Rocks+-+What+Are+They+Made+Of?

**Rocks: What are they made of?** Brittany Richards ( __ bar5017@psu.edu __ ) Jenay Roberts ( __ jrr296@psu.edu __ )

**PA Standards:** 3.4.7.A: Describe concepts about the structure and properties of matter. 3.7.7.B: Use appropriate instruments and apparatus to study materials. 3.1.7.A9: Describe relationships using inference and prediction; Develop descriptions, explanations, and models using evidence and understand that these emphasize evidence, have logically consistent arguments, and are based on scientific principles, models, and theories.
 * Standards: **

// ** National Science Education Content Standard: ** //

// Science as Inquiry, ** Content Standard A: ** //
** As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop **  · Understandings about scientific inquiry Science and Technology, //Content Standard E//: ** As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop **  · Understanding about science and technology

We want to teach the students that rocks are not just objects that you find in the ground. They are made up of minerals and elements, which are made up of atoms.

** After participating in our lesson, students will be able to: **  · Define rocks as being composed of elements and minerals  · Write and verbalize observations

** Content Explanation: ** This lesson is intended to encourage students to understand that all matter, including the rocks and minerals they are studying in geology, are made of submicroscopic particles (atoms and molecules). To teach this lesson successfully, a teacher must know the composition of the rocks provided to the students for study. She must understand that each component of the rocks has a unique molecular structure that is not visible with either the naked eye or a microscope. Finally, she must be able to generate some type of model of each type of molecule in the rocks being studied. The teacher must also be able to identify the types of rocks used in the activity.

** Administrative Concerns: ** We want to make sure that we keep our students' attention focused on us and not on the other things going on in the room. We want to minimize conversations about non-lesson-related things. To make the lesson more accessible for ELL students and students with special needs, we want to make a comfortable environment and make sure that the students are comfortable with each other and feel like they are on a level playing field. To this end, we will chat with students in the minutes leading up to the start of the lesson and we will learn their names. During the lesson, we'll try to elicit answers from all students in a group, not just the students who volunteer information consistently. We are having our students work in groups of three, which should encourage collaboration. For safety concerns, there isn't a need for goggles or lab coats, but all students will be made aware of the fact that throwing their rock samples is not allowed and that the dinoscopes are not toys, but valuable instruments.

** Materials: ** 2 computers 2 dinoscopes Worksheets (15) Pencils (10) Colored pencils (enough for 6 kids at a time) Rocks (3 types TBD) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">Pop rocks <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">Fake rock

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">Before the lesson, hook the dinoscopes up to the computer before the students get there and open the microscope program for the students.

** Body of the Lesson: **

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">**Engagement**: (3 minutes)

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">Introduce ourselves, learn kids name

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">Have the five rocks, pop rocks, fake rock lined up in the front.

// What do we have here? What do they look like? (put the pop rocks in water while kids are volunteering answers) //

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">We expect kids to actually tell us what the items are, then answer rocks for what they all look like. We'll volunteer what the samples actually are if kids don't know.

// So they all look like rocks, but they aren't all actually rocks. How do you think scientists would be able to tell the difference from a rock and a non-rock? // <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">Allow kids to volunteer various suggestions.

// What are rocks made of? // <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">Hopefully, someone will answer minerals. Other might answer: dirt that's pressed together really hard, mountains, crystals.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">**Exploration:** (9 minutes)

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">Hand out a rock to each group//. We just handed you a rock. Look at it really close. What do you see? What does it feel like? Is it heavy or light? Talk to your group mates about your observations. Draw a picture of your rock on your worksheet and write down some of the things you see. Use the colored pencils to draw your rocks.//

// What did you observe? // <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">Allow kids to volunteer some of the things they noticed.

// Do you think the rocks would look the same if you looked at them with a microscope? Under the second column, make a list of what you think you would see if you used a microscope to look at your rock. //

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">After kids have had a couple minutes to write their predictions, bring a computer to each group with a dinoscope.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">//You have a computer with a microscope attached. Use the microscope to look at your rock and draw what you see.//

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">**Explanation:** (8 minutes)

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">After kids have had a couple minutes to explore, bring them back and have them share what they observed with each other. // Now we want you to teach each other about your rocks. Try to explain what you observed and what you expected to see. [Questions to get them talking: What color was your rock? Was it heavy? Bumpy? Smooth? Was there anything special about the way it looked?] //

// What did we find out about our rocks? Were they all the same? Different? //

// So we found out that rocks can be different. Why do you think that is? // <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">At this point, we're hoping kids will say that there are different elements or different minerals that made up rocks.

// Rocks can be made up of many different minerals and elements. Rock number 10 is lead (a.k.a. galena), rock number 11 is iron (a.k.a. hematite), rock number 12 is manganese (a.k.a. pyrolusite), and the yellow rock is sulfur. Scientists have many ways to figure out the different kinds of rocks, some of which are similar to what you did with us today. They can also do chemical tests and dating tests to figure out what they are made of and how old they are. //

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">**Evaluation:** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">The worksheet is the evaluation, as well as the final probing questions.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">**Elaboration:** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">If there is extra time, students will do the activity for a second rock. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">We would also like to extend the idea that molecules and atoms make up everything. We could let the students find some objects in the room to look at with the microscope and discuss how the atoms are different/same as those in the rocks.