Teacher: Lori Petzel and 4th Grade Teachers
Grade Level: 4th
Subject: Science
Other subjects: Social Studies, English Language Arts, Technology
Duration: 4 weeks, an hour a day
Grade Level: 4th
Subject: Science
Other subjects: Social Studies, English Language Arts, Technology
Duration: 4 weeks, an hour a day
Project Idea: Students will become rock hounds--geologists--as they examine rocks from the local area, including chert from a chert mine and limestone from a quarry. They will learn how to classify rocks and minerals based on their physical properties. They will also research the history of the local chert mine. Students will work in teams to conduct their research and create a field guide about their findings to be shared with the community and beyond.
Driving Question: How can we, as geologists, create a field guide about the rocks in our area?
Sub-questions: (also include questions generated by students)
Driving Question: How can we, as geologists, create a field guide about the rocks in our area?
Sub-questions: (also include questions generated by students)
- What work does a geologist do?
- What types of rocks are found in our area?
- What properties do the rocks in our area have?
- What should be included in a field guide about rocks?
- What is the best way to share our field guides with others?
- Is there any historical significance to any rocks in our area?
- How can we find out more information about the historical site in our area?
- Are rocks a resource?
- What is a quarry?
- What products are produced in a quarry?
- What effect does a quarry have on the surrounding area?
- What may be found in limestone?
- Why do rocks keep appearing in fields that have been ‘picked’?
MN Content Standards: (benchmarks in italics)
Earth Science 4.3.1.3 Rocks are an Earth material that may vary in composition.
Geography 4.3.4.10 The meaning, use, distribution and importance of resources changes over time.
History 4.4.1.2 Historical inquiry is a process in which multiple sources and different kinds of historical evidence are analyzed to draw conclusions about how and why things happened in the past.
21st Century Skills/ISTE Standards:
2. Communication and collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
**Students will work collaboratively in groups and use Google Docs and Padlet to communicate with others.
3. Research and information fluency: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
**Students will use the Internet, Google Docs, Padlet, Weebly, Pages and more in their research and creation of the final product.
4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making: Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.
**Students will choose the digital tool (Weebly or Pages) they feel would best deliver their research findings.
5. Digital citizenship: Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.
**Students will practice appropriate digital citizenship.
Earth Science 4.3.1.3 Rocks are an Earth material that may vary in composition.
- 4.3.1.3.1 Recognize that rocks may be uniform or made of mixtures of different minerals.
- 4.3.1.3.2 Describe and classify minerals based on their physical properties.
- 4.2.5.5 Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
- 4.2.7.7 Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.
Geography 4.3.4.10 The meaning, use, distribution and importance of resources changes over time.
History 4.4.1.2 Historical inquiry is a process in which multiple sources and different kinds of historical evidence are analyzed to draw conclusions about how and why things happened in the past.
21st Century Skills/ISTE Standards:
2. Communication and collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
**Students will work collaboratively in groups and use Google Docs and Padlet to communicate with others.
3. Research and information fluency: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
**Students will use the Internet, Google Docs, Padlet, Weebly, Pages and more in their research and creation of the final product.
4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making: Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.
**Students will choose the digital tool (Weebly or Pages) they feel would best deliver their research findings.
5. Digital citizenship: Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.
**Students will practice appropriate digital citizenship.
Entry Event
The teacher will have a variety of rocks on display and will lead the students in Chocolate Rocks lesson. Students use chocolate to create sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous 'rocks'. The teacher will challenge students to create a field guide about the rocks in the local area.
The teacher will have a variety of rocks on display and will lead the students in Chocolate Rocks lesson. Students use chocolate to create sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous 'rocks'. The teacher will challenge students to create a field guide about the rocks in the local area.