GRADE LEVEL/COURSE TITLE: 2/Rock On!

Research and record factual information

Suggested time: 5-10 days

Objective

Students will research and record information about rocks and soils, as well as ask questions to gain more information about the topic.

Materials

  • Previously used, or required Rocks & Soils curriculum
  • Nonfiction literature about rocks and soils (books, poems, pamphlets, handouts, videos)
  • Sand, humus, clay, rocks
  • Hand lenses
  • Chart paper
  • Post-it notes
  • Pencils
  • Markers
  • Individual student research notebooks (or Science notebook)
  • Large butcher paper, or whiteboard reserved for recording shared research

Classroom Set-up

Make the following template on butcher paper or a whiteboard

Rocks & Soils / Observations / New Learning / Questions I have / Proven Facts
Types and properties of rocks
Components and properties of soils
How rocks and soils change the Earth’s surface
How rocks and soils are used
Interesting facts about rocks and soils

Procedure

The teacher will use previously used, or required Rocks & Soils curriculum, along with supplemental literature and activities to help students learn the required information (see Strand 5 of the Missouri Grade Level Expectations). The teacher will provide experiences for the students to record information about rocks and soils each day. The learning/research will take 5-10 days, depending on the way the teacher chooses to present the information and the amount of depth in his or her lessons.

  1. Allow students to record their learning on post-its. Each day, provide time for students to share their post-its. As a class, decide where the post-it should go on the research chart. The teacher facilitates the discussion for where each post-it should go based on if it is a proven fact, or if it’s only an observation, or an inference the student has made.
  2. Give plenty of time each day for students to record information in research/Science notebooks, and write down any questions they still need answered. Post questions on the research chart, and when they have been answered, allow students to write the fact on a new post-it and add it to the appropriate place on the research chart.
  3. The teacher may have cloze-activity handouts for students to record information that he or she needs to know to meet the appropriate GLE. Information can then be glued into a research/science notebook, and/or added to the research chart.
  4. A content related word wall should be visible. The teacher should identify content related words students may need to use in recording information, and allow students to add the words to the word wall at appropriate times.
  5. At the end of the research stage, the teacher can facilitate a class discussion to make sure the appropriate facts are on post-its in order to match the GLEs.