l Who: You are a geologist that studies

different types of rocks. You specialize in

categorizing rocks for different exhibits
around Virginia.

What: The Richmond Zoo is building a new rhino

exhibit. While they were digging up the exhibit,
they found many rocks that they would like to
display outside of the exhibit. The owner of the
zoo has asked you to create an ifthen
classification chart to sort the rocks. The chart will
be displayed next to the rock exhibit in March!

How: For this task, you will put yourself in

the shoes of a geologist. You will develop
a classification system based on the
characteristics of the rock that will sort
the rocks into 3 categories (metamorphic,
sedimentary, and igneous).

When: Your final product is due to me no

later than February 28, 2017. This will give
me time to look over your work before you
all present it to the Richmond Zoo on
March 2, 2017
Dear Parent/Guardians,

Recently in class your student has been learning about how earths surface is constantly
changing and how rocks are formed. For the next weeks, we will be focusing on identifying
different rock types, learning about plate tectonics and weathering, erosion and deposition.

In the classroom, students will learn information on all of these topics that would
normally be lectured to them. I am planning to take an alternative route to approach this unit in
hopes that the students will get a deeper understanding of the information. I plan to assess your
child in different ways then by just simply giving them a test. I will be having each student
complete a performance based assessment, this assessment will give your child the chance to
take their understandings of the unit and interpret it in the best way they can.

This performance based assessment will let your students step into the role of a geologist
where they will get to classify rocks into the three main rock categories (sedimentary, igneous,
and metamorphic) for the Richmond Zoo. The students will create a poster of their classification
system that will be laminated and displayed in the school. The whole class will work together to
make one poster of the classification system that we will take to the Richmond Zoo when we go
on our field trip in March. Attached is a copy of the project sheet that your child will receive
with more details.

When the students have completed their classification system we will have a time for the
students to share their results and classification systems to the class so that everyone can see
them/ Then in March once the exhibit is done being built we will take a field trip to the
Richmond Zoo, where we will see the new exhibit and place the rocks that we classified in their
correct spots. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the project, please feel free to
contact me. This may be a new way of teaching that you may not be familiar with so having
questions is normal. Also, if you would like to join us on the field trip, let me know, we would
love for you to join us. Have a great day!

Sincerely,

Ms. Gomez gomezsj@dukes.jmu.edu or (540) 584-8996

 Help the Richmond Zoo Rubric
Facet of Understanding: Application
Name: __________________________ Score: ___________
Checklist:
Submitted on time ______YES ______NO
You followed all the directions ______YES ______NO
Excelling (4) Achieving (3) Developing (2) Beginning (1)
Content Your poster is Your poster is Your poster is Your poster has
completely accurate, generally inaccurate and many
effective, and accurate and includes many inaccuracies
_____ Points practical for practical but the errors about about classifying
Earned classifying rocks. content is basic. classifying rocks rocks and there
You have the three You have the that detract from are significant
stages of the rock three stages of the result. You errors
cycle with detailed the rock cycle have the three throughout. You
characteristics for and stages of the rock do not have the
each. Your work characteristics cycle with minimal three stages of
shows me you did for each with characteristics for the rock cycle.
in-depth research to minor each. Your work Your work
increase your inaccuracies. shows me you do shows me you do
understanding. Your work not fully not understand.
shows me you understand.
understand what
has been taught,
but you have not
inquired further.
Product The presentation The presentation The presentation The presentation
and graphic is neat, and graphic is and graphic is and graphic
organized, creative, neat, organized, somewhat neat, and lacks
_____ Points focused and shows and shows the for the most part organization and
Earned the characteristics of characteristics of shows the is hard to follow.
the 3 rock types the 3 rock types characteristics of
well. well. the 3 rocks types
Delivery Explanation on how Explanation on Explanation of how Explanation of
to categorize each how to to categorize each how to
rock is clear, categorize each rock is somewhat categorize each
_____ Points informative, and rock is clear and clear and lacks rock is not clear
Earned fluent. Information fluent. fluency. Some or fluent.
is not read from the Information is information is read Information is
poster. not read from from the poster. read completely
the poster. from the poster.