FINAL PROJECTELRN 750

TEACHING & LEARNING WITH DIGITAL TECH

Instructor:DR. GREGORY M. FRANCOM

NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY

By TRANG NGUYENSPRING, 2012

Title:Earth science

6-8th Grade 

Summary:The students are able to identify and classify minerals and rocks.

 

Primary Core Objectives

The students learn that minerals are different from rocks.

The students compare minerals and rock.

Primary Core Objectives

The students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. The students use models

and simulations to explore complex systems and issues. The students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. The

students evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks and then students process data and report

results related to the lesson. The students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. The students contribute to project teams to produce original works or

solve problems. The students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.

Learning Outcomes

The students can select from given information (identify) and assign to categories (classify):- Naturally occurring, solid chemical compounds, that have a

crystalline structure and properties that include luster, streak, fracture, cleavage, hardness, color, magnetism and reactivity to acid (minerals)

- Naturally occurring materials composed of a mineral mixture formed by sedimentary, igneous or metamorphic processes (rocks).

The meaningful learning in the project

This project has three of the following meaningful learning elements: constructive, authentic, and cooperative.

 CONSTRUCTIVEThe students discuss and speak about what they have

accomplished in identification and classification of minerals and rocks and reflect on it based on their observations and

observations of others. By reflecting on the puzzling experiences, the students integrate their new experiences with

their prior knowledge about the geology.

The meaningful learning in the project

AUTHENTICIn this lesson, the teacher will explain the different

between minerals and rocks and the connection between minerals and rocks. The students review the

characteristics of rocks and minerals and they will find identification becomes easier with practice. Everything in physics occurs in the real world. Learning is more meaningful when tasks and

situations are based in real-world context. In this lesson, learning would be embedded in real life.

The meaningful learning in the project

COOPERATIVE  The students work together to build knowledge and learning,

using each other’s skills and appropriating each other’s knowledge in order to solve problems and perform tasks. In this

lesson, the students will be divided 4-5 groups. Give each group of students a bag of minerals and rocks, the teacher will instruct the students to group the specimens into the 3 piles: rocks, minerals and specimens that the students cannot tell

classify. Conversation between learners would be encourage as it is the most natural way of making meaning.

What learners will complete for the project?

The students will learned the characteristics of rocks and minerals.

The students will find identification becomes easier with practice by examining the specimens of rocks and minerals. As they discuss the differences, have the students copy down the information.

Make sure students are aware that some of the differences are hard to distinguish.

When they are finished, have them draw a picture of a mineral and of a rock.

Materials Used by the Teacher

-Computer

-Rocks and Mineral kit

-Microscope or hand lends.

Materials Used by the Students

-Textbook, pen, paper

-Rocks and Mineral kit

-Microscope or hand lends

Technologies Used by the Teacher

Computer for online.

Provide a few online sites that students would use for deeply understand the lesson.

Technologies Used by the Students

Students can use the technology themselves to reinforce their knowledge about rocks and minerals. The students’ activity is to

explore the following sites:

http://www.msnucleus.org/membership/slideshows/rockCycle2.html

http://www.johnbetts-fineminerals.com/jhbnyc/bestgall.htm

http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/online_field_journal/cp/cprk/cprkmain.html

http://www.fi.edu/fellows/fellow1/oct98/expert/index.html

Instructional Procedures

http://www.storyjumper.com/book/index/5402022/Instructional-Procedure

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=s9lRrMWjHQg

Please click on following site to see Instructional Procedures

The teacher also shows a video in class. The students would be able to learn more about Rocks and Minerals.

Assessment Plan

-The teacher observes during the students group the specimens to recognize who is understood. -When the students examine the specimens, the teacher stop and ask the students if the specimens fit the characteristics of rocks or minerals.-The teacher grades the students when they draw a picture of a mineral and of a rock.

Assessment Plan Give the students a short test. The question is: Can you identify and classify rocks and minerals?The answer is:Minerals: Naturally occurring, solid chemical compounds, that have a crystalline structure and properties that include luster, streak, fracture, cleavage, hardness, color, magnetism and reactivity to acid).Rocks: Naturally occurring materials composed of a mineral mixture formed by sedimentary, igneous or metamorphic processes).

Thank you

Trang Nguyen, 2012