Curriculum
Portfolio Exemplar Cover Sheet
Teacher Candidate: Alexa Donovan Cohort: 402
Title of Exemplar: Science: Rock Cycle
Portfolio Category: _______I____X___II _______III ____ __IV _______V
ACEI Standard: A2.2 Science
ACEI Standard Elements: Candidates know, understand, and use fundamental concepts of physical, life, and earth/space sciences. Candidates can design and implement age-appropriate inquiry lessons to teach science, to build student understanding for personal and social applications, and to convey the nature of science.
Semester: 3 Date: 10/25 /12
1. I made sure to design this lesson in an inquiry based fashion. Students were given the vocabulary but had to make observations about the samples of “rock” they were presented with. The observation period during each rock phase was extensive and I encouraged students to make observations and ask questions. By asking questions and coming to our own conclusions about the rock cycle students build understanding and curiosity through discovering.
2. I grew from this lesson by realizing just how effective inquiry really is. Students love hands-on learning and learn more when interest is sparked by curiosity. Students loved solving the mystery of they rock cycle. I will implement more inquiry-based lessons in the future because they keep students engaged.
Teacher Candidate: Alexa Donovan Cohort: 402
Title of Exemplar: Science: Rock Cycle
Portfolio Category: _______I____X___II _______III ____ __IV _______V
ACEI Standard: A2.2 Science
ACEI Standard Elements: Candidates know, understand, and use fundamental concepts of physical, life, and earth/space sciences. Candidates can design and implement age-appropriate inquiry lessons to teach science, to build student understanding for personal and social applications, and to convey the nature of science.
Semester: 3 Date: 10/25 /12
1. I made sure to design this lesson in an inquiry based fashion. Students were given the vocabulary but had to make observations about the samples of “rock” they were presented with. The observation period during each rock phase was extensive and I encouraged students to make observations and ask questions. By asking questions and coming to our own conclusions about the rock cycle students build understanding and curiosity through discovering.
2. I grew from this lesson by realizing just how effective inquiry really is. Students love hands-on learning and learn more when interest is sparked by curiosity. Students loved solving the mystery of they rock cycle. I will implement more inquiry-based lessons in the future because they keep students engaged.
Rock Cycle Lesson Plan
Benchmark:
Materials needed:
Performance task—What will students do to show what they have learned?
Students will show what they have learned by completing a summative end of unit assessment guiding them to draw the rock cycle.
Performance criteria—How good is good enough to meet standards?
If students are able to partially relay the rock cycle in words and pictures with help from the model, this will be sufficient for meeting standards at this time. (The rock cycle is a unit plan)
Step 3—Learning Plan
Learning activities (step by step from start to finish, detailed enough for another teacher to follow)
The goal of this lesson is for students to understand the rock cycle. The vocab they ideally will learn is sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous. The students will engage in a hands-on inquiry activity, which gives them ideas about the processes of the rock cycle.
Introduction with a text:
Highlight the words; sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous
1. Begin with introduction conversation:
What do we already know about the rock cycle?
Discuss what students already know and add them to a blank slide on the Elmo, or on the white board.
2. Once the discussion is over, handout observation sheet and explain…. Release students back to their desks with observation sheet.
3. Pass out sedimentary rock sample to each table group.
Have students discuss and record what they notice about the sedimentary rock… what do you see, think, and wonder about this rock.
Next pass out the metamorphic rock to each table group and have students discuss and record what they notice about the metamorphic rock… what do you see, think, and wonder about this type of rock.
Next pass out the igneous rock to each table group and have students discuss and record what they notice about the igneous rock… what do you see, think, and wonder about this type of rock.
(Students with think together and focused learners will help other students stay on task in table groups)
4. Now we are going to investigate how these rocks fit into the rock cycle by modeling the rock cycle with crayons. So we are going to pretend crayons are rocks.
The first step I did for you… pull out the big bag of crayons.
“These crayon pieces represent sediments… what are sediments?” have a couple students answer.
I started with whole crayons… what do you think I did to the whole crayons to make all these pieces?
Have students answer… (Broke them, chopped them up, shaved them…)
5. For our first step in the rock cycle we are going to turn these sediments into sedimentary rock. We will do this by compacting the sediments. *Model using cupcake tin, wrap the sediments up and step on it.
With out unwrapping it say … “now you all are going to do the same, on the back table there are tinfoil cups with sediments in them, each of you take one and go back to your seats”
Once students have their sediments at their seats say…
“Once we turn our sediments into rocks we are going to observe them just like we did the real sedimentary rock with our groups”
let’s make our sedimentary rocks!
… Meander about helping students
6. Next we are going to make metamorphic rock using our sedimentary rock…
We are going to need to use heat and pressure to create our metamorphic rock. We are going to make a line in the back of the room to melt down your sedimentary crayon. Once your crayon is melted take it back to your desk and observe your metamorphic crayon. Write your observations downs under crayon rock observations
7. Finally we are going to make igneous rock using our metamorphic rock…
We are going to need to use extreme heat to create our metamorphic rock… we are going to melt our metamorphic rock completely! We are going to make a line in the back of the room to melt down your metamorphic crayon. Once your crayon is melted take it back to your desk, once it hardens you will have igneous rock. Record your observations under igneous crayon
8. Class discussion: Have students discuss what was done. Have students help create the rock cycle lesson plan. Create the following with students…
- Samples of sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rock for observation… (5 tables, at least one of each type per table)
- Observation handout sheet
- Crayon shavings (sediments)
- Tin foil (cupcake tins)
- Hot plate (turn the metamorphic rock into igneous)
Performance task—What will students do to show what they have learned?
Students will show what they have learned by completing a summative end of unit assessment guiding them to draw the rock cycle.
Performance criteria—How good is good enough to meet standards?
If students are able to partially relay the rock cycle in words and pictures with help from the model, this will be sufficient for meeting standards at this time. (The rock cycle is a unit plan)
Step 3—Learning Plan
Learning activities (step by step from start to finish, detailed enough for another teacher to follow)
The goal of this lesson is for students to understand the rock cycle. The vocab they ideally will learn is sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous. The students will engage in a hands-on inquiry activity, which gives them ideas about the processes of the rock cycle.
Introduction with a text:
Highlight the words; sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous
1. Begin with introduction conversation:
What do we already know about the rock cycle?
Discuss what students already know and add them to a blank slide on the Elmo, or on the white board.
2. Once the discussion is over, handout observation sheet and explain…. Release students back to their desks with observation sheet.
3. Pass out sedimentary rock sample to each table group.
Have students discuss and record what they notice about the sedimentary rock… what do you see, think, and wonder about this rock.
Next pass out the metamorphic rock to each table group and have students discuss and record what they notice about the metamorphic rock… what do you see, think, and wonder about this type of rock.
Next pass out the igneous rock to each table group and have students discuss and record what they notice about the igneous rock… what do you see, think, and wonder about this type of rock.
(Students with think together and focused learners will help other students stay on task in table groups)
4. Now we are going to investigate how these rocks fit into the rock cycle by modeling the rock cycle with crayons. So we are going to pretend crayons are rocks.
The first step I did for you… pull out the big bag of crayons.
“These crayon pieces represent sediments… what are sediments?” have a couple students answer.
I started with whole crayons… what do you think I did to the whole crayons to make all these pieces?
Have students answer… (Broke them, chopped them up, shaved them…)
5. For our first step in the rock cycle we are going to turn these sediments into sedimentary rock. We will do this by compacting the sediments. *Model using cupcake tin, wrap the sediments up and step on it.
With out unwrapping it say … “now you all are going to do the same, on the back table there are tinfoil cups with sediments in them, each of you take one and go back to your seats”
Once students have their sediments at their seats say…
“Once we turn our sediments into rocks we are going to observe them just like we did the real sedimentary rock with our groups”
let’s make our sedimentary rocks!
… Meander about helping students
6. Next we are going to make metamorphic rock using our sedimentary rock…
We are going to need to use heat and pressure to create our metamorphic rock. We are going to make a line in the back of the room to melt down your sedimentary crayon. Once your crayon is melted take it back to your desk and observe your metamorphic crayon. Write your observations downs under crayon rock observations
7. Finally we are going to make igneous rock using our metamorphic rock…
We are going to need to use extreme heat to create our metamorphic rock… we are going to melt our metamorphic rock completely! We are going to make a line in the back of the room to melt down your metamorphic crayon. Once your crayon is melted take it back to your desk, once it hardens you will have igneous rock. Record your observations under igneous crayon
8. Class discussion: Have students discuss what was done. Have students help create the rock cycle lesson plan. Create the following with students…
As a summative assessment students will create their own rock cycle by filling in the blanks using a word bank.
The correct use of the three types of rock and circular arrows will be proficient.
The correct use of the three types of rock and circular arrows will be proficient.