The structured inquiry plan that I created for this assignment focused on rocks and the rock cycle. Normally, I teach sixth grade. However, my audience consisted of seven and eight year olds, so I had to research state and national standards for that age group. I also found a inquiry based lesson on the Utah Education Network, which I modified for my use.
Below are pictures and samples from the Anticipatory Set. This was a great opportunity for me to assess prior knowledge, and then change my instruction.
From what they observed, they completed a short Q &A.
Then, we moved on to vocabulary used in describing rocks and the processes that shape them. The students used an interactive whiteboard to brainstorm terms and connect them.
Using that information, students created a Vocabulary Wheel for the main processes of the Rock Cycle.
The final activity for the lesson was to create a Rock Book. The students observed, measured, and recorded data on various rocks. Then, they wrote a short reflection. This was assessed with a rubric.
