Assess students’ understanding of the earth’s materials and their properties.

• Observe students using their senses during the investigation. Listen to students as they describe the rocks. Students should use their sense of hearing, sight, and touch as they are describing the rocks.

• Monitor students as they describe earth’s materials by their properties using their senses.

Activity 1 Day 1

Bring in a collection of several different types of rocks for students to use during the investigations.

Divide students into small groups. Designate one student in each group to manage the materials to be used and one student to collect the group’s responses. Give each group a bag of rocks and each student a hand lens. Ask students to observe the rocks in the bags with the hand lens and to report what they observe.

Ask each group to describe the rocks they observe and record student responses on a chart or blackboard. Display the pictures of the three landforms (mountain, hill, and flatland). Ask students, “Where might we find these rocks?” Guide students to conclude that rocks might be found in mountains and hills.

Give each group a plastic tumbler that you’ve prepared in advance. Have students take turns shaking the rocks in the containers. Remind students to use safe practices when shaking the tumblers. Provide additional shaking by an adult, if needed, to ensure that the rocks will break apart.

Safety Note: Students should wear goggles when conducting this investigation. Teacher Note: This activity is loud and may need to be conducted outdoors.

After all students in the group have had a chance to shake the rock, tell all students to look at the rocks in the tumbler. Ask the following questions: “Do you see any change in your groups’ rocks?” Students may or may not notice the smaller pieces inside the tumbler.

Open each tumbler, and place the rocks and any small rock fragments onto the paper plate. Ask students to observe the rock and any other content on the plate. “What do you see? Did the rock change? What else do you see besides a rock on the plate? Where did it come from?” Students should see small particles that have broken off the rock. Ask students to look at the three landforms again. “Where might we find the small pieces of rock?” Guide students to conclude that these small pieces might be found in hills and at beaches. Give each group about 100 mL of sand. Tell each member of the group to observe the sand using a hand lens.

Give each group about 100 mL of topsoil. Tell each member of the group to observe the topsoil using a hand lens. Ask students to describe the topsoil they observed. Show the three landforms. Ask students, “Where might you find this (topsoil)?” Students may suggest all areas.

Place the rock, sand, and topsoil on the paper plate. Have each group observe the samples again using the hand lens. Tell each group to share their observations. “How are these samples alike? How are they different?”

Give each student a copy of My Landforms activity sheet (S-K2-6-3_My Landforms.doc). Tell students they will get three pieces of tape.

With the sticky side down, place one piece of tape on top of the soil to pick up pieces of soil; then stick it in the area where soil belongs on the worksheet.

Take the second piece of tape, stick it on the sand, and place it in the appropriate location on the worksheet.

Take the third piece of tape, stick it on the rock pieces, and place it on the worksheet.

Remind students that some samples may be found in more than one place.

Note: Smaller pebbles or gravel may be substituted for rocks to make it easier for students.

Extension:

• Students who might need an opportunity for additional learning can work in pairs or groups with a Venn diagram template (S-K2-6-3_Venn Diagram Template.doc). Place a sample in each circle. Students observe each sample and compare and contrast the samples.

• Students who may be going beyond the standards can bring soil samples from home and compare their samples with the class samples.