Big Idea
Humanities / Focus of Study
- Physical properties of rocks, minerals, soils, and water
- How do properties make them useful
- Compare soil samples-water retention, nourishment/support growth of certain plants
Curriculum Goals & Objectives Addressed
NC Essential Standards: Science, NC: Grade 1 , Earth Science
Earth Systems, Structures and Processes 1.E.2 Understand the physical properties of Earth materials that make them useful in different ways.
- 1.E.2.1 Summarize the physical properties of Earth materials, including rocks, minerals, soils and water that make them useful in different ways.
- 1.E.2.2 Compare the properties of soil samples from different places relating their capacity to retain water, nourish and support the growth of certain plants.
Media CenterResources:
- Rocks, Rocks, Rocks! by N. Wallace
- Rocks and Soil by C. Guillain
- Using Rocks by S. Katz Cooper
- Soil by S. Walker
- Soil Basics by C. Lindeen
- I am a Rock
- "Getting to Know Soil"
- "Science is Elementary: Let's Explore Soil & Rocks"
- "Rocks: The Solid Earth Materials"
- Rocks and Minerals
- Soil
- FossKit Experiments
- DPI activities (seelink)
- Teachers pay Teachers units: Rocks Scavenger Hunt, My Rock Investigation, Types of Soil,
Enduring Understandings
Students will understand:
- the physical properties of Earth materials that make them useful in different ways.
- physical properties of rocks, minerals, soils, and water make them useful in different ways.
- different soils from different places have the capacity to retain water, nourish, and support growth of very different kind of plants.
Students will:
- recognize physical properties of rocks, minerals, soils, and water
- Understand how theirproperties make them useful
- Compare soil samples-water retention, nourishment/support growth of certain plants
Essential Questions
- What are physical properties?
- What are the physical properties of rocks, minerals, soils, and water?
- How are Earth materials useful to us?
- How are Earth materials useful to plants or other Earth materials?
- What are different soils and what are they made of?
- How do different soils help/affect different plant growth?
Integration Opportunities
P21: 21st Century Student Outcomes, P21: K-12, Learning & Innovation Skills
Creativity and Innovation Think Creatively
- Use a wide range of idea creation techniques (such as brainstorming)
- Elaborate, refine, analyze and evaluate their own ideas in order to improve and maximize creative efforts
- Be open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives; incorporate group input and feedback into the work
- Use various types of reasoning (inductive, deductive, etc.) as appropriate to the situation
- Effectively analyze and evaluate evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs
- Use communication for a range of purposes (e.g. to inform, instruct, motivate and persuade)
- Exercise flexibility and willingness to be helpful in making necessary compromises to accomplish a common goal
- Assume shared responsibility for collaborative work, and value the individual contributions made by each team member
- Math (classify, measure, graph, word problems)
- Literature connections
- Writing (journals, shared/independent writing)
- Technology/internet
- Home/school activities
Character Qualities
- Self-discipline
- Responsibility
- Cooperation
- Trustworthiness
- Trustworthiness
/ Differentiation/Intervention Focus Areas
- Center activities
- Graphic organizers (Venn Diagrams, Scientific Method Organizers)
- Read a variety of literature
- Use a variety of videos and taped materials
- Tiered assignments based on readiness
- Adjust instruction to account for prior student mastery
Formative/Benchmark/Summative Assessment Plan
Science Assessment 3rd Quarter
Performance: Skill Demonstration
Teacher Observation
PerformanceAssessment
Class discussions
Science Journal/Lab Worksheets
Professional Teaching Standards
NC Professional Teaching Standards, All Levels, Professional Teaching Standards
STANDARD I: TEACHERS DEMONSTRATE
LEADERSHIP
- Teachers lead in their classrooms.
- Teachers demonstrate leadership in the school.
- Teachers lead the teaching profession.
- Teachers advocate for schools and students.
- Teachers demonstrate high ethical standards.
A DIVERSE POPULATION OF STUDENTS
- Teachers provide an environment in which each child has a positive,
nurturing relationship with caring adults. - Teachers embrace diversity in the school community and in the world.
- Teachers treat students as individuals.
- Teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with
special needs. - Teachers work collaboratively with the families and significant adults
in the lives of their students.
- Teachers align their instruction with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.
- Teachers know the content appropriate to their teaching specialty.
- Teachers recognize the interconnectedness of content areas/disciplines.
- Teachers know the ways in which learning takes place, and they know
the appropriate levels of intellectual, physical, social, and emotional
development of their students. - Teachers plan instruction appropriate for their students.
- Teachers use a variety of instructional methods.
- Teachers integrate and utilize technology in their instruction.
- Teachers help students develop critical thinking and problemsolving skills.
- Teachers help students work in teams and develop leadership qualities.
- Teachers communicate effectively.
- Teachers use a variety of methods to assess what each student has learned.
- Teachers analyze student learning.
- Teachers link professional growth to their professional goals.
- Teachers function effectively in a complex, dynamic environment.