Emily Reverman

Rocks and Minerals Unit Plan

Overview of Unit Plan:

Subject: Science- rocks and minerals
Grade: 3rd Grade
Number of students: 27 students
Length of unit: Approximately 2 weeks (three 45 minute classes of science each week)
Learning goals:
The purpose of this lesson is for students to understand the difference between
minerals and rocks and to be able to identify how different rocks are created. Students
will also be given opportunities to practice important scientific skills, such as
observations and asking questions.
Rationale:
This lesson is important because it gives students the chance to practice making
observations and asking questions about the world around them, as these are
necessary skills for science. It is also important that students understand how rocks are
created.
Learning objective:
After this unit, students will be able to identify Sedimentary, Igneous, and Metamorphic
rocks and how they are created.
Standards:
E.SE.03.14: Recognize that rocks are made up of minerals.
S.IP.03.11 Make purposeful observation of the natural world using the appropriate
senses.
S.IP.03.12 Generate questions based on observations.
Prior Knowledge:
In order for students to be successful in this unit, they need to have a basic
understanding of the processes that scientists use. Students will need to know how to
investigate and observe as a scientist.
Student Misconceptions:

Often when observing, students do not use all of their senses. They do not realize that
they need to use more than one sense when taking notes. Students may also have
misconceptions about where rocks and minerals come from and the difference between
the two.
Differentiation:
There is a student in my class whose first language is not English. He often struggles
with understanding the meaning of words. He is confident enough to ask what certain
words mean when he does not know. If order to help him with this, I will find alternative
ways to describe words if he does not understand. I will work with him one on one until
he is able to develop a deeper understanding of the concepts.
Assessment:
Formative: Throughout this unit, I will observe and assess students through our
discussions and ask them comprehension questions during the lesson.
Summative: At the end of the unit, students will take a quiz on rocks, minerals,
and how they are created. Students will also be
Culminating Activity:
At the end of the unit, students will have the chance to create their own rocks using
crayons.
Reflection:
I enjoyed teaching this unit plan to third graders. They needed excited throughout the
unit to be learning about rocks and how they were made. The use of hands on activities
really helped their enthusiasm for learning. I believe that since I gave them a goal of
having to identify the rocks in the beginning, they were more focused on understanding
each rock group and how they were created. I think that the culminating activity really
solidified their understanding of how each rock is created. If I were to make changes to
this in the future, I would make more rocks available for students to observe throughout
the unit. I would also have them bring in a rock that they found from around their house
or another important location to them so that we could determine what type of rock we
thought it was in class.

Instructional Sequence:

Students will take pretest before starting the lesson. "This is important because I will be
able to see what you already know about rocks and what I need to focus my teaching
on."

Day 1:
Materials:
rocks (labeled 1, 2, and 3)
observation sheets
science book
Introduction to rocks and minerals:
1. The Big Question, page 217: How do forces cause changes on the Earths surface?
2. Untamed Science, part 1 and 2:
3. What are minerals and rocks?
We have learned about rocks and minerals a little bit in social studies
when we talked about the natural resources of Michigan. Now we are going to
learn more about how they are made and about the forces that change them.
We are going to learn that rocks are put into different groups based on
their characteristics and properties and how they are made.
3. Rock Observations
Before we read in our book about the different types of rocks and how
they are made, I want to give you the chance to observe some rocks and write
down what you notice.
Explain that there are different sets of rocks around the room. Each group
of rocks has three rocks that are labeled with numbers. Explain that although the
rocks at each station may differ slightly, they are all essentially the same.
Hand out rock observation paper.
On your paper, there is a space for rock number 1, rock
number 2, and rock number 3. When you get to a station, you will pick a
rock to start with. If I start observing rock number 2, then I need to make
sure that I write my observations down in the space for rock number 2. It
does not matter the order you look at the rocks, but you will have to write
observations for all three rocks. What color is the rock? What does it look

like? Could you draw a picture to help you remember it more clearly? Now
that we know more about the properties rocks, you should all be able to
write a few observations down about each rock.
Demonstrate making an observation by looking at one of the rocks and
writing down the color, size, etc about it.
After we make our observations about these rocks, we will be reading
about how they are formed and then we will try to figure out which type of rocks
we observed based on our observations and what we learn about each rock. We
wont be doing that today, so it is important that the notes that you write down are
very detailed so that you can remember.
Remind students that these rocks are not ours and that they are being
borrowed from Alma College. Explain that we will make our observations only
with our eyes.
Split students up into groups and tell them which table to observe. Give
the class 5-10 minutes to write down observations about all three rocks.
4. Discuss student observations of each rock.
5. Reading the book (if there is time, depending on how long the observations take)
Start on page 232 and talk about the Explore It! activity.
Read Minerals and Rocks on page 233.
Underline the definition of the words rock and mineral.
Fill out the graphic organizer on rocks and minerals.
Closure:
"Today had the chance to make some observations about these rocks. Next time we
have science, we will be learning about the different kinds of rocks. Put your
observation papers in your science folder. We will need these for next time to find out
what kinds of rocks we observed!"
Day 2:
Materials:
science book
I rock" book
Granite
Minerals and Rocks:
1. Review: Last time, we observed three different types of rocks. We are going to begin
learning more about rocks so that we can maybe identify what rocks we observed.

2. Read page 233 in science book.

Underline the definition of the words rock and mineral.
Complete the graphic organizer in book.
Write the definitions of rock and mineral in I Rock book.
Look at picture of granite and quartz in book. Pass around a piece of
granite for students to look at.
Identifying Minerals:
3. Start reading page 234.

Day 3:
Materials:
science book
"I Rock" book
Minerals
Identifying Minerals (continued)
1. Continue reading page 234.
Underline the answer to question number 2.
Answer question 3.
Fill out ways to identify minerals section of I Rock book
2. Look at examples of minerals as a class and talk about their color, luster, hardness,
and cleavage.

Day 4:
Materials:

science book
Sedimentary rocks (rock 1)
"I Rock" booklet
Rock definitions paper
crayon shavings
wax paper
tape

Sedimentary Rocks:
1. Read Sedimentary rocks on page 236
Underline the definition of a Sedimentary rock

 Complete Sedimentary section of I Rock Book, draw a picture, and write

down how they are formed.
2. Identify Sedimentary rock based on student observations.
Rock number 1
3. Crayon Rocks: Students will create Sedimentary rocks out of crayons.
Students will be assigned groups. Groups will choose two different color of
crayon shavings and be given wax paper.
Students will alternate the layers of crayon in their cax paper by color and
then fold the wax paper to cover up the crayon.
Sedimentary rocks are created by sediments pressed together and it
creates layers. We will model this process by adding pressure to our sediments.
Place your wax paper on the floor and carefully step on it. This is the pressure
that creates layers in your rock.
Students will then write how the rock was created on their rock definitions
paper and tape a small piece of their crayon rock to the paper.
Collect the rocks to be used again.
4. Look at other Sedimentary rocks and identify similar properties.

Day 5:

Materials:

crayon rocks from last science class

microwave
I Rock book
rock definitions paper
tape
science book

Metamorphic Rocks:
1. Read Metamorphic rock on page 236.
Underline the definition of Sedimentary rocks
Complete Metamorphic section of I Rock Book, draw a picture, and write
down how they are formed.
Answer questions 6-8
2. Identify Metamorphic rock based on student observations.
Rock 2
3. Crayon Rocks: Students will create Metamorphic rocks out of crayon rocks from last
science class.

 Our rocks are now going to be buried underground. Now there is even
more pressure pressing down on these rocks. So we will need to carefully step
on our rocks to add more pressure.
Since it is underground, it is close to the Earths center so it is next to a lot
of heat. We will have to add heat to our rock by microwaving it for a little bit!
Discuss the rocks properties-layers, but not as defined as the
Sedimentary rocks.
Students will then write how the rock was created on their rock definitions
paper and tape a small piece of their crayon rock to the paper.
Collect rocks to use again.
4. Look at other Metamorphic rocks and identify similar properties.

Day 6:
Materials:

science book
I Rock book
crayon rocks from last science class
microwave
rock definition paper
tape

Igneous Rocks:
1. Read Igneous rock on page 235.
Underline the definition of Igneous rocks
Complete Igneous section of I Rock Book, draw a picture, and write
down how they are formed.
Answer question 4
2. Identify Igneous rock based on student observations.
Rock 3
3. Crayon Rocks: Students will create Igneous rocks out of crayon rocks from last
science class.
Our rocks are now going to be beneath the Earths surface. There is even
more heat being applied to these rocks! So we have to microwave these rocks
for even longer.
Igneous rocks are formed when the melted rock cools, so we will have to
wait for the rock to cool down before observing it.
Discuss the rocks properties-melted together, no layers.
Students will then write how the rock was created on their rock definitions
paper and tape a small piece of their crayon rock to the paper.
Students take home I Rock books to study for quiz
4. Look at other Igneous rocks and identify similar properties.

Day 7:
Materials:
quiz
We will review for quiz for a few minutes and go over the directions before starting.
Provide sentence starters for the students on the board.