Big Ideas:

1
Rocks and Minerals

• Big Ideas
• Geologists study rock cycles to explain how the
  Earth changes.
• Rocks are valuable resources.
• The fossils found in some rocks tell us many
  important things about life on Earth long ago.
• Heat and pressure can alter the shapes, sizes and
  properties of rock.

2
Differentiated Instruction

• Project choices-
• Students have the opportunity to choose a
  project that complements their intelligence
  style. Options include
• Design a layered sandstone picture.
• Research famous rock phenomenons such as Mt.
  Rushmore, Stonehenge, Grand Canyon and Devils
  Tower.
• Write a short report on your findings or
  share the information by decorating a poster
  board.
• 3. Create a Power Point presentation to share
  your knowledge of igneous, metamorphic, and
  sedimentary rock.
• These projects serve as extensions to the
  students learning.

3
Core Proposition 1
Teachers are Committed to Students and Their
Learning

• Second graders are fascinated with rocks. I
  chose rocks and minerals for my unit plan because
  my students are inquisitive and they love
  hands-on activities.

4
During the course of this unit my students will
. . .

• Write friendly letters and design a postcard
• Build volcanoes and make fossils
• Excavate dinosaur bones
• Experiment with different soils
• Discover layers in food items such as a five
  layer cookie bar
• Organize a rock collection
• Participate in rock investigations and
  experiments
• Design conservation posters
• Investigate how wind and water change the
  surface of the Earth
• Make rock discovery booklets