By April Larremore

http://larremoreteachertips.blogspot.com/ Clipart by Thistlegirl Designs and DJ Inkers

Literacy and Math Activities

Suggested Read Alouds:

Let’s Go Rock Collecting by Roma Gans & Holly Keller

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock by Eric A. Kimmel

& Janet Stevens If You Find a Rock by Peggy Christian Rocks: Hard, Soft, Smooth, and Rough by Natalie M.

Rosinsky My Ol’ Man by Patricia Polaaco

Essential Questions to Ask:

1. Can you name something in our school or at your house that is made of a rock?

2. How are rocks made? 3. What kind of rocks will roll? 4. How are rocks the same? How are they

different? What are their physical properties? 5. What happens to a rock when you put it in

water? 6. How are rocks useful? What can we do with

them? 7. How is water and soil useful to us? 8. Does water have a shape? What are the

physical properties of water?

Lessons:

Sylvester’s Pebbles – Rock Sorting Lab Activities - Sorting Rocks, Sink and Float,

Measurement, Observation Rock Poem Rock Recipes Breaking down Rocks - Rock Flow Map General Rock Activities Rock Songs

Breaking down Rocks

Title of Book: Rocks (A to Z Leveled Reader C) Essential Questions to Ask:

1. How are rocks broken down? 2. What is a mountain, a boulder, a stone, a

pebble, sand, and dust? 3. Where do we find rocks? 4. How do we use rocks?

Materials Needed:

Rocks (an A to Z reader) Rock flow map (one per student) Pre-cut Brown construction paper Boulder (1) 3 X 4 brown rectangle

Pebbles (3) 1 X 1 brown rectangles Gravel (4) ½ X ½ brown rectangles

A very large rock, medium sized rocks, small pebbles, and sand

Pre-cut construction paper arrows (for the large flow map)

Lesson Steps:

1. Read the book Rocks. Enlarge pictures to create a big book or have students look at their own copy and read along with you.

2. Discuss what happened to the mountain (rock) in the story.

3. Use real objects to create a real object flow map showing how a large rock (boulder) is broken down into sand. (See picture)

4. Have students create their own flow maps to show how a large rock is broken down into sand. Students will use construction paper squares to make the rocks for their flow map. Students will clip corners and round to make each rock. The sand can be made using a brown crayon.

5. When students are finished, have them share their flow maps with a partner. They can use their flow map to help them recall how a large rock is broken down into sand.

Materials Needed: Listed individually with each station Lab Steps:

Set up 4 stations. Students will need at least 10 minutes for each station. 1. Sorting rocks (materials: rocks, sorting trays or

small sorting hoops, index cards, markers) Students can work in small groups to sort rocks by their physical characteristics. Students can sort rocks into sorting trays, onto paper plates, or in sorting hoops. They can use the index cards and markers to label their sorts.

2. Sink or float (materials: rocks, pumice, clear tub of water) Label the rocks with the numbers from 1-8. Students can make predictions about whether or not they think the rock will sink or float based on its size/shape, etc. Then they can drop the rock into the water and check to see if their prediction is correct.

3. Measurement (materials: rocks of various sizes, balance scale, nonstandard unit counters) Have students use a balance scale and measure a rock with nonstandard units (such as unifix blocks, teddy bear counters, etc.). Compare the number of each unit needed to balance the scale. Students can also compare 2 rocks using the scale. Have students find 2 different rocks that will balance the scale.

4. Rock Observation- (materials: rocks in various shapes, sizes, textures, colors, etc., magnifying lenses, magnifying handout) Students can practice using a magnifying lens. Have them choose a rock and look at its details without using the lens first. Then allow them to use the lens to see if they notice any additional details. Have them draw their rock on the magnifying glass handout.

Essential Questions to Ask:

1. How are rocks broken down into sand? 2. What is a pebble, a rock, sand?

Materials Needed:

Poem on chart paper Individual poem handout Sand Small pebbles Crayons Glue Brown and manila construction paper

Lesson Steps:

1. Read the poem “Big rocks into pebbles, pebbles into sand, I really hold a million rocks in my tiny little hand.”

2. You can use the poem to review and highlight sight words “my” “I” “a”…

3. Review the book Rocks and the flow map lesson. 4. Have students illustrate poem. Help students

trace their hand and use sand particles and pebbles to illustrate the poem. (see picture and poem at the end of the unit)

Title of Book: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig Essential Questions to Ask:

1. How are rocks the same? How are they different?

2. What are different characteristics of rocks? 3. Where do rocks come from? 4. What can rocks do for us?

Materials Needed:

The book Sylvester and the Magic Pebble Small rocks or pebbles of various sizes, shapes,

colors, and textures (you can have students bring in rocks if you do not have access to a rock collection)

Chart paper Markers Hula hoops Index cards or Post-its

Lesson Steps:

1. Read and discuss the book Sylvester and the Magic Pebble.

2. Have a piece of chart paper ready that says, “Rocks can be…” or create a circle map with the word “Rocks” in the center. Ask students to think

of ways to describe rocks or pebbles to complete the chart.

3. After completing the chart, have students read the words on the chart with you as you point to them.

4. Pass out the rocks so that each child has one. Have them think of one word from the chart that describes their rock.

5. Have one child share their word. Write that word on an index card or post-it note. Then choose another child and write that choice on a separate card or post-it.

6. Continue this step for each child. Then take turns holding up a word and having students hold up their rock if it has the characteristic you are reading.

7. Create a Venn diagram with hula-hoops. Place a description word at the top of each hoop. Have children put their rock in the hoop that matches its description. Encourage students to make statements such as “My rock is bumpy, but it is white too.” Discuss where a rock should go if it does not have either characteristic (outside the hoops). Have students explain their choices for where they put their rock.

rocks to use as counters for math activities

Sort rocks Graph rocks Roll a die, make a set of that many rocks, match a

number card with it or write the number on a dry erase board

Rock addition (see picture and handout) Match rocks one to one Make sets of rocks and work on more than and less

than Work story problems using rocks- Give each student

10 rocks. Have them use the rocks to solve oral word problems. For example: John had 3 rocks. He gave 1 rock to his friend. How many rocks does he have left? Or John has 4 rocks. He found 2 more. How many rocks does he have all together?

Have students use rocks and number tiles to show various sets. Use an Elmo or an overhead for this lesson. Show students a set of 5 rocks on the overhead or Elmo. Say to them “Show me a set of rocks greater than this one.” Or “Show me a set of rocks less than this one.” “Show me a set that has one more than my set.”, etc.

Rock Cookies Ingredients: 1 c peanut butter 1 c honey 2 c powdered milk Mineral possibilities (rice krispies, nuts, raisins, M & M’s, chocolate chips) Mix. Form into rocks. Add 2 of the minerals to your rock. Homemade Rocks (DO NOT EAT) Mix: 1 c white flour ½ c salt 2 t alum Add to: ½ c water 5 drops blue food color 5 drops red food color 3 drops yellow food color Mix with: 1 c course sand ½ c gravel (2 colors) Break into chunks and assorted sizes and shapes. Prepare 3 days before use.

1. Create a K-W chart when beginning the study of what students know and what they want to know about rocks

2. Create a circle map about rocks. Brainstorm all the places we find rocks or what we know about rocks

3. Use a rock tumbler to polish rocks 4. Jewelry making with pebbles, stones, and small

rocks- students can write a how-to paper after making a simple piece of jewelry

5. Make musical shakers using small rocks 6. Create cement hand impressions 7. Chalk drawings with limestone 8. Rock estimation jar 9. Rock graphing- have students bring in a rock,

sort the rocks by various attributes, graph the rocks after sorting, analyze the graph

10. Counting and making sets with rocks- students can draw cards or roll a die to generate a number and then make a set of that many rocks

11. Play hopscotch with rocks 12. Make and/or eat rock candy 13. Create a tree map of where rocks are found

“inside” and “outside” 14. Write a class poem about rocks 15. Act out the story Anansi and the Moss Covered

Rock

Rock Songs and Poems

Little Pebbles One little, two little, Three little pebbles. Four little, five little, Six little pebbles. Seven little, eight little, Nine little pebbles, Ten pebbles rolling in the stream. Additional Verses: Lying on the beach, Hiding underground, and Warming in the sun. Where are Rocks? (to the tune of Paw, Paw Patch) Where, oh, where can you find rocks? (3 times) Rocks are everywhere! You can find them in the ocean, You can find them on the road, You can find them on a mountain, Rocks are everywhere! You can find them in a desert, You can find them at the South Pole, You can find them in your backyard, Rocks are everywhere!

Colored pictures for poem chart

Write the poem on sentence strips or chart paper. Read this poem together throughout the week. Students can track the print using a pointer and highlight word wall words. Use the poem as a springboard for a conversation about all of the places where we can find rocks. Create a circle map to show where we find rocks or a tree map to show where we find rocks inside and where we find rocks outside.

Pebbles (to the tune of Ten Little Indians) Pebbles, Pebbles, who’s got pebbles? (3 times) Right here in your hand. Black and gray and white with crystals, Orange and red some with lines Bumpy, smooth, and some are shiny, Right here in your hand.

Read a book about rocks. Review what students have been learning about rocks- how they are alike, how they are different, where we find them, how we use them, etc. If you have not already created an anchor chart or circle map on rocks, do so with this lesson. Have students write 3 facts about what they have learned about rocks. Have them refer to the rock word bank to help them spell and use words about rocks. Materials:

Book about rocks Charts previously made about rocks Rock book front and back cover Rock writing paper (each child will need 3 sheets) Markers or pencils for writing

All About Rocks Writing

Rock Poem Example

Rock Words

rock addition

real object rock flow map

Big Rocks

into pebbles,

Pebbles into sand…

I really hold a million rocks in my tiny little hand!

Rock Research

My rock feels _________________________________________ when I touch it. My rock left a streak. Yes or No. I put vinegar on my rock and it _______________

My rock________________________________________________ , when I put it in water.

Draw your rock here.

Name ______________________________________________

Rocks