The Rock Cycle Unit Standards to Teach and Assess: Science Essential Standards: Matter and Properties of Change

Duration: 8 Days

4.P.2 Understand the composition and properties of matter before and after they undergo a change or interaction. 4.P.2.3 Classify rocks as metamorphic, sedimentary or igneous based on their composition, how they are formed and the processes that create them Information and Technology Essential Standards: 4.TT.1.3 Use technology tools to present data and information (multimedia, audio and visual recording, online collaboration tools, etc.). English Language Arts Common Core State Standards: Speaking and Listening 4.SL.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace. Goals/Objectives: Students will collect and organize rocks based on their observable properties. Students will create mock representations of the three different types of rocks (sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic) using crayons and heating methods. Students will learn about the rock cycle through observation and media tools Students will be able to explain the rock cycle using Voice Thread. They will enhance their Voice Thread with appropriate graphics and recorded audio

Materials Needed: -Tin Foil - Crayons - Bowls - Hot Water

- Rocks (collected from outside by students) - Access to computers - Video from Study Jams: http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/rocksminerals-landforms/rock-cycle.htm - Rock Cycle Graphic Organizer: In materials/resources - Science Journals - Pre Assessment: In materials/resources - Smart File for the rock cycle: in materials/resources Procedures: Day 1: Give students time to complete the pre-assessment. Mrs. Roll will begin the science time finishing up her unit on rock properties and materials. Day 2: Collecting Rocks Outside Break students into groups of 5. These will be their groups for the entire unit. Haddocks Groups: Group 1: Maisie, Logan, Alex, Justin, Matthew Group 2: Kara, Megan, Emil, Anna, Owen Group 3: Ella, Trent, Shubham, Emily, Amelia Group 4: Antonio, Thomas W, Leah, Jack, Mackenzie Group 5: Jade, Thomas F, Jose, Emma, Ashley, Luke Rolls Groups: Group 1: Laura R, Marissa, Chase, Sasha, Tate Group 2: Makayla, Jack M, Meklit, Brycen, Jordan Group 3: Jack A, Jasmine, Laura Cate, Benjamin, Myla Group 4: Isabella, Olivia, Anderson, Demareye, Daniel Group 5: Shaun, Gabriela, Claire, Jamison, Alexis Explain to the class that they are going to go outside in search for different types of rocks. Show on the document camera 4 or 5 different looking rocks based on the way they look. Be sure to include rocks that have noticeable differences and properties. Inform students that they are to collect rocks with noticeable properties and differences. Tell them that they should only collect around 8-10 rocks. They do not need to fill an entire bucket full of rocks! Give each group 1 bucket

Give very clear instructions as to where they can go outside. Make sure they know where they cannot pass. Give them CLEAR boundaries Give each group a timer and have it set for 5 minutes. Instruct students that when the timer goes off, they are to head back to the door and line up to go inside. Line students up and head outside. Once they are outside, tell students to start their timer and go collect rocks. Once timers go off, students will line up back at the door and then head back to the classroom. Once they are back in the classroom, have students classify their rocks into different groups based on their observable properties. Have them record their groups in their science journals. They may do this however they want. They can use drawings, descriptions, charts, etc. Inform students when they are finished that the following days they will learn about 3 different types of rocks and their properties. They will then compare their classifications of rocks with the new information and adjust their groupings based on their new knowledge of types of rocks. Day 3 Have students sit with their science groups. Give them their rocks from yesterday that were sorted into different groups. Activate the students prior knowledge by asking students about the different rocks they collected and how they sorted them based on their properties. Introduce the sedimentary rock using the Smart File. Show video on weathering and erosion. Based on their new knowledge of sedimentary rocks, ask students to sort through their rocks and find all the sedimentary rocks they can find. Have students share the different properties they see in sedimentary rocks. Write it on the SMART board and have them record the properties in their science journals. Hand out crayons, plastic knives, and tin foil to each student. Tell students that they are going to pretend the crayon is a rock and it is their task to make sediments. Ask students, based on the materials given, how do they think sediments will be made? Probe students to answer: by shaving the crayon with a knife. Explain that this is a representation of weathering and erosion. Give students about 5 minutes to make a pile of crayon shavings onto their piece of tin foil (they are doing this as a group). Encourage students to use different colored crayons in order to show the different sediments. . Have students fold over the foil to wrap up the sediment pile. They should then press down on the pile as hard as they can. Gently unwrap it. The sedimentary crayon rock will be fragile but should hold together in a packed layer. Discuss the similarities between the sedimentary crayon rock and the real Make an extra sedimentary crayon rock for use in tomorrows lesson.

sedimentary rocks the students observed earlier. Explain the process of compacting and cementing, as well as their role in creating sedimentary rocks. Students should understand that sedimentary rocks are created from pieces, or sediments, from other rocks that have been compacted and cemented together. Refer back to the sedimentary rock samples observed earlier and the list of observations made. Tell students that tomorrow they will use their sedimentary rock to create a new type of rock. Have students wrap their sedimentary crayon rocks in their aluminum foil and write their names on the foil with a permanent marker. Collect the foil packets for use in the next session.

Day 4 Get students back into their science groups and give them their rocks that they collected. Show the smart file on metamorphic rocks. Explain how metamorphic rocks are rocks that undergo a change. Based on their new knowledge, see if students have any metamorphic rocks from the rocks they collected. Have them regroup their rocks based on their knowledge now of sedimentary rocks and metamorphic rocks. Record any observations of characteristics of metamorphic rocks. Review sedimentary rocks and what was done in the previous session. Tell students they will now change their sedimentary rocks into a new type of rock. Now get two student helpers: one can hand out the foil packets and one can pass out the bowls. Go around filling each bowl with hot water. Make sure students know the water is hot and they will need to be careful when handling it. Demonstrate for students how to use the foil to create a little boat for their sedimentary crayon rock and float his or her boat on the hot water. They should observe as the heat from the water melts the crayon. Direct students to remove the foil when the wax is soft to the touch and the colors have swirled together but not so much that the colors are indistinguishable. Let the new crayon rock cool. Discuss the similarities between the new crayon rock and the real rocks. Ask students to explain what metamorphosis is you can relate it to butterflies which students are usually familiar with. Have students explain how the sedimentary rock has metamorphosed. Students should explain how the heat changed the sediments and describe how the rock now looks. Refer back to the metamorphic rock samples observed and the list of observations made. Explain the process of metamorphosis in rocks as it occurs in the real world with

rocks being subjected to intense heat and pressure beneath the surface of the Earth. Tell students that tomorrow they will use their metamorphic rock to create a new type of rock. Have students wrap their metamorphic crayon rocks in their aluminum foil. Collect the foil packets for use in the next session. Ask students to dump their water into the sink. Day 5 Review what took place the past few days. Have students share their knowledge of sedimentary rocks and metamorphic rocks. To do this, have each student get a mini white board and respond to questions with their white boards. Ask questions such as, What is the process called that breaks rocks down into sediments? What are some of the characteristics of sedimentary rocks? Show smart file on igneous rocks. Explain how igneous rocks are formed. Go over the properties of igneous rocks. Get students into their science groups and have them regroup their rocks into igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary categories. Now get two student helpers: one can hand out the foil packets and one can pass out the bowls. Go around filling each bowl with hot water. Make sure students know the water is hot and they will need to be careful when handling it. Each student should open their foil boat and put their metamorphic crayon rock back in the foil boat and float it on the hot water. This time, direct students to allow the wax to melt until a smooth pool of liquid wax forms and the colors blend together uniformly. Carefully remove the foil and let the igneous crayon rock cool. Discuss the similarities between the new crayon rock and the real igneous rocks Ask students to explain how the metamorphic rock was further changed. Use samples of granite and obsidian to demonstrate for students the different ways igneous rocks form (granite having visible mineral crystals and obsidian being smooth and glassy; differences based upon cooling time). Discuss this process as it occurs in the real world with rocks being melted deep within the Earth then brought up again as volcanoes or bubbles of magma that do not reach the surface. Also discuss how lava flows can harden and become rock. Collect the foil packets and bowls from the students and have them refer to the smart board. Begin explaining how all these rocks are connected and are in a continuous cycle. Hand out the graphic organizer for the rock cycle. Show the video on the rock cycle from the smart file. Once video is complete, conclude lesson by having students fill out the graphic organizer, providing them with necessary vocabulary words. There will be 3 more lessons to conclude the unit. They will be added later. The lessons thus far go into the following week (Monday).

Assessment: Graphic Organizer of rock cycle Collect science journals and review them over the weekend to check for understanding Observation throughout the lessons Mini white board discussion time Pre-assessment test (which will also be given at the conclusion of the lesson)

Differentiation: This lesson by nature is very hands on. Students have multiple means of entering into discussion and participating. They have opportunity to learn through experimentation, exploring, media, and listening. Based on the pre-assessment, there may be more extension activities provide for AIG students, however it is not expected that students will have been introduced to the rock cycle thus far. Grouping for each class is strategic. Low students are grouped with high students and students that are easily distracted are grouped with students that are more on task and can lead.