Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Day 1: All learning goals are addressed during this pre-assessment. This unit
started in the first month of school. Therefore, it was important to use the bellringer as a way to help students with study habits and test-taking strategies. If this
unit were used in conjunction with a complete science course, the bell-ringer for
this course could be adjusted as a bridge between the two units.
After the bell-ringer, the students are guided through the test sections and are
asked to provide suggestions as to correct behavior during a test. The teacher can
guide their responses based on their own personal preferences. During the test,
the teacher will have three students at a side table. According to their IEPs, these
students will need support reading all of the questions and answer choices. All
other students can choose a quiet and safe place for the test.
The pre-assessment is a 20 question multiple-choice and true/false test that will
not count against the students. However, it is important that the students do their
best on this test for accurate data results. Therefore, I will offer the students
bonus reward (1 Warrior Buck for every two correct choices) for correct
responses. Some students may finish this test much quicker than other students.
So, there are several enrichment and early finisher suggestions provided to further
support the upcoming Earth Surface Unit.
At the end of the class session, there is time to distribute and discuss the letter
home, vocabulary cards, and the overall layout of the next lessons. During this
time, the teacher can ask the students to write down some ideas about the Earths
surface that they wish to learn about. If those ideas are not addressed during the
next lessons, the student will be given an opportunity to design their own lesson.
Day 2: Learning Goals 1.1 and 1.2 are addressed during this lesson. The bellringer is a picture for the students to examine and then write a sentence that
explains their observations and inferences on their observations. The students
will go over their answers in a whole group discussion. The students who need
support with writing a sentence will be partnered with a student role model.
The next portion of the class will focus on identifying common minerals. The
students will work in pairs to complete this task. The teacher will provide
common household and classroom items and label some of those items correctly
and some of those items incorrectly. The students will discuss and determine
which items are correctly labeled and which are incorrect. Some suggestions for
common items are baby powder (mineral talc), pencils (mineral graphite),
sunscreen (mineral zinc), and magnets (mineral magnetite). There are several
websites that offer other suggestions. One great resource is
http://www.mineralogy4kids.org/minerals-your-house.
After the students share their responses, the teacher will transition the class into
the next portion of the lesson by having the teacher assistants put all the materials
away while the rest of the classroom gets their chairs prepared to easily see the
whiteboard. The teacher will signal the students and wait until everyone is seated
and quiet before beginning. There are several slides related to identifying the
properties of minerals. Each slide offers pictures and a question to help aid the
students in their understanding of this material. Once the slide presentation is
finished the student will begin to work on their classification lab in small groups.
Students who finish early, will have the opportunity to design an experiment to
determine effervescence, smell, taste, and/or magnetism. The students can
conduct these experiments during recess time or at home. To wrap up the class,
the teacher will go over the three main properties that were used to classify their
samples and explain that tomorrows lesson will be on rocks.
Day 3: Learning goals 2.1 and 2.2 are examined during this lesson. The bell
ringer for this class is two sensory boxes on each table. The students prompt is
listed on the board. The students are asked to write descriptive words about both
boxes. The teacher will begin the lesson having the students share their
descriptive words about the texture of each item in each box. Then the students
will see two pictures of cooled lava. The students will use their texture words to
help them determine which type of lava cooled quickly and which cooled more
slowly.
As the students transition into the next portion of the class, the teacher assistants
will put away all of the boxes and students will position their desks to face the
whiteboard. The students will use the slide presentation as they examine three
different types of rocks with a hand lens. The students will then place each rock
sample into a small glass of water and watch what occurs. The pumice stone will
float. The students will then complete a three column note chart on the three
different types of rocks and how they are formed and use this information to
explain this phenomenon.
As a transition between this portion of the class and the next, the teacher will
explain that on each desk is also two small tubs of playdough. The students will
roll two balls of different color playdough and create a sedimentary brick. On the
count of three the students will set one text book on top of their bricks and pause.
Then the teacher will count again and another text book is placed on top. This
will continue 4-5 times only. Then the students will remove the books and
examine their brick. The students demonstrated how a sedimentary rock under
pressure become a metamorphic rock. The students will use the word
metamorphic to create an acrostic poem that describes this process. Early
finishers can use colored paper, crayons, string or any other craft supply to create
a sedimentary rock. The teacher will transition the class to end by going over the
planner and explaining that the next days lesson is on weathering, erosion and
deposition.
Day 4: Learning goals 3.1 and 3.2 are addressed during this lesson. The bellringer for this lesson is a review on mineral properties and rocks. The students
are given post-it notes and have to write mineral properties on one note and a type
f rock and how it is formed on another note. When time is called the students will
go up to the board one table at a time and place their notes in the correct location.
Before viewing the slide presentation, the students will build a model of two
landforms and place an ice-cube in the center of each one. The students will then
view the slide presentation. After the presentation has concluded, the students
will examine their models and create a 3-5 panel comic strip that demonstrates
their observations. As the students transition to the next activity, they will learn a
quick choreography to further explain weathering, erosion and deposition. The
students will be assigned teams and specific responsibilities within their team.
Each team will build a mountain out of Legos and run a relay race to explore the
effects of erosion and deposition. Once the race has gone through two cycles, the
teacher can determine if more time is needed before giving the students a
vocabulary matching game to complete. If there is additional time, students can
examine different types of soil and determine which soil would be the best for
farming pineapples. To close out the day, the teacher should remind the class that
the test will occur in three class days and have the students put that information in
their planner along with the vocabulary cards.
Day 5: Learning goal 3.3 is explored during this lesson. The bell-ringer will give
the students an opportunity to review some of the landforms discussed during the
previous lesson. The students will draw a Hawaiian landscape and label at least 3
common landforms. As the students turn in their bell-work, create a paper ball by
wadding up a piece of paper. Ask the students if the properties that make up that
paper have changed. Have the students share their ideas with their group. Then
assign groups of three students a specific role for a W.E.D. lab. Have the students
switch roles at 1 minute and 2 minutes, so that each student can be each part of
the process. As the students transition to the next activity, have them turn their
attention to the slide presentation. After the presentation, have the students create
a T chart to list the similarities and differences between chemical and physical
weathering. For the final lab section, have the students work in small groups to
see the effects of weathering on chalk vs. rocks. The students will need to graph
their data and explain the results in a sentence. If there is extra time, students can
explore chemical weathering by dropping single drops of vinegar on pieces of
chalk. Finish the class period with filling out the planner and explaining that the
next lesson will include fast processes that change the Earths surface.
Day 6: Learning Goal 4.1 and 4.2 are addressed during this lesson. In the bellringer review W.E.D., mineral properties and rocks by having the students pick
the best geological site to build a new hospital based on expert data about the
land. The students should support their response. Students may work in pairs to
complete this task. When it is time, the teacher will create a tally and ask for
reasons why and why not this was the best location. To segue into this days
topic, have the students call out other events that could potentially cause damage
to the building. Guide the students to include volcanoes/earthquakes/floods/etc.
These types of events are what will be covered today. Have the students prepare
to watch a 6-minute animated video about two volcanoes. As the students watch
the video, they need to list fast and slow processes that shaped the Earths surface
that were described in the film. When the film concludes discuss the processes
they discovered and begin the slide presentation. Follow up this presentation by
exploring specific plate movement using common foods. Before the teacher
begins the demonstration, have each table go up and wash their hands. Instruct
the students that they will be permitted to eat their creation, but only after they
demonstrate all three types of plate movement to the teacher. After the students
have competed this activity and picked up all litter, show the final picture of a
Volcanic Winter. Allow the students time to ask questions about what they are
viewing before they work in teams to create a news report that demonstrates how
volcanic ash changes the temperature on the Earths surface. If there are groups
who complete this task early, they can further their understanding of the
devastation of volcanic ash by creating a budget to help a city recover and justify
why their chosen amount of money will go to support that business, school, or
private land owner. As the class concludes, remind students that in two class
periods is the test. Have the students write in their planner about the test and take
their vocabulary cards home.
Day 7: Learning goal 4.3 and 4.4 is addressed in this lesson. As a bell ringer,
have the students examine different numbers and determine which is the correct
number that corresponds with the catastrophic event. Try to choose current events
for this lesson, but keep in mind your students may have family members in those
other locations. Allow time for the students to share about personal experiences
with severe weather and the impact it had on their family. Follow up with
questions about how they planned differently for future events, and ask their
opinion about the warning system to notify people of potential severe weather.
Transition into talking specifically about landslides and their causes. Have the
students explore creating a landslide and creating barriers to try to prevent
damage to towns and roads. The students will write a formal letter to a city
council member detailing their idea and the reason it will be successful. The
students will transition into the next activity by drawing their attention to the
sponges and index cards on their tables. The students will work in groups to
create a model of how mountains are formed and then answer a series of multiple
choice questions regarding plate activity. If there is additional time, students can
read about Florence Bascom and circle the main idea and supporting details
regarding her life as the first woman geologist in America. At the close of the
day, remind students to put in their planners that the next class period will be their
unit test. Remind students to take their vocabulary cards home.
Day 8: All learning goals will be addressed during this lesson. The bell-ringer
will be used as a review to all the units topics. The students will be assigned
groups and roles within their group to share with the class a 1-minute presentation
on a main topic. After this review the students will be asked to share some testtaking rules. Once the test is distributed there will be no talking. The students
10
who need the test and questions read to them will sit at the side table and all other
students will be permitted to sit where they feel most comfortable. There will be
a bonus question listed on the board that can be used towards a classroom reward
(Friday popsicles, lunch with a buddy, uniform-free day, etc.). Students who
finish early can begin discovering the upcoming topic of Earth and Space with
several activities to support that topic. At the close, explain that the next lesson
will begin a new unit about Earth and Space and have the students write in their
planners the new schedule.
Information
Materials:
Sequencing map/post
it notes,
Test,
Pencils,
Science readers,
Vocabulary smart
cards,
Chrome books with
internet,
Soil samples,
Spaghetti,
Marshmallows,
Cake pan,
11
Letter home
Purpose
Strategy/Adaptation
Procedure
tests?
Aloud
their ideas on
Front Board
posted responses
Students post
In pairs, students
go to board and
put a sticker on
the strategies they
During
Pre-assessment
Students may
select their own
on board for
quiet space to
question groups.
like most
Write key themes
Every student
suggested areas in
room.
everything off
Three students
desk.
with reading
Teacher reads
12
difficulties will
directions for
be at front table
each group of
so teacher can
questions.
Teacher reminds
students that this
test will not be
taken as a grade,
but to ensure that
the students do
their best work,
they will be
offered a bonus
for every question
answered
Enrichment/Early
Finishers
Supports upcoming
Read science
correctly.
Students can
unit on Earths
leveled readers
work in
Surface
stations once
they have
characters, to
turned in their
discuss main
test.
theme of selected
book.
No more than
four people in
13
any station.
Vocabulary Smart
Card Memory
Game
students that
Chrome Books
volume is a
Interactive
major concern
Science Website
because of
for Earths
test takers.
Surface
Remind
Consequences
Introductory
for not
material
working
Explore different
quietly will be
a verbal
experiment to
warning and
determine which
if repeated,
the student
most water.
will be
Design a building
removed from
using dry
the activity.
spaghetti and
marshmallow that
can withstand an
After
Main Thinking
earthquake.
Read Letter to
Letter Home
14
Students
themes
Vocabulary
Words
Explain
Write lesson
upcoming lessons
schedule in
and experiments
planner
Reflection
Information
Materials:
Bell Ringer:
How to identify
Common mineral
fact sheet make
minerals.
intensive
form.
24 common
household items
paired up *baby
powder, watch,
pennies, pencils,
etc. (try not to use
the same item
more than once)
Minerals,
15
Mineral labels
Classification
sheet
Purpose
Identify a mineral
Strategy/Adaptation
Procedure
Students will be
partnered by teacher.
their group of
household items
students determine if
to pick group.
right mineral
associated with them
Students are
or not.
16
Students have 2
minutes to make their
guess.
17
what common
minerals are used to
make those items and
complete a
product/mineral
matching activity
with an 80%
accuracy. DOK level
2.
During
Properties of
Major properties on
Minerals
Mohs Hardness:
to use a highlighter to
scratched?
18
Supports mineral
Design an experiment
properties
to determine
work in small
effervescence, smell,
groups
Students can
No more than
four people in
Conduct experiment
at home or during
any group
recess.
Remind
students that
volume is a
major concern
Consequences
for not
working
quietly will be
a verbal
warning and
19
if repeated,
the student
will be
removed from
After
Classification Lab
4 minerals to
the activity.
Students will
classify using
work in small
groups to classify
either color or
8 minerals.
hardness.
Students will
examine and
classify the rocks
and minerals into
the correct groups
by using the
properties of
texture, color,
hardness, etc. and
create a
classifying chart
that diagrams the
similarities and
20
differences of the
rocks and
minerals with an
80% accuracy.
Depth of
Knowledge
(DOK) level 2.
Reflection
Information
How to identify
rocks
Materials:
Bell Ringer:
some rocks
crumpled paper
pokey.
21
Craft supplies
paper
Purpose
Strategy/Adaptation
Procedure
Types of Cooled
Lava
Ask students to
identify which lava
cooled slowly and
which cooled more
quickly. How does
the texture help them
During
Draw attention to
decide?
There are three types
Examination Chart
of rock
slide presentation.
Igneous
Sedimentary and
Metamorphic
to be included.
presentation to help
22
the students
understand the three
ways rocks are
formed.
Students will
examine three
different types of
rocks with a hand
lens and observe
what occurs when
each rock is placed
into a cup of water
and create a three
column chart to
explain their results
with an 80%
accuracy. DOK level
3.
Enrichment/Early
Finishers
23
Further exploration
Reflect back on
rope/crumpled paper
work in
theyre formed
blind box
stations once
descriptions to talk
they have
about Igneous
turned in their
Students can
test.
Have the students use
No more than
four people in
strips, or a material of
any station.
Remind
a sedimentary rock
students that
sample.
volume and
mess is a
major concern
Consequences
for not
working
quietly will be
a verbal
warning and
if repeated,
the student
24
will be
removed from
After
the activity.
The students will
metamorphic rock
hot or heavy or
resemble a
rock
model a metamorphic
words/pictures from
an acrostic poem
magazines to create a
using vocabulary
poem collage
Reflection
Main Topic: Weathering, erosion and deposition
Information
25
Day Four
Materials:
change Earths
surface slowly
Post-its
Chalk
Large area to run
Music selection
Vocab cards
Strategy/Adaptation
Soil samples
Procedure
Can use
rocks
abbreviations for
their ideas on
Front Board
Purpose
words.
Students post
Go over the
answers and draw
attention to at
least 5 different
properties of
minerals.
Highlight all
three types of
rocks and how
26
chosen.
Students will
that demonstrates
create a model
observations of
comic strip.
erosion.
different
landforms (hill
and plateau) and
observe the
effects of an ice
cube being placed
27
in the center of
each landform
and create a 3-5
panel comic strip
that demonstrates
their observations
to an 80%
accuracy. DOK
level 2.
Slide presentation
regarding weathering
and erosion.
28
the ground
Supports W.E.D.
Three
soundtrack
Students can
work in
stations once
Have students
they have
turned in their
test.
for farming
pineapples.
No more than
four people in
any station.
Search recent
Remind
students that
volume is a
(Ex. 09/06/2016
major concern
Vandals destroy
Oregons Duckbill
rock formation)
Consequences
for not
working
quietly will be
29
a verbal
warning and
if repeated,
the student
will be
removed from
After
Relay race
The vocabulary
the activity.
Students will
vocabulary
cards have
work in teams to
pictures. Match
create a mountain
the picture to
more simple
vocabulary
race to explore
Weathering =
the effects of
break
erosion and
Erosion = move
deposition and
Deposition = drop
using their
vocabulary cards,
they will match
the correct term
to the definition
with an 80%
accuracy. DOK
30
level 1.
Remember to yell
landslide
during the race to
show how
quickly the
mountain can be
destroyed.
Reflection
Information
Bell Ringer:
Shakers
deposition change
Rocks
Chalk
landforms.
Vinegar
Pan
Truck
Pebbles
Purpose
How does weathering
Strategy/Adaptation
Use partners to help
Procedure
When you
change landforms?
write notes
crumple up a
piece of paper
this is a form of
31
weathering. Does
the paper change
into another item
or is it still paper?
In a bucket have
the students use
sand and pebbles
and a toy dump
truck to
demonstrate
W.E.D.
Weathering = fills
dump truck with
pebbles
Erosion = drives
the dump truck
somewhere
Deposition =
drops the load of
pebbles
During
Similarities and
switch roles
Create a T chart
32
differences with
drawings instead of
physical and
differences
chemical weathering.
similarities and
between physical
and chemical
weathering.
When would
weathering occur
faster? Slower?
In small groups
have the students
determine: would
chemical
weathering take
place more
slowly in a desert
or a rain forest?
Explain your
Enrichment/Early
Finishers
Supports W.E.D.
Explore what
answer.
Students can
happens when a
work in
single drop of
stations once
vinegar is placed
they have
on a piece of
turned in their
33
chalk. Write
test.
results in a
No more than
science notebook.
four people in
any station.
Remind
students that
volume is a
major concern
Consequences
to prevent the
for not
erosion?
working
quietly will be
a verbal
warning and
if repeated,
the student
will be
removed from
After
Weathering occurs
fast and slow.
the activity.
Students will
in one chart/graph
compare the
together. Ensure
effects of shaking
34
Reflection
Main Topic: Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Floods, Droughts, and Landslides
Information
Day Six
Materials:
How volcanoes
Bell Ringer:
Lava film
Internet access
Cool whip
Graham crackers
Hersheys chocolate
Plates
Spoons
Napkins
Rapid processes
Watch Lava
change Earths
surface
in a complete
three slow
35
sentence.
processes that
change the
During
Write sentence
Work at front
Earths surface.
Use Cool Whip,
describing plate
Graham Crackers
Sentences are
and Hersheys
spoken and
chocolate to
represent the
down if the
three different
sentence is
types of plate
accurate.
movement. Cool
Whip is the
magma and it will
press up to form
mountains, spread
apart to create
volcanoes. The
Graham Crackers
will crack and
crumble as they
are scraped back
and forth against
each other. The
36
chocolate will
slip underneath
the Graham
Enrichment/Early
Finishers
Supports
Create a budget to
Cracker.
Students can
understanding of
help your
work in
Volcanoes
community if it
stations once
suffered from a
they have
Volcanic Winter.
turned in their
The government
test.
only has
No more than
$2,000,000 for
four people in
any station.
much money
Remind
students that
recovery:
volume is a
farmers, business
major concern
owners,
Consequences
individuals whose
for not
homes were
working
destroyed, etc.
quietly will be
Justify your
a verbal
answer
warning and
37
if repeated,
the student
will be
removed from
After
the activity.
Students will
examine
ash on temperature.
photographs of
volcanic ash
diagrams or find
blocking sunlight
alternate internet
after an eruption
and develop a
report.
that clearly
demonstrates how
volcanic ash
might change the
Earths surface
temperature with
an 80% accuracy.
DOK level 3.
38
Volcanic Winter
Reflection
Main Topic: Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Floods, Droughts, and Landslides
Information
Day Seven
Materials:
Fast processes that
Bell Ringer:
Sand
Paperclips
Pencils
Common classroom
Volcano? (293)
tools
Cake pan
Water
(1825)
F. Bascom paper
267429 August 15, 2016 how
Sponge
Index cards
Share ideas
Students will
share personal
Earths surface
stories of severe
changes rapidly?
39
lived.
Are warning
systems
beneficial?
During
Record a
event?
The students will
Voicemail
prevent destruction to
message to city
and small
council that
classroom items
to explore how
to prevent
drought,
destruction to
landslides and
roads from
floods rapidly
40
landslide.
Enrichment/Early
Finishers
Supports Earths
surface
Read short
biography about
Florence Bascom.
Circle the main
idea and
level 4.
Students work
independently
41
underline or
highlight the
supporting details
of each
After
Multiple-choice
questions regarding
plate movement.
paragraph.
Read Letter to
Students
communicate
vocabulary words
index card
Write lesson
activity models
schedule in
how mountains
planner
Reflection
Main Topic: Post-assessment
Information
42
Day Eight
Materials:
Science readers,
Study Buddy
review on Minerals
Chrome book
Constellation patterns
and names
Procedure
review
Students verbally
share the key
vocabulary and
talking points of
their topic area.
Teacher will
verify material
before it is
43
presented to
During
Post- assessment
Students may
select their own
on board for
quiet space to
question groups.
whole group.
Write key themes
Every student
suggested areas in
room.
everything off
Three students
desk.
with reading
Teacher reads
difficulties will
directions for
be at front table
each group of
so teacher can
questions.
and choices.
Teacher reminds
students that this
test will be
graded.
Bonus question
will be placed on
the board
students are asked
to draw and label
the three type of
Enrichment/Early
Finishers
Supports upcoming
44
Read science
plate movement.
Students can
leveled readers
work in
Space
and create a
stations once
puppet show to
they have
turned in their
theme of selected
test.
book.
No more than
Vocabulary Smart
four people in
Card Matching
any station.
Chrome Books
Remind
Interactive
students that
Science Website
volume is a
major concern
Space
because of
Introductory
test takers.
material
Consequences
Explore different
for not
constellations and
working
write a myth to
quietly will be
a verbal
constellation got
warning and
its name.
if repeated,
45
Design a calendar
the student
based on a Sun,
will be
Moon, or Planet
removed from
pattern of your
the activity.
choice. Explain
why this calendar
is better than the
one we currently
After
Main Thinking
use.
Write
Explain
upcoming
upcoming lessons
themes
schedule in
and experiments
planners.
Collect tests,
Have partners
explain when
check
they will be
planners
returned and
answer any
questions on how
they will be
graded.
Reflection