Exploring Science Concepts Unit: Earth Science Grade One October 2010

Day One What is the point? Why does it matter? Execute and discuss investigations I & II from FOSS Pebbles, Sand, and Silt Day Two Execute and discuss investigations III & IV from FOSS Pebbles, Sand, & Silt Assessment for Pebbles, Sand, and Silt FOSS Web Day Three FOSS: Investigation IV, Assessment, & Examine Resources Best Practices in Elementary Science Examine “A Sticky Situation: Designing Walls” from the Engineering is Elementary rsdscience.wikispaces.com (*NJDOE Classroom Application Documents) Workshop Overview

Inquiry Hands-On Active Learning Multisensory Learning Student-to-Student Interaction Discourse and Reflective Thinking Reading- FOSS Science Stories FOSS Web FOSS Instructional Pedagogies

Four Investigations- each with subset of activities Designed for students to:  Observe, describe, and sort earth materials based on properties  Separate earth materials by size using different techniques  Observe similarities and differences between silt, sand, gravel, and small and large pebbles  Explore places where earth materials are found and ways that earth materials are used  Compare ingredients in different soils  Acquire the vocabulary associated with earth materials  Organize and communicate observations through drawing and writing Overview Pebbles, Sand, and Silt

Introduction to Rocks and Minerals Why do rocks matter?

Science Concepts: Rocks are the solid material of earth. Rocks have a variety of properties, including color, hardness, shape, and size. Rocks can be sorted by their properties. Rocks are all around us. Purpose: Students will… Observe several different kinds of rocks. Compare properties of different rocks. Sort rocks in different ways. Observe rocks interacting with each other and with water. Investigation 1 First Rocks Five Parts

Focus: Rocks have a variety of properties. When rocks rub together, some rocks may be chipped or scratched, or make rock dust. Tasks: 1. Introduce activity- proper use of hand lens 2. Materials: bag of rocks, hand lens, w/b paper 3. Complete activity 4. Wrap Up: - DiscussionDiscussion - Word Bank - Content Chart (What happens when you rub two rocks together? Investigation 1 First Rocks Part 1: Three Rocks

Focus: Rocks have a variety of properties. When rocks are washed in water, the colors or sparkling qualities are enhanced. Tasks: 1. Introduce activity- explain washing procedure 2. Monitor Progress/Ask Q Monitor Progress/Ask Q 3. Clean Up/Rock WordsRock Words 4. Rock Record Sheet Rock Record Sheet 5. Wrap Up: - Discussion: introduce rock names Discussion: - Word Bank (add names) - Content Chart (What happens when rocks are washed in water?) Investigation 1First Rocks Part 2: Washing Three Rocks

Focus: Rocks can be sorted by their properties. Tasks: 1. Read Peter and the Rocks 2. Introduce Activity- use of river rocks to sort in as many ways as possible using one property at a time 3. Wrap Up: - DiscussionDiscussion - Word Bank - Content Chart (What ways did you sort the rocks?) Investigation 1First Rocks Part 3: First Sorting

Part 4: Sorting Games Focus: Rocks can be sorted by their properties. Part 5: Start a Rock Collection Focus: Rocks are all around us. Rocks are the solid material of the earth. Read science stories, Exploring Rocks and Colorful Rocks Investigation 1First Rocks

Science Concepts: Rocks can be categorized by size. Screens and water can be used to sort the sizes of earth materials. Rock sizes include clay, silt, sand, gravel, and pebbles. Purpose: Students will… Explore a river rock mixture containing earth material particles of various sizes. Use screens to separate and group river rocks by particle size. Investigate properties of pebbles, gravel, sand, silt, and clay particles. Separate sand and silt using water. Explore the properties of dry and wet clay particles. Investigation 2 River Rocks Four Parts

Focus: Screens can be used to sort the sizes of earth materials Rock sizes include sand, small gravel, large gravel, small pebbles, and large pebbles. Tasks: 1. Introduce rock mixture 2. Make observations 3. Discuss separating and introduce first screen (or give all 3 screens) *Let students work unguided. 4. Demonstrate 3 screens & ask key Qask key Q 5. Challenge students to use 3 screens to separate rock mixture into four containers. 6. Introduce names of rock sizes, separate large and small pebbles, & label containersnames of rock sizes label containers 7. Wrap Up: - Discussion - Word Bank- add names of rock sizes - Content Chart (How do screens help separate the sizes of rocks? What is the order of rock sizes, from the smallest to the largest?) Investigation 2River Rocks Part 1: Screening River Rocks

Focus: Rocks can be categorized visually by size. Rock sizes will include sand, small gravel, large gravel, small pebbles, and large pebbles. Rocks larger than pebbles are cobbles. Rocks larger than cobbles are boulders. Tasks: 1. Review rock sizes 2. Introduce “Sand, Gravel, and Pebble” sheet“Sand, Gravel, and Pebble” 3. Distribute rock mix in cup 4. Assess student progress 5. Wrap Up: - Discussion- video, Rock SizesRock Sizes - Word Bank (cobble, boulder) - Content Chart (How was using the squares like using the screens for separating the rock sizes?” Investigation 2River Rocks Part 2 River Rocks by Size

Focus: Sand often contains smaller particles, called silt. Water can be used to sort the sizes of earth materials. Tasks: 1. Introduce sand- vials prepared 2. Observe sand- shake plate/hand lens 3. Discuss observations, key Qkey Q 4. Observe sand & water, pose key Q then distribute caps and shake vial and ask key Qkey Q 5. Let vial sit overnight 6. Observe, draw & discussdrawdiscuss 7. Introduce silt and label layers Introduce silt label layers 8. Collect student sheets 9. Feel the silt 10. Wrap Up: Wrap Up: - Word Bank - Content Chart - Science Story, The Story of Sand Investigation 2River Rocks Part 3 Sand and Silt

Focus: Clay particles are very small, even smaller than silt. Tasks: 1. Explore new earth material (clay) 2. Discuss observations & introduce/confirm term clay 3. Divide clay ball- lg ball overnight in cup/sm. in vial with water, observe, shake, sit overnight 4. Observe dry clay ball-add water 5. Observe vials-compare to teacher vial that was not shaken and to sand vial 6. Draw clay vial and discuss drawingsdiscuss drawings 7. Observe clay ball in water 8. Wrap Up: Wrap Up: Investigation 2River Rocks Part 4: Exploring Clay

Science Concepts: Earth materials are natural resources. The properties of different earth materials make each suitable for specific uses. Earth materials are commonly used in the construction of buildings and streets. Purpose: Students will… Explore places where earth materials are naturally found and ways that earth materials are used. Observe and compare different grades of sandpaper. Use sand to make sculptures and clay to make beads, jewelry, and bricks. Search for earth materials outside the classroom. Investigation 3 Using Rocks Five Parts

Focus: Earth materials are natural resources. The properties of different earth materials make each suitable for specific uses. Earth materials are commonly used in the construction of buildings and streets. Tasks: 1. Review particle sizes 2. School yard field trip - discuss why students think certain materials are used for certain purposes 3. Discuss observations 4. Wrap Up: - Add to Word Bank - Add to Content Chart (How do people use earth materials?) 5. Read science story, Rocks Move 6. FOSS Web Investigation 3 Using Rocks Part 1: Rocks in Use

Focus: The properties of different earth materials make each suitable for specific uses. Different sizes of sand are used in sandpaper to change the surface of wood from rough to smooth. Tasks: 1. Review rock sizes; show sand 2. Introduce sandpaper, compare 3 pieces and terms texture (coarse, medium, and fine) 3. Make sandpaper rubbings and label textures 4. Identify papers by touch 5. Rub 2 pieces together note what happens 6. Wrap Up: - Add to Word Bank - Content Chart (What is sandpaper made from? Why do you think people use coarse, medium, or fine sandpaper? Investigation 3 Using Rocks Part 2 Looking at Sandpaper

Science Concepts: Soil is a mixture of earth materials. Humus is decayed material from plants and animals. The ingredients of soil can be observed by mixing soil with water, shaking it, and letting it settle. Soils vary from place to place. Soils have properties of color and texture. Soils differ in their ability to support plants. Purpose: Students will… Make a mixture of earth materials to create soil. Use screens to separate the components in a soil mixture. Observe and record the results of shaking soil and water in a vial. Find and collect samples of soil outside the classroom. Investigation 4: Soil Explorations Three Parts

DIRT IS SOIL OUT OF PLACE soil is the bridge between earth materials and life

Focus: Soil is a mixture of earth materials. Humus is decayed material from plants and animals. The ingredients of soil can be observed by mixing soil with water, shaking it, and letting it settle. Tasks: 1. Observe new material 2. Introduce humus and “recipe” for new earth material that includes humus. 3. Mix materials, add humus, introduce term soil. 4. Observe soil using plates and shaking; discuss observations 5. Discuss other separation techniques for homemade soil 6. Begin screening process and water investigation 7. Observe and draw vials (save vials)draw vials 8. Wrap Up: Wrap Up: Investigation 4: Soil Explorations Part One Homemade Soil

Focus: Soils vary from place to place. Soils have properties of color and texture. Different soils differ in their ability to support plants. Tasks: 1. Classroom FT or home; collect soil sample from one site 2. Observe and label sample- identify from where it was obtained ex. grassy backyard, woods, etc 3. Store samples for part 3 4. Wrap Up: - Word Bank (sample) - Content ChartContent Chart 4. Read Science Stories, What is in Soil? Investigation 4: Soil Explorations Part 2 Soil Search

Focus: Soils can be composed of humus and different amounts and sizes of rocks. Tasks: 1. Use collected soil sample ask, “What can we do to observe and study the soil samples we collected?” 2. Provide materials (screens/vials) 3. Record on Soil Drawing Sheet; compare to homemade soil drawing & vial 4. Have students identify one thing alike about the two soils and one thing different. 5. Wrap Up: Wrap Up: Investigation 4: Soil Explorations Part 3 Studying Local Soils

See what grows Make an earthworm habitat Plant seeds in sand and soil Math extensions Interdisciplinary extensions Science Extensions

Best Practices in Primary Science

Stimulate interest by providing direct experience with materials (inquiry) Novel materials are not always the best stimulus. Often more familiar ones help children raise questions. Take care not to give away the “right answers” or what to look for

Help children observe more effectively Enables children to seek consciously for information that will extend their ideas Observe details Look for similarities and differences Detect patterns in observations Quality of observations is a significant factor determining whether meaningful conclusions can be drawn

Unproductive questions- generally answers precede the questions and are to be found in textbooks. The right questions leads to where the answer can be uncovered: - To the real objects or events under study - Asks children to show rather than to say the answer - Stimulate productive activity Take care not to ask questions prematurely. Asking the right question at the right time

Attention-focusing questions- “have you seen” or “do you notice” type of Q often associated with the start of inquiry Measuring and counting questions- “how many?” “how long?” “how often?” Comparison questions- “In what ways are X and Y similar? Different?” Carefully phrased comparison questions can help children bring order into chaos and unity in variety. Action questions- “what happens if..” while working on these types of problems children uncover relationships; children must collect the data themselves Problem-posing questions- “can you find a way to…” Productive Questions

Help children to communicate their thinking and developing ideas - Discussion: whole class discussion, small group with teacher, small group without teacher - Science notebook or journal - Drawing and modeling- purpose for producing the representation must be clear to the teacher and student

Draw connections between the classroom and real world

Was there one rock that made rock dust easier than the others? Part 1: Three Rocks Discussion Questions: What happens when you rub two rocks together? What should we call the stuff that comes off the rocks? Does the dust look the same on the white and black paper?

Did the rocks change when you put them in the water? How? Part 2 Washing Three Rocks Monitor Progress/Ask Questions: What happened to the rocks when you put them in the water? What colors do you see in the rocks? What happened to the water after you put the rocks in? Is there anything you can see now that you couldn’t see when the rocks were dry?

Tuff- light, soft rock. It has ash in it from the fires of the volcano. Part 2 Washing Rocks Discussion- Introduce Rock Names Basalt- gray smooth rock. It was one the hot liquid lava that came out of a volcano. Scoria- reddish, bubbly rock. It was once the bubbly top of the lava.

*Formative Assessment

What changes did you see when you placed the rocks in water? Part 3 First Sorting Discussion What did you observe? In what different ways were you able to sort the rocks?

Which screens did the largest rocks go through? Part 1 Screening River Rocks Key Questions During Demo of Three Screens How many sizes of rock do we have now? Which screens did the smallest pieces go through?

Gravel- smaller than pebbles. Two sizes in mixture, small gravel and large gravel. Part 1 Screening River Rocks Names for Rock Sizes Pebbles- largest rocks separated. Two sizes in this mixture, large pebbles and small pebbles. Sand- smallest size particle in mixture separated by screens.

*Formative Assessment

Rocks have different sizes.

After observing the sand: Are the sand particles all the same size? What do the sand particles look like? What might happen if water is mixed with the sand? Part 3 Sand and Silt Investigation 2

Before shaking: What happened to the water that was poured on the sand? Part 3 Sand and Silt Sand and Water Key Questions Before shaking: Vial was filled to top with water. What happened to the water level? Shaking: What happened to the sand and water when you shook the vial? Shaking: Was the water clear after you shook the vial? Why not?

*Formative Assessment

Where’s the sand? Part 3 Sand and Silt Discussion Questions for Observations of Vial on 2 nd Day What do you see in the vials? How many layers do you see? What do you see on top of the sand? Introduce Silt: - Particle of rock much smaller than sand. - Rock size that mud is made of. Label drawings: - to identify layers they see in vial. Discuss what layers should be called: sand, silt, and water. Ask what they should label the space between the top of the water and the vial cap (AIR).

Word Bank: Silt Layer Particle Mixture Shake Settle Sink Concept Chart: Is there an earth material that is smaller than sand? What is it? What did you do to find the silt? **Read science story, The Story of Sand Part 3 Sand and Silt Wrap Up:

Part 4 Exploring Clay Discuss drawings What was the same in both vials? What was different in the two vials?

Word Bank: Clay Wet Dry Content Chart: Make a list of the sizes of earth materials from smallest to largest. Clay Silt Sand Gravel Pebble Cobble Boulder Part 4 Exploring Clay Wrap Up and Assessment: Assessment: Distribute copy of the Bottle Drawing sheet to each student. Bottle Drawing

A student put river rock mixture into a bottle with some water and shook it up. This is what it looked like after it settled for a day.

Investigation 4: Soil Explorations Discussion: - Have students describe the layers they saw in their vials - Write the word for that layer on board and students can label Humus Clay Silt Sand Gravel Pebbles Word Bank: Humus Soil Ingredient Concept Chart: What is humus made from? What is soil? What is the best way to separate the parts of soil? Part 1 Homemade Soil

Content Chart: What color was your soil sample? Were all the soils the same color? How does your soil feel? Were all the soils the same texture? What was growing around your soil sample? Do plants grow as well in all soils? Read Science Stories, What is in Soil? Investigation 4: Soil Explorations Part 2 Soil Search

Discussion: How is our homemade soil like the soil samples we collected? How is it different? Word Bank: Alike Different Amount Content Chart: How are the soils different from each other? How are all the soils the same? Science Stories, Testing Soil and the story Fossils Investigation 4: Soil Explorations Part 3 Studying Local Soils