Rocks in Your Head
A Curriculum unit
designed to increase
literacy skills through
computer research
and lab activities
Stephen Ryan
PVHS
Summer 2006
Rocks in Your Head:
•Designed for 9th grade Earth Science students
School:
•Pioneer Valley High School, Santa Maria Ca.
•3-class block schedule
•Computer lab
Student Learning:
•Gate
•Special Ed.
•504’s accommodations
•English language learners.
Demographics:
•Hispanic 74%
•White 17%
•Asian 6%
•Other 3%
In RET I, I tried to utilize single or heterogeneous phase reactions in
aqueous media at elevated
temperatures and pressure in order to crystallize inorganic and organic
hybrid crystals.
I did this by attempting to synthesize inorganic- Organic hybrid
materials consisting of a network using carboxylic acids as the connections
between metal ions/metal ion clusters.
The purpose of this project was to
translate my research
experience from RET I into a curriculum resource where I would use and share.
Translating My Research:
•Teaching science through problem solving
•Understanding the variables of problems
•Using technology to link prior knowledge
•Learning through reading and writing
•Using literacy skills to solving problems
Rocks in Your Head
Research Projects:
•What are Rocks?
•What are Crystals?
•Amongst the Rocks (Igneous, Metamorphic, & Sedimentary)
• How can rocks be Transformed?
•What about your Rock? (Final Project)
Lab Activities:
•Mineral Identification
•Crystal Formation
•Rock Classification
Requirements:
•Select a type of rock to further research
•Identify the minerals that make up your rock
•Identify your rocks crystal structure
•Identify the variables for crystal growth
•Explain how rocks can be transformed
•List the physical properties of rocks
•Write a scientific letter for each project
Research Projects & Lab Activities:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What are Rocks?
Mineral Identification Lab
What are Crystals?
Crystal Formation Lab
Amongst the Rocks (Igneous, Metamorphic, & Sedimentary)
Rock Classification lab
How can rocks be Transformed?
What about your Rock? (Final Project)
California Content Standards:
Dynamic Earth Process
3. C) Students know how to explain the properties of rocks
based on the physical and chemical conditions in which
they formed.
National Content Standards:
Unifying concepts and Processes
1.
2.
3.
5.
Systems, order and organization
Evidence, models, and explanation
Change, consistency and measurement
Form and function
Assessments:
All assessments are based on rubrics
•Scientific Letters (5x75 pts)
•Lab packets (3x75 pts)
Literacy Skills:
•Reading:
•Instructions
•Information
•Peer editing
•Writing:
•Scientific letters
•Comprehension:
•Scientific letters
•Lab activities
Acknowledgements:
The Materials Research Laboratory (MRL),
University Of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB),
Educational Outreach Program
RET I:
PI: Anthony Cheetham
Mentor: Crystal Merrill
Funding: Unilever & NSF
Summer: 2005
RET II:
PI: Dr. Michenfelder
Mentor: Kim Gato
Funding :National Science Foundation
Summer: 2006
References:
•Rock Hounds
www.fi.edu/fellows/payton/rocks/create/index.html
•Geoscience
www.amonline.net.au/geoscience/index.htm
•Rocks Rock!
www.rocks-rock.com
•Geodetective
www.nps.gov/brca/geodet/
•Windows to the Universe
www.windows.ucar.edu