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.
Hi Denise,
ReplyDeleteI also teach 6th graders about rocks and minerals. Was this the beginning of a unit or had these students learned about rocks before? I am just wondering what the Q & A was about because from the web they were creating, I'm not sure how they got all that information from just exploring rocks sizes, colors, and shapes. I like the final activity idea about a Rock book. Very cool for this age group.
Janice,
ReplyDeleteThe Q & A was just to start the process. They observed some rocks, and made observations. From there, we talked about the student's ideas on how the rocks formed, which led to the web. When they came up with a process term, I added the more scientific term (breaking - weathering).
During the lesson, I acted as the facilitator, and allowed them to discover and learn on their own.
One of the students is my child. He is my science guru. :)