with the others, listing the properties of each rock category and how it is formed.
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Rock Wrap-up Lesson
The movie Earth’s Crust: Rocks and Soil from Bill Nye will be shown as a conclusion to the introductory rocks section of the science curriculum.
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Lesson 4
Objectives: Students review and summarize the properties of rocks they observed; students compare rocks and minerals; students observe the properties of two minerals; students create a KWL chart for minerals.
Materials: science notebooks, 2 minerals, 12 rocks, magnifying glass.
Procedure:
- With the class at their desks, have them look in their notebooks for properties of rocks to be written on the large circle taped to the board. This circle will be kept and compared to a circle about minerals later, finally creating a large Venn Diagram.
- Next inform the class that they will be working with minerals today, which are different from rocks.
- Note: The differences will not be discussed immediately. The class will be asked to work with the minerals, then form questions based on their observations to be answered during later lessons.
- Groups will work at their desks and will be given two mineral samples, the 12 rocks and a magnifying glass.
- Students are to compare their minerals to the rocks as well as record the unique properties of the minerals.
- They should use the magnifying glass to see if they can spot any traces of the minerals in their rock samples.
- Students should make a list of rocks they think contain traces of the two mineral samples.
Washing Hands Activity:
After the lesson ends, ask students if they have ever used or made a K-W-L chart. After discussing what this is used for, have the students create one in their science notebooks for minerals. They should ask themselves what they know about minerals after today’s lesson or from previous learning, what they want to know and leave the “learned” column blank for later use. The questions in the “want to learn” column will become the discussion topics for future lessons.
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Lesson 5/6
Objectives: Students share ideas and questions about minerals; students observe and describe 7 minerals; students conduct three geological field tests on their minerals.
Materials: 7 minerals, magnifying glass, “Rocks and Minerals” packet.
Procedure:
- Begin by reminding the class about their questions on the KWL charts from the last lesson. Begin with a discussion about one question in particular – What is the difference between rocks and minerals?
- Have the class make suggestions before providing them with the following information:
- Rocks are found on the surface of the earth and minerals are rarely found there.
- Minerals are the building blocks of rocks, so they are found in both the earth’s crust and in other rocks.
- Rocks are an aggregate of minerals.
- Next introduce the “Mineral of the Day” game. At the beginning or end of each lesson students will be read a list of properties for a given mineral and will be asked to guess which mineral on their tray is the one begin mentioned.
- Today’s lesson will focus on Feldspar
- Feldspar means “field mineral” in German.
- It is the most common mineral in the earth’s crust.
- It is commonly found in sand all over the world.
- When this mineral is white it can be found in the rare gem moonstone.
- The activity for today will be based on field tests that geologists complete when they work. Students will be given 7 minerals and be asked to record their appearance, feel and color in their “Rocks and Minerals” packet. Just as a geologist would, they are to collect the data, and other field tests will be completed in later lessons.
Washing Hands Activity
While students are washing their hands, have the others share their findings and observations with their classmates.
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Field Trip to the National Academy of the Sciences
The entire third grade goes to the museum for a day of learning about rocks, minerals, fossils and other natural science topics. They will take part in two lessons: “The Big Dig” which focuses on how fossils are formed – “Geology Really Rocks” which focuses on rocks and minerals and how they are formed.
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Lesson 7
Objectives: Students describe and record the streak color of their minerals; students perform field tests on three new minerals.
Materials: 10 minerals, clay trays, magnifying glasses, “Rocks and Minerals” packet
Procedure:
- Student begin with a discussion about the differences between rocks and minerals.
- Students are asked to recall the field tests performed last week and any mineral names they learned.
- Next the students come to the rug for a lesson on streak color.
- The class is asked if the color that one sees on the outside of a mineral is it’s real color.
- Talk about observable color versus identifiable color
- Demonstrate a streak test to find out what the identifiable color of a mineral is.
- Students return to their desks and work with their science partners on streak tests for their 10 minerals as well as the other field tests from the last lesson for their new minerals.
- If they finish early they are to use their notebook to make a Venn Diagram comparing their minerals.
- While students are washing their hands, the class plays the “Mineral of the Day” game.
- Sulfur
- I smell like rotten eggs when I burn and may also be smelled during the fireworks at the Fourth of July.
- I am found in gunpowder, fertilizer and match heads.
- I am in some of the food you eat and help to turn the food into energy.
- You may find me in igneous rocks formed from volcanoes.
- Hematite
- I am found all over the world and sometimes leave a black or gray streak.
- Another form of me leaves a red-brown streak and was used by Native Americans to make paint.
- I am also used to make iron, a very strong metal.
- Graphite
- My name comes from the Greek work “to write”, and you hold me in your hand nearly every day.
- I am very slippery, so sometimes I am used to help machine parts slide over one another more easily.
- I conduct electricity.