Reading Rocks Parent Event

(4th grade West Elementary)

Date: Friday- February 26th, 2016
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Overall goals of the event:
Parents will learn about what nonfiction text features are
and why they are important to a reader. They will be able
to identify text features in a nonfiction book and know how
the text feature helps the reader understand the text
better.
Parents and students will use their knowledge about
nonfiction text features to reinforce their learning about
rocks/minerals. Parents and students will work together in
a variety educational centers that focus on rocks/minerals.
They will complete a graphic organizer to show their
learning.
After the event the parents and students will have
materials that they will be able to take home and use.
These materials will help the students and parents when
working on nonfiction text features.
Organization:
Students will rotate with their class to each 4th grade
classroom (Patrick, Neill and Stevensons classroom)
Each class will have up to 4 centers that focus on
rocks/minerals. The centers will last 8 minutes each.
Title I teachers will be in charge of clock management and
transition of centers. Rotation from classroom to classroom
will be every 35 minutes.

 Classrooms will need to be divided into approximately 5

kids per group. Divide your classroom total by 4 and that
will equal number in groups.

Centers:
Stevensons classroom(Each one of these centers will last 16 minutes)
*Candy Rocks (Sedimentary Rock experiment)- Students will
follow step-by-step directions to create an edible sedimentary
rock using graham crackers, icing, sprinkles, fruity pebbles and a
gummy fish. They will discuss what each ingredient represents in
sedimentary rocks. Afterward they may enjoy their edible rock!
(Early finishers will play KAPOW- this game is a review of
nonfiction text features)
*Nonfiction Bingo- Students will review nonfiction text features
by playing Nonfiction Bingo. The teacher will call out the
definition of a text feature and students will cover their Bingo
card if they have the corresponding text feature. They win
BINGO with horizontal, vertical or diagonal counters in a row.
Neills Classroom:
(Neill, Carmean, Ford, Doty)
(Students will complete the Physical Properties of Minerals
graphic organizer at each center)
(Each center will last 8 minutes)
*Streak Station- Students will identify rocks by the minerals in
them.
*Luster and Clevage Station-This experiment will test how the
mineral shines and breaks.

*Mohs Hardness Test- The purpose of this experiment is to

examine how hard the mineral is and compare to the others that
are tested.
*Acid Test- This center checks to see if the rock contains
minerals.

Schiele Mueseum Gem/ Mineral Presentation:

(Mr. Paysour will work with students on the back car lot)
(This center will be whole group and last 32 minutes)
* The Students will listen to a short presentation about Gem/
Minerals. Afterwards, each student will be allowed to work on
the sluice where they will get to pan for gems and minerals.
Students will be able to keep what they find.