Lesson Plan

Day: M T W T F
Date: _18/Feb/16_
Time: 1010 to 1110
Year: __8___
Learning Area: ___Science____
Topic: Rock identification and construction
Curriculum content description: (from ACARA)
Sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks contain minerals and are formed by
processes that occur within Earth over a variety of timescales (ACSSU153)
Students prior knowledge and experience:

The students have been taught classification and identification of igneous, sedimentary
and metamorphic rocks.

Learning purpose:

A practical exercise where students create sedimentary rocks using layering of various
cements.

Learning objectives:

Evaluation:

On completion of this lesson, students will

be able to:
1. See that sedimentary rocks have
formed in places which were once
under water.
2. See how layering might occur.

Explain how you will know that lesson objectives

have been achieved/monitor student learning:
1. State that tectonic plate movement has
pushed sedimentary rocks to where they can
be seen on land.
2. Explain why fossils can only be found in
sedimentary rocks.

Preparation and Resources:

Students will need:
Pen or pencil
Teacher will provide:
Spatulas for mixing cements
Various cementitious materials: cement, plaster, pva glue
Various aggregates: bluestone, gravel, sand, shells
Colouring for layers
Containers for mixing
Containers for laying down sediments

Catering for diversity

(detail any adjustments considerations for educational/resource adjustments)

Engage the group by enquiring about parent/guardian work roles mining, trades, and anything to
elicit an answer.
Have prepared the lab as a tactile exercise, to get a visual grasp of sedimentary layering.
Develop an awareness of the students who may need more assistance or encouragement.

Timing:

Group activities and discussions:

5mins

Settle class, take roll and introduce topic - making sedimentary rocks in a lab.

5mins

Ask class to take out iPads and look at GeoScience Aus 'history of the earth'
diagram on their Connect accounts. Downloaded from:
http://www.ga.gov.au/metadata-gateway/metadata/record/gcat_a05f7892eb32-7506-e044-00144fdd4fa6/History+of+the+Earth+poster
This will be something they should be looking at, while the video runs, to see
where it all fits together.

5mins

Give a short spiel on why they think knowing about rocks could be important?

5mins

Run video:
The early earth and plate tectonics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDqskltCixA
Q&A what is understood about plate movement. Relate it to metamorphic
rocks. Point out that there were a lot of shallow seas and rivers with
sedimentary formations that now have fossils. Coal and oil were formed.

5mins

Lab session:
Arrange into groups of 3 (or 2) (around 9-10 groups)
The purpose of the lab is to create 3 types of sedimentary rocks - soft,
medium and hard.

20mins

Give an overview of the materials they are being given

(Plaster, cement, grout, pva glue, colouring; sand, gravel, bluestone etc.)
Let them know that it will not set today.
The mix they make should be small quantities at a time, as it's meant to be
layered.
The mix should be liquid enough to be able to be poured, but only just so.
The options are:
the types of material they choose to select
the types of aggregate material deposited at the same time

5min
5min

Monitor the groups and move around supervising.

Wrap up after giving a 5min warning.
Make sure all is cleaned up.

5min

While cleaning - Q&A on what was found out.

End of class - try to fit this video in:
Evolution: Is All Life On Earth Extraterrestrial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ModHsbtZcw
(reference: http://www.ga.gov.au/education/classroomresources/classroom-resources)

Lesson Evaluation:
(Reflect on the lesson. What worked? What did not work? What would you change? Why?)
I made a big mistake in giving instructions on how the lesson was going to be done, before I
showed the video. This, combined with not putting up whiteboard instructions at the same time as
reiterating the lesson, made a kind of chaos out of the lesson.
Nothing bad happened, but none in the class (high stream class) appeared to remember any of the
sequence of instructions. I was barraged from the beginning with the same questions. I then
repeatedly stopped the class and directed them to the instructions written on the board. This only
slowed the barrage down. I think the damage had been done before I started by not having the
instructions up first.
I was particularly noting that none of the students, who were otherwise mostly switched-on,
seemed to be able to make a decision on their own. As these were good students in a well
behaved class, Ive been making the conclusion that their school experience up to now has
devoided them of initiative, to avoid negative consequence. The fact that I was an unknown to
them, possibly had a big influence on this I could have imposed severe penalties, for all they
knew.
Im not sure if many got the point of the lesson, as it was a jump from the intro video to the
involved task I got them to do.
The Mentor debrief afterwards indicated that Id pitched the task at too high a level of complexity,
and with too many steps. I also didnt project my voice enough, apparently, even though I thought
I was getting shouty at times. Ill also have to watch the use of key repeated words Im over-using,
before the students pick them up for mockery.