Grade K Dynamic Earth TEKS K.7ALesson 1

Observing Rocks

Essential Questions How does Earth recycle resources? What stories do rocks tell? What do the characteristics of rocks and soil tell us about

their past? Where does all our water come from, and how do we

describe it? How do we use materials we find in our natural world? What happens when we run out of certain resources?

Enduring Understandings As we observe rocks and soil, they tell us about their past. Water is found on Earth in its oceans, lakes, rivers, and

streams. Earth produces resources that meet our needs.

Intended Learning OutcomesStudents will know: Rocks come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, colors, and

textures. Scientists describe rocks by their properties. Rocks can be sorted by their properties. Properties of rocks determine how they can be used.Students will be able to: Observe, describe, and compare rocks by size shape,

color, and texture. Sort rocks by their properties. Tell what might be made from that type of rock based on

its properties.TEKSK.7: Earth and space. The student knows that the natural

world includes earth materials. The student is expected to:

K.7A: observe, describe, compare, and sort rocks by size, shape, color, and texture

Essential Vocabulary property/ propiedad sort/ clasificar weight/ peso size/ tamaño color/ color texture/ textura shape/ forma heavy/ pesado heaviest/ más pesado large/ grande largest/ más grande small/ pequeño smallest/ más pequeño multi-colored/ de colores variados single colored/ de un solo color dark/ oscuro light/ ligero, liviano rough/ áspero smooth/ liso, suave dull/ opaco, desafilado shiny/ brilloso

Language Objectives:Narrate, describe, compare and explain the various attributes of rocks.Use appropriate materials along with the science notebook templates to observe and record information.

ELPS:1C-Learning Strategies: Use strategic learning techniques such as concept mapping drawing, memorizing, comparing, contrasting, and reviewing to acquire basic and grade-level vocabulary.3H-Speaking: Narrate, describe and explain with increasing specificity and detail as more English is acquiredCollege and Career Readiness Standards:Engage in scholarly inquiry and dialogue.Explore a research topic.Consider arguments and conclusions of self and others.21st Century Skills:Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts.Assume shared responsibility for collaborative work, and value the individual contributions made by each team member.Use of Data--Present analyzed data and communicate findings in a variety of formats.Prioritize, plan and manage work to achieve the intended result.Use technology to gather information.Prior Learning:Rocks are all around us in our world.Rocks come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, colors, and textures.

Updated June 2015 1

TOC (Think/Observe/Conclude) or KWL (Know/Want to Know/Learned)Encourage oral language by using TOC strategies: put kids in small groups and encourage them to come up with 2-5 things they agree about the topic of study or content. Students in this small group report to the whole group in 3 minutes. The purpose of this activity is to go deeper into the subject.I think…I observed…I conclude…

Teacher ManagementEstimated Time for Completion: 10 days

Materials (throughout the lessons) Wide variety of rocks to observe, describe, and sort (referred to as the “classroom collection” in the activities)

including rocks of varying color, size, shape, texture, and hardness; these can be found in the environment as well as bought at museum and specialty shops, such as polished mineral samples and river rocks (can be found at craft stores)

Photographs of rocks to supplement literature and rock samplesDay 1: Hand lenses, placemat (or piece of felt or white paper) for each studentDay 2: Pebbles/stones, preferably dull and smooth (e.g. #67 washed gravel from builder’s supply store) for children to wash, toothbrushes, hand lensesDay 3: Hand lenses, containers for sorting (e.g. cups, bowls, muffin tins, egg cartons, ice cube trays)Day 4: Small chunks of coal (charcoal briquettes), glass pie pan, old tablespoon, jar for mixing, salt, 2 T clear ammonia, 4 T laundry bluing (in laundry detergent section), food coloring, newspaper/table covering, optional: geode, examples of jewelry with crystals. As an option, you can also mix up a saturated solution of salt and water, pour it over a large rock that is sitting in a pie pan (or other container) and watch the crystals grow as the water begins to evaporate.Day 5: Rocks that vary in hardness, pennies, three trays or baskets (labeled hard rocks, soft rocks, very soft rocks)Day 6: Talcum powder, sidewalk chalk, pencil, optional: slate chalkboardDay 7: One metal container and lid (e.g. coffee can) and several pieces of soft, crumbly rock (shale, soft sandstone) per small group; sandpaperDay 8: Soil samples—topsoil, sand, clay and powdered rock samples, shallow containers to hold the soil; tweezers, hand lenses, hammer, thick fabric, rocks that can be smashed, ziplock bags, sharpies to label bags, safety goggles Day 9: Clay (if clay is not available, model magic or play dough); rolling pins, bowls with water, items to make impressions/“fossil” prints—shells, plastic animals, leavesDay 10: Examples and/or photographs of rocks/minerals in common materials such as: Pencil (graphite), Baby Powder (talc), emery board (pumice), Plaster of Paris (Gypsum), Toothpaste (Fluorite), Cables/Wires (copper), coasters, candleholders, kitchen items, jewelry, etc. that is made from rocks and minerals.

It is important to have a large variety of rocks. If you would like to build your classroom rock collection you may wish to contact one of these local establishments.Local Rock ResourcesWhittlesey Landscape Supplies www.989rock.com - Round Rock - tell them you’re a teacher and they might let you collect some great rock samples for your classroom collectionCustom Stone www.customstone.com - Austin – tell them you’re a teacher and they might let you collect some great rock samples for your classroom collectionNature’s Treasures www.ntrocks.com - Austin – polished and unpolished rocks, geodes and fossils

Advanced Teacher PrepDay 1: Make sure you have enough rocks so that each small group has a wide selection to create their arrangementsDay 2: Set up rock washing stations with buckets of shallow water and toothbrushes at a table set apart from where students will record in notebooks.Day 3: Set up sorting trays for pairs or for individual students.

Updated June 2015 2

Day 4: Set up area where demonstration will take place. If possible, do the activity at least one day before so that children will have finished crystals to observe after doing the activity together on Day 4.Day 5: Label trays or baskets (hard rocks, soft rocks, very soft rocks).Day 6: No additional prep neededDay 7: Test the rocks you will be using to make sure they crumble and/or create sand in the bottom of the tins.Day 8: Label Ziploc bags with children’s names; set up soil samples on tables with hand lenses and tweezers.Day 9: Set up a workspace for each student to work with clay, such as a placemat, or cover tables with plastic tablecloths; place items to make impressions, rolling pins, and a bowl with a little water in it at each table.Day 10: Make available the photographs and real examples of uses of rocks and minerals at a central table that children can browse; place rocks from the classroom collection in a bin at each table.

Anchors of Support“What Have We Learned?” chartPhotographs and literature about rocks and minerals

Safety ConsiderationsDay 4: Keep ammonia bottle tightly capped until needed and open away from the face. Children must stand back when an adult pours ammonia and laundry bluing during the crystal activity.Day 7: Make sure the lids are on tightly on the coffee cans (or other container).Day 8: Children must wear safety goggles during the rock breaking activity.Day 9: Thoroughly wipe down all surfaces with wet cloths after using clay (the residual dust can be harmful if inhaled).

Literary Resources Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor If You Find a Rock by Peggy Christian On My Beach There Are Many Pebbles by Leo Lionni Heart Stones by Josie Iselin Beach Stones by Margaret W. Carruthers If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet by Leslie McGuirk Dave’s Down-to-Earth Rock Shop by Stuart Murphy A Rock is Lively by Dianna Hutts Aston Dirt: The Scoop on Soil by Natalie M. Rosinksy Fossils Tell of Long Ago by Aliki If You Are a Hunter of Fossils by Byrd Baylor Rare Treasure: Mary Anning and Her Remarkable Discoveries by Don Brown Rocks in His Head by Carol Otis Hurst Let’s Go Rock Collecting by Roma Gans Smithsonian Handbooks: Rocks and Minerals by Chris Pellant Earthsteps: A Rock’s Journey Through Time by Diane Nelson Spickert Rocks: Hard, Soft, Smooth, and Rough by Natalie M. Rosinsky Spencer and the Rocks by Lawrence F. Lowery Julie the Rockhound by Gail Langer Karwoski Extensive Earth Science Bibliography

Technology Resources Unit of Study on Rocks created by Gail Laubenthal and Robbie Polan. Many iPad app student examples are

included in this resource. What Do We Use Rocks For? – a powerpoint that shows many great examples of how humans use rocks Discovery Streaming: search rocks and earth science https://getkahoot.com/ https://padlet.com/

Updated June 2015 3

http://www.polleverywhere.com/ Suggestions for beginning or end of unit: Create a Poll and allow student to utilize a device like an IPhone, IPad, Smartphone, etc. These sites, Kahoot, Padlet, Poll Everywhere, allows teachers to create a poll for students to respond to. Show a group of students how to respond to the poll by passing around the device throughout the day if only one device is available, these students in turn will show the rest of the class. By the end of the day, as an exit slip strategy, review the poll results with the whole class. This should only take a few minutes and allows for a quick review of content learned.

Science Fusion Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ResourcesBig Book of Science Vocabulary, p. 14Student Edition, pp. 63-66Assessment Guide, p. AG 47Inquiry Flipchart, p. 15

Background Information for Teacher A rock is a solid substance that occurs as a result of three geological processes: magma solidification, sedimentation, and metamorphism. From GeoMan: Igneous: Igneous rocks are crystalline solids, which form directly from the cooling of magma. This is an

exothermic process (it loses heat) and involves a phase change from the liquid to the solid state. The earth is made of igneous rock - at least at the surface where our planet is exposed to the coldness of space. Igneous rocks are given names based upon two things: composition (what they are made of) and texture (how big the crystals are).

Sedimentary: In most places on the surface, the igneous rocks which make up the majority of the crust covered by a thin veneer of loose sediment, and the rock which is made as layers of this debris get compacted and cemented together. Sedimentary rocks are called secondary, because they are often the result of the accumulation of small pieces broken off of pre-existing rocks. There are three main types of sedimentary rocks:

o Clastic: your basic sedimentary rock. Clastic sedimentary rocks are accumulations of clasts: little pieces of broken up rock which have piled up and been "lithified" by compaction and cementation.

o Chemical: many of these form when standing water evaporates, leaving dissolved minerals behind. These are very common in arid lands, where seasonal "playa lakes" occur in closed depressions. Thick deposits of salt and gypsum can form due to repeated flooding and evaporation over long periods of time.

o Organic: any accumulation of sedimentary debris caused by organic processes. Many animals use calcium for shells, bones, and teeth. These bits of calcium can pile up on the seafloor and accumulate into a thick enough layer to form an "organic" sedimentary rock.

Metamorphic: The metamorphic rocks get their name from "meta" (change) and "morph" (form). Any rock can become a metamorphic rock. All that is required is for the rock to be moved into an environment in which the minerals which make up the rock become unstable and out of equilibrium with the new environmental conditions. In most cases, this involves burial which leads to a rise in temperature and pressure. The metamorphic changes in the minerals always move in a direction designed to restore equilibrium. Common metamorphic rocks include slate, schist, gneiss, and marble.

Rocks can be classified by physical characteristics such as size, shape, texture, color, density, mass, and even taste. Students will practice using their sense of touch and sight to classify rocks. When children notice the specks and streaks of color in rocks, tell them that most rocks are mixtures of lots of different materials; the materials have a special name, minerals. There are about 2,000 kinds of minerals in the world (about 20 are most abundant). Different mixtures of minerals make different kinds of rocks, just like how different mixtures of ingredients can make different kinds of foods like cookies. Most cookie recipes have lots of the same ingredients, but just a few varying ones (chocolate chips, M&M’s, flavorings) can make a cookie look or taste very different. In cookies, sometimes we can see the ingredients (chips) and sometimes we can’t (flour); in rocks, too, sometimes we can see the minerals in the form of sparkles or specks. These mineral and mineral combinations give rocks their different colors. A red coloration usually indicates the presence of iron, smallish grayish crystals are usually quartz, and greenish or bluish coloration indicates copper content.Updated June 2015 4

The surface of the Earth is constantly changing and rocks are constantly being broken down into smaller pieces. Weathering, or the process of breaking down of rocks, is due to the effects of wind, water, and ice. Wind blows small particles of rock and sand against large rock and slowly grinds them down. Water may carry small particles of rock as it flows over large rocks and slowly wear down the surface. When water seeps into rocks and freezes it expands and breaks down rocks. (Adapted from STEMscopes K7.A)

Rock is an important resource for humans. Due to their different properties and mineral content, rocks are used for different purposes. Humans have used different colored rocks since prehistoric times for building, jewelry and personal coloration. Rocks provide material for building, the ores from which metals are extracted, minerals that we use in our daily lives, and the soil which provides our food.

40 Common Minerals and their usesRocks and their uses

Timeline of Concepts and QuestionsDay Concept Question in Child-Friendly Language1 Rocks come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, colors,

and textures. (CRM)What do we think we know about rocks? How can we explore rocks?

2 Scientists describe rocks by their properties. (CRM)(Rock Color)

How do rocks look when dry and wet? (SEEY)

3 Rocks can be sorted by their properties. (CRM)(Sorting Rocks)

Can we find rocks that are alike in some way? (SEEY)

4 Minerals form crystals. (SEEY)(Rock Color)

How do crystals form on coal?

5 Not all rocks are the same hardness; some rocks are softer than others, and some are harder than others.(Rock Texture)

Which rocks are hard and which rocks are soft? (SEEY)

6 Rocks slowly change by wearing away. (SEEY)(Rock Shape)

How can we draw with rocks?

7 Rocks slowly change by wearing away. (SEEY)(Rock Shape)

How can we wear away bits of rock? (SEEY)

8 Crumbled rocks and dead plants make soil. (SEEY)(Rock Texture)

What happens when we pound soft rocks? What does soil look like? (SEEY)

9 Old plants and animals left prints in rocks. (SEEY)(Rock Shape)

How can we make a “fossil” print? (SEEY)

10 Properties of rocks determine how they can be used. (CRM)

How are rocks used in our everyday lives?

***SEEY refers to Science Experiences for the Early Years: An Integrated Approach by Jean D. Harlan and Mary S. Rivkin.

Misconceptions Rocks are about the same size—they can’t be too little (e.g. pebbles or grains of sand are not rocks) or too big

(e.g. boulders or mountains are not rocks). Rocks are all shades of brown or gray. Rock color does not change when put in water. All rocks are rough; rocks cannot be rough and smooth. Rocks are about the same shape. All rocks are hard and cannot break. Rocks are living things.Updated June 2015 5

Probing Questions How can we explore rocks? How do rocks look when dry and wet? Can we find rocks that are alike in some way? Which rocks are hard and which rocks are soft? How can we wear away bits of rock? How can we draw with rocks? How do crystals form on coal? What does soil look like? How can we make a “fossil” print? How are rocks used in our everyday lives? Where are rocks used in our school and neighborhood?

All lesson resources provided within this lesson are for instruction by ALL teachers.To meet Dual Language criteria, Dual Language Activity 1 and Activity 2 have been identified for the Dual Language teacher.

Arch of Lessons Kindergarten (45 Minute Lessons)

Day 1- Directed Inquiry- Students are given the question and procedures, but make their own claims and conclusions citing their collected data as evidence.

What do we know about rocks? How can we explore rocks?

Engage: (10 minutes)“Today we begin our last big topic of the school year, studying the earth. Over the next few weeks, we will be Earth Scientists studying rocks, water, and the resources that Earth gives us. We will learn about why it is so important that we take good care of the Earth because it gives us so much! For the next two weeks we will be studying rocks. Scientists who study rocks are called Geologists…so while we study rocks, I might call you Geologists, but I can call you Earth Scientists, too! I bet you know all kinds of things about rocks. I want to hear what you already know…about what rocks look like and feel like, about where they come from, and about what they can be used for.” Record students’ ideas on chart paper. (You can create a KLEW Chart if you prefer What we think we Know, What we have Learned, Evidence, What we Wonder or a TOC chart, Think, Observe, Conclude)

Tell students that today they will be observing a selection of rocks to start noticing how different rocks can be. They can make pictures or designs with their rocks, line them up, or just collect ones that they like.

Explore: (25 minutes) and Dual Language Activity 1

Provide a large bucket of rocks for each table and a hand lens and placemat (or piece of white paper) for each student. Children observe, describe, and select rocks that appeal to them to make rock arrangements. As they explore, encourage children to describe what they notice and why they are selecting certain rocks. If possible, have children “title” their rock sculpture and take photographs of the finished arrangements to create a display or to print for students’ science notebooks. While interacting with children, ask: What colors do you notice in the rocks? What shapes and sizes of rocks do you notice? What kinds of rocks are you choosing for your arrangement? Which rock is your favorite and why? Where do you think these rocks came from? Do you think they are from our playground? From Austin? From far

away? How do the rocks feel? Do they feel the similar? How do they feel different from each other?

Updated June 2015 6

Explain (5 minutes)Refer back to the chart and have children comment on items that they still think are true and items that they are not so sure about now. Continue this ritual throughout the weeks of study. Create a What Have We Learned? Chart to record a general statement/concept known to be true based on each day’s discovered evidence. For example, today’s learning could be There are many kinds of rocks. (Refer to the timeline in Background Information for additional guidance for each day.)

Elaborate: (10 minutes) Read If You Find a Rock by Peggy Christian. Encourage children to look for and collect additional rocks at home and on the playground to add to the

classroom collection for the next two weeks. View other people’s rock arrangements, share observations about the specific rocks the artists selected and

marveling at the wide variety of rocks in the world. Beach Rock Arrangements, Rock Art

Day 2- Building Concepts and Academic Vocabulary

Day 2: How do rocks look when dry and wet?*This lesson is adapted from Science Experiences for the Early Years: An Integrated Approach by Jean D. Harlan and Mary S. Rivkin.

Engage: (5 minutes)“Geologists, today we are going to explore what happens, and what rocks look like, when they are wet. For today’s investigation, you need to choose your favorite rock to draw and write about, but you will be able to investigate more rocks after you draw your favorite.”

Explore: (25 minutes) and Dual Language Activity 1

Children look through the class rock collection to find a favorite. They examine the rock closely and then draw and write about it in their notebook. Then children wash their rock to find out if the rock looks the same when it is wet. They return to their science notebook to record what happened. When children finish writing about their favorite rock, they can wash additional rocks.

*Assessment: See K Rubric 4 th 9 Weeks. TEK 7.A,C. At Mastery level 4, students are able to observe, describe, compare and sort by size, shape, color and texture.

Explain: (5 minutes)Have children explain what they noticed when their rocks were wet. Ask children if they have ever collected rocks at the beach, or by a stream, creek, lake, or river? Rocks that have spent a long time near water are often smoother. Ask children to wonder aloud why they think that might be.

Elaborate: (5-10 minutes)Read On My Beach There Are Many Pebbles by Leo Lionni which marvels at the different shapes of rocks on the beach. Heart Stones by Josie Iselin, Beach Stones by Margaret W. Carruthers, and If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet by Leslie McGuirk have beautiful photographs to supplement this exploration.

Day 3- Guided Inquiry- Students are given question, and they make a plan in their small group as to how they might answer the question. Students share out, proceed, and collect and organize their data. As they share out with their group, and make their own claims and conclusions citing their collected data as evidence.Can we find rocks that are alike in some way?*This lesson is adapted from Science Experiences for the Early Years: An Integrated Approach by Jean D. Harlan and Mary S. Rivkin.

Updated June 2015 7

Engage: (5 minutes)“Geologists, over the last two days we have been exploring rocks and noticing how different they can be! We have noticed rocks can be so many colors, sizes, and even shapes. I bet you have noticed even more ways that rocks can be different from each other.” Have students share other properties of rocks that they have noticed.

“Today we are going to think about… even though rocks are all different from each other…can we find rocks that are alike in some ways? Your exploration today is to look through our big collection and sort rocks that are alike in some way into the same container. For example, yesterday we noticed a lot of smooth rocks. So I could try to find smooth rocks and put them into one container. I don’t have to find all the smooth rocks in the whole classroom collection just enough to make a small group of them.”

Explore: (25 minutes) and Dual Language Activity 1Children explore the collection of rocks and sort them into groups that are alike in some way into the same container. Then they record a word or phrase that describes that group in their notebooks.

Conceptual Refinement ( 10 – 15 min.) The teacher pulls students or pushes in for students that need extra support with the concepts.

Explain/Evaluate: (5 minutes)Children share how they sorted their rocks and the names for the groups. Encourage children to share unusual attributes that go beyond color and size. Some probing questions: What groups did you make? Which rocks were easy to put in a group? Which rocks were difficult? Why? Did you put any rocks back after selecting them? Explain why. How do you think you could make one group into two groups? Here is a group of gray rocks…how could I split

them into even more groups? Where are some places that have things sorted? (e.g. stores, the refrigerator or pantry, art supplies, math

manipulative shelf) How do you think sorting is helpful?

*Assessment: See K Rubric 4 th 9 Weeks. TEK 7.A,C. At Mastery level 4, students are able to observe, describe, compare and sort by size, shape, color and texture.

Elaborate: (10 minutes) Read a book about sorting rocks, such as Dave’s Down-to-Earth Rock Shop by Stuart Murphy. As children notice the specks and shiny parts of rocks, you can tell them some information about minerals, using

the analogy with cookies from the Background Information section. Model how to use a balance scale to place a rock in each pan and determine which rock is lighter/heavier.

Challenge children to find rocks that are about the same weight and ponder if there are surprises (e.g. two rocks that are the same size but different weights or the same weight but different sizes).

Day 4- Guided Inquiry- Students are given question, and they make a plan in their small group as to how they might answer the question. Students share out, proceed, and collect and organize their data. As they share out with their group, and make their own claims and conclusions citing their collected data as evidence.How do crystals form on coal? *This lesson is adapted from Science Experiences for the Early Years: An Integrated Approach by Jean D. Harlan and Mary S. Rivkin.

Engage: (10 minutes)“Earth Scientists, many of us have noticed the rocks in our classroom collection that have shiny and sparkly parts. These are some of our favorites because they are so pretty. Those little specks and shiny flecks are minerals that we can see in the rocks; we can’t always see the minerals, or the “ingredients” in rocks, but those shiny parts we can

Updated June 2015 8

definitely see. Let’s look a little closer at some of the crystals from our collection.” As children observe these rocks, you can also share with them the inside of the geode if you have one or examples of jewelry. Tell children, “When minerals melt and cool slowly, or when they are mixed with water and then the water evaporates, crystals can form. Each type of mineral forms into its own special crystal. We can try to make our own crystals today by dissolving a mineral in liquid.”

Explore: (15-20 minutes)Do this demonstration in front of children, but emphasize that children should stay back except when you specifically say that they can look more closely.

Put newspaper or a tablecloth on the surface where you will be working. Pile chunks of coal in the pie pan. Let children help measure 4T of salt and 4T water and pour them into the jar. An adult measures the ammonia and bluing (which stains). Mix all ingredients in the jar until the salt dissolves. Show children how they can no longer see the salt, but know

it is in the jar because they put it inside. Slowly pour the mixture over the coal to saturate. Let children sprinkle drops of food coloring in separate areas on the coal. Put the dish in a spot where children can see it, but it won’t be disturbed.

***Note: As an option, you can also mix up a saturated solution of salt and water, pour it over a large rock that is sitting in a pie pan (or other container) and watch the crystals grow as the water begins to evaporate.

If you were able to do the activity the day before, tell children that you have some finished crystals for them to observe. From Science Experiences for the Early Childhood Years: “Crystals will grow within a few hours and continue to form for several days. The dissolved minerals move to the surface of the coal as the liquid evaporates and the mineral residue forms crystals. Liquid will continue to move to the surface of the newly formed crystals to form crystals on top of crystals. Some children may think they are growing as a plant grows. Point out that minerals can change, but only living things grow.”

Elaborate (15 minutes)Read A Rock is Lively by Dianna Hutts Aston or another book about crystals.Have children observe and describe the changes they notice in the crystals throughout the day and over the course of the next week.

Day 5-Full Inquiry- Students generate their own questions, plan their investigation, collect and organize their data, and make their own claims and conclusions citing their collected data as evidence. Which rocks are hard and which rocks are soft? *This lesson is adapted from Science Experiences for the Early Years: An Integrated Approach by Jean D. Harlan and Mary S. Rivkin.

Engage: (5 minutes)“Geologists, one of the ideas we had at the beginning of the week is that rocks are hard. Do you think all rocks are hard? Do you think they are all the same level of hard, or could some rocks be harder than others? Why do you think so?” Student share their thinking.

“Today we are going to do a test to figure out if some of the rocks in our collection are harder than others. The test we will do is called a scratch test. We can use these pennies to do the test. If a rock can be scratched by the penny or if the penny leaves a mark on the rock, then we will call that rock soft. If a rock can’t be scratched by the penny, then we will call it a hard rock.”

Explore (25 minutes) and Dual Language Activity 1

Updated June 2015 9

Children experiment with the scratch tests, placing the rocks in two containers—one marked “hard rocks” and the other marked “soft rocks.”

Optional: About halfway into the activity, keep only the soft rocks available. Have children now scratch test these rocks with their fingernail, and create a third category of “very soft rocks” that can be scratched by a fingernail.

Explain (5 minutes)Bring the categorized rocks to the rug. Ask children if they notice any similarities among the rocks within each category. Would they have guessed before that these rocks were different levels of hardness? How has their thinking changed?

Elaborate: (10 minutes)Show children a graphic of Mohs scale of hardness, such as the one below. This scale was created in 1812 by the German geologist Friedrich Mohs. “The Mohs scale of mineral hardness characterizes the scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer material.” (wikipedia)

Watch Mr. Hendrix Scratch Test which shows students how to use scratch tests to identify two rocks.

On the playground and during free time in the classroom, children can find out which of two rocks is harder by scratching them on each other. Whichever rock is scratched by the other is the softer of the two rocks.

Day 6- Guided Inquiry- Students are given question, and they make a plan in their small group as to how they might answer the question. Students share out, proceed, and collect and organize their data. As they share out with their group, and make their own claims and conclusions citing their collected data as evidence.How can we draw with rocks?*This lesson is adapted from Science Experiences for the Early Years: An Integrated Approach by Jean D. Harlan and Mary S. Rivkin. Engage: (10 minutes)“Geologists, last week we learned that rocks are not all the same level of hardness. We learned that some rocks are softer and some rocks are harder than others. How did we test this?” Have children share recollections about the scratch tests and the different kinds of rocks on Moh’s Scale of Hardness. “We saw that talc was a Level 1 on the Hardness Scale. That means it is very soft. Here is something made of talc…” Show students the baby powder and tap a little into each of their hands. Ask them how this “rock” feels.

“Today we can explore using other very, very soft rocks so we can observe how they break apart, just like how the talc can break apart into powder. We can test rocks from our classroom collection, or new rocks we find on the playground, to find out if we can draw with them on the sidewalk or blacktop. If the rock is soft, we should be able to make pictures with them. After we have tried this for a little while, I’ll give you another kind of rock that I know for sure will be able to draw.”

Updated June 2015 10

Explore: (25 minutes) and Dual Language Activity 1Children test different rocks to find out if they can wear away, or draw, on the sidewalk. About halfway through the activity, gather children around you to get the other kind of rock, chalk, or pressed gypsum. Have children bring in the rocks that are the best drawing rocks.

*Assessment: See K Rubric 4 th 9 Weeks. TEK 7.A,C. At Mastery level 4, students are able to observe, describe, compare and sort by size, shape, color and texture.

Explain: (5 minutes)Have children explain what they noticed about the different rocks as they drew with them. Was there a certain kind of rock that worked best? What did it look like? What happened to the rock at the point where it touched the ground? Were students able to notice the rock wearing away?

Conceptual Refinement ( 10 – 15 min.) The teacher pulls students or pushes in for students that need extra support with the concepts.

Elaborate: (5 minutes)Show children another kind of rock used for writing a pencil. Pencils are filled with graphite. Perhaps you have a chalkboard made of slate to show children as well. These examples show children how important rocks are in our daily lives.

Share with students that cave dwellers made pictures on rock walls with soft rocks of different colors. Look at some of this artwork together. (Google Images Cave Art) Provide printouts or books at the art center for children to use as models.

Day 7- Guided Inquiry- Students are given question, and they make a plan in their small group as to how they might answer the question. Students share out, proceed, and collect and organize their data. As they share out with their group, and make their own claims and conclusions citing their collected data as evidence.Day 7: How can we wear away bits of rock? *This lesson is adapted from Science Experiences for the Early Years: An Integrated Approach by Jean D. Harlan and Mary S. Rivkin.

Engage: (15 minutes)Facilitate a Gathering Ideas discussion based on the question, “How do big rocks become smaller rocks?” Listen carefully and take notes on students’ ideas.

Tell children, “Rocks are some of the oldest things on Earth. Over time, they get beaten up pretty badly. There are storms when the wind blows hard, oceans pound on rocks, water freezes into ice inside rocks and then melts, and more. This is called “weathering.” We can’t always see what happens to the rocks right away from weathering because it happens over long periods of time, but today we can try to make a storm inside a container to try to see if we can “weather” rocks ourselves.”

Explore: (20 minutes)In small groups (3-5 children), children draw a before-picture of the soft rocks (that they will be “weathering”) in their science notebooks. Then they put the soft rocks in the can and cover the lids tightly. A teacher checks to make sure the cans are closed tightly for safety purposes. Each child in the small group takes a turn shaking the container for a given amount of time (up to a number that children can rote count accurately). When everyone has taken their turns, open the cans. Children notice if anything has changed. Make sure children notice small changes, such as sand at the bottom of the can. Children then draw an after-picture of the rocks in their science notebooks.

Conceptual Refinement ( 10 – 15 min.) The teacher pulls students or pushes in for students that need extra support with the concepts.

Updated June 2015 11

Explain: (10 minutes)Talk about the results of the rock shaking activity with reference to wearing away pieces of rock. How did the rocks change? How was this activity like something that might happen in nature? (i.e. rocks in the ocean waves being tossed against cliffs) If possible, look at the edges of a smooth pebble as compared to a rock that has just broken (that you broke with a hammer without children seeing). Make connections to the books from earlier in the week about beach pebbles. Pieces of rock break from large rocks, waves (carrying sand and salt) tumble the rocks against each other and smooth them out, breaking off more sand that gets added to the beach. If there are nearby rock formations with which children might be familiar (i.e. Enchanted Rock, rocks around creek beds or lakes), encourage them to speak about how they have smoothed out and what may have caused it.

Day 8- Guided Inquiry- Students are given question, and they make a plan in their small group as to how they might answer the question. Students share out, proceed, and collect and organize their data. As they share out with their group, and make their own claims and conclusions citing their collected data as evidence.Day 8: What happens when we pound rocks? What does soil look like? *This lesson is adapted from Science Experiences for the Early Years: An Integrated Approach by Jean D. Harlan and Mary S. Rivkin.

Engage: (5 minutes)“Earth Scientists, we have been learning about how big rocks can become smaller rocks. What is it called when storms, wind, oceans and ice pound at rocks and make them smoother and smaller? It’s called weathering. Today we can explore another way to make small rocks out of big rocks here in our classroom. We will be breaking rocks with a hammer. Because safety is important during this activity, I will be calling you in small groups to do it with me. While you wait your turn, you will be looking closely at soil to see if it holds any clues for us about rocks.”

Explore: (40 minutes)In small groups at tables, children examine soil. They can use hand lenses and tweezers to examine individual pieces. They can also use sieves to separate large components from small components. If you have a volunteer to help, children can also mix samples of powdered rock and samples of soil with water and compare these to clay. Clay is like the moist powdered rock.

Call small groups to the rug to smash rocks. Each student selects one rock to break and sketches it in their journal. Wrap the rock in the thick fabric (an old bath towel works well) and put it on the floor. The teacher hammers the rocks while children count 10 whacks. Open the fabric and shake the contents in a ziplock bag for each student to keep. Students draw a second picture of their rock, now broken.

Conceptual Refinement ( 10 – 15 min.) The teacher pulls students or pushes in for students that need extra support with the concepts.

Explain: (5 minutes)

Have children share what they noticed about the broken rocks and the different soil samples. What did you notice on the inside of the rocks? Were there any new colors or features? How did the rocks break? Did they break into many pieces or just a few, or did most of the rocks stay intact with

just some dust particles/small chunks? Could you see pieces of small rocks in any of the soil samples? What did they look like? How did the pieces of rock compare in the different soils? Did some soils have bigger pieces than others? What else did you see in the soil samples? How do they think those pieces got in the soils?

Guide children toward understanding that many materials make up soil and that rocks are part of soil formation. As rocks break down into smaller and smaller pieces, they become the soil and dirt around us.

Updated June 2015 12

Elaborate:Read Dirt: The Scoop on Soil by Natalie M. Rosinksy.

Day 9- Guided Inquiry- Students are given question, and they make a plan in their small group as to how they might answer the question. Students share out, proceed, and collect and organize their data. As they share out with their group, and make their own claims and conclusions citing their collected data as evidence.

How can we make a “fossil” print? *This lesson is adapted from Science Experiences for the Early Years: An Integrated Approach by Jean D. Harlan and Mary S. Rivkin.

Engage: (5 minutes)“Geologists, yesterday we split rocks with a hammer, and we observed small pieces of rocks in soil. We have discovered that rocks can have colors, sparkles, and textures inside them. Did you know that rocks can also hold clues to long ago? When rocks are soft, like in the form of sand, clay or mud, animals can leave footprints in them. Animals with shells can also leave prints, and plants can leave behind impressions, or prints, of their shapes, too. Rocks that have imprints of animals and plants are called fossils.” Pause for children to share what they know about fossils; children will probably bring up that dinosaur bones can be stuck in rocks, too. “Today we can make our own fossils using our hands, shells, or leaves. Of course, our fossils won’t be very old, but we can get an idea about how fossils are made. We’ll use powdered stone clay made when rocks were broken into extremely tiny pieces.”

Explore: (25 minutes) and Dual Language Activity 2Provide each student with pieces of clay and small rolling pins to make slabs about ¼” thick. (You can also use model magic, air-dry clay, or play dough, but clay is best since it is really made from rocks.) Model for children how to press a leaf, shell, plastic animal feet, or their hands firmly into the clay. It can take several tries to get a clear print. Mistakes can be fixed by wetting the clay with water and re-rolling. When children have a print that they like and want to “fossilize,” have them scratch their initials in the clay with a toothpick. You can also poke a hole in the clay to hang it with a string when dried.

Conceptual Refinement ( 10 – 15 min.) The teacher pulls students or pushes in for students that need extra support with the concepts.

Elaborate: (15 minutes)Read Fossils Tell of Long Ago by Aliki, If You Are a Hunter of Fossils by Byrd Baylor, or Rare Treasure: Mary Anning and Her Remarkable Discoveries by Don Brown. The latter is one of several biographies that tell the story of real life fossil collector, Mary Anning, in the 1800’s England.

*Assessment: See K Rubric 4 th 9 Weeks. TEK 7.A,C. At Mastery level 4, students are able to observe, describe, compare and sort by size, shape, color and texture.

Day 10- Closure Activities: How are rocks used in our everyday lives? Engage: (5-10 minutes)“Geologists, we have come to the last day of our study of rocks, but don’t worry, we can keep some rocks out to observe in the classroom even as we study another of Earth’s treasures water. We will start studying water next week. For our last day of rock study, we are going to think really hard about how rocks can be a useful natural resource to us. They are natural because they come from the earth, people do not make rocks; the Earth does. Rocks are very useful to us. We saw a few ways earlier this week how rocks are useful. Who remembers some of those uses?” Have children recall experiences with chalk, pencils, and baby powder. Ask, “What kinds of rocks work best for making baby powder and chalk?” When children answer soft rocks, ask them to explain why, because those rocks are fragile and can leave a mark, be spread or broken easily.

Updated June 2015 13

“After observing the rocks in our collection for a little while, choose one rock that you think people could use to make something. If you are stumped, we have some photographs and examples of things people have made from rocks that you can see. Maybe one of those items will inspire you to find a rock in our collection that would also work to make that item. In your notebooks, describe what could be made from your rock and what it is about your rock that would make it work well. For example, do you think a diamond would make a good piece of chalk? Of course not. A diamond is a beautiful, valuable mineral, and it is very hard. It would work much better as a nice piece of jewelry than as chalk.”

Explore/Explain/Evaluate: (25 minutes)Children observe the rocks in the classroom collection and think of a use for a specific rock. It could be something that the children have already experienced (chalk, jewelry), something that inspired them from a book, selected examples that the teacher provides, or an idea of their own choosing. As the teacher interacts with children be sure to ask them why their chosen rock would work well for that purpose, drawing out descriptions of the rocks properties. Expect that children’s ideas and reasoning will be concrete and based on the rocks colors, shapes, sizes, textures, and hardness.

Several photographs are included at the end of this lesson. Also see the following websites for additional ideas. 40 Common Minerals and their uses, Rocks and their uses

Elaborate: (15 minutes)Read Rocks in His Head by Carol Otis Hurst to wrap up the study of rocks.

*Assessment: See K Rubric 4 th 9 Weeks. TEK 7.A,C. At Mastery level 4, students are able to observe, describe, compare and sort by size, shape, color and texture.

DifferentiationELL and SPED Strategy: Provide labels and rock samples that describe the various attributes. Draw out children’s oral descriptions prior to writing; scaffold writing with sentence stems or take dictation of

student’s thinking in their science notebooks. Enrichment: Create space for a classroom rock museum where children can bring in their own rocks and label them with a

name and location where they were found. Make rock candy to learn more about how crystals grow. Find a recipe here. (This takes about 7 days.)

Updated June 2015 14

Date:

How do rocks look when they are dry and wet?

Here is the rock when it is dry:

Here is the rock when it is wet:

How does the rock look different when it is wet?

Updated June 2015

15

Date:

Finding Rocks That Are the Same

Sort rocks into groups that are the same in some way.Write the name of each group in a circle.You can draw a picture of some of the rocks, too.

Updated June 2015

16

Date:

How can we wear away, or weather, pieces of rock?

Here are the rocks BEFORE we shook them:

Here are the rocks AFTERwe shook them:

How do the rocks look different after shaking them?

Updated June 2015

17

Date:

What happens when we pound rocks?

Here is a rock BEFOREhit with a hammer:

Here is a rock AFTER hit with a hammer:

Describe how your rock broke.

Updated June 2015

18

Date:

Uses for Rocks

Here is a picture of the rock I chose:

This rock is…

I think it could be used for making…

Updated June 2015

19

Fecha:

¿Cómo se diferencian las piedras mojadas y secas?

Aquí está una piedra seca:

Aquí está una piedra mojada:

¿Cómo se diferencia la piedra mojada?

Updated June 2015

20

Fecha:

Sortera piedras

Clasifica las piedras en grupos con un atributo en común. Escribe un título para cada grupo en el círculo. Puede dibujar algunas piedras en los círculos.

Updated June 2015

21

Fecha:

¿Cómo se puede pulverizar una piedra?

La piedra ANTES de agitar:

La piedra DESPUES de agitar:

¿Cómo se ven de diferente después de agitar?

Updated June 2015

22

Fecha:

¿Qué sucede cuando golpeas la piedra con el martillo?

La piedra ANTES de ser amartillada:

La piedra DESPUES de ser amartillada:

Describe cómo se quebraron las piedras.

Updated June 2015

23

Fecha:

¿Cómo se utilizan las piedras?

Mi piedra:

Ésta piedra es…

se puede usar para…

Updated June 2015

24

Some Uses for Rocks and Minerals

Updated June 2015 25