Grade 4
overview
solid Earth
content goals
The Solid Earth Module consists of five sequential investigations,
each designed to introduce or reinforce concepts in earth science. The
investigations provide students with firsthand experiences with rocks
and minerals, and modeling experiences to study changes to rocks
and minerals at Earth’s surface.
FOSS expects students to
• Learn that rocks are composed of minerals and that minerals
cannot be physically separated into other materials.
• Use measurement in the context of scientific investigations.
Overview CONTENTS
• Use evaporation to investigate rock composition.
Content Goals
• Investigate the effect of vinegar (acid) on a specific mineral,
calcite.
FOSS and California Standards 2
• Identify and organize minerals with a diagnostic table of
color, hardness, streak, luster, cleavage, and other special
properties.
Solid Earth Module Matrix
4
Science Background
6
FOSS Components
16
The FOSS Teacher Guide
Organization
18
The FOSS Investigation
Organization
19
• Become familiar with the processes that form igneous,
sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks and their place in the
rock cycle.
• Understand the processes that slowly change Earth’s surface
(physical and chemical weathering, erosion, and deposition)
and those that cause more rapid changes (landslides,
volcanism, floods, and earthquakes).
1
FOSS Instructional Pedagogies 20
Science Notebooks
24
Working in Collaborative
Groups
27
FOSS for All Students
28
• Follow written instructions to conduct a scientific
investigation.
Connecting the Experience
30
• Plan and conduct stream-table investigations.
Safety in the Classroom
32
Scheduling the Module
33
Scope and Sequence
34
• Observe the effect of water on surface features of the land,
using stream tables.
• Develop questions and perform scientific investigations to
test predictions and draw conclusions.
solid earth
solid earth overview
FOSS and california Standards
The Solid Earth Module supports the following Earth Sciences
Content Standards for grade 4.*
earth scienceS
ES4
“Students in grade four study
rocks, minerals, and the processes
of erosion. They also study the
processes of weathering and
erosion as a way of leading into
the study of the formation of
sedimentary rocks.Ӡ
The properties of rocks and minerals reflect the processes that
formed them. As a basis for understanding this concept:
ES4a
Students know how to differentiate among igneous,
sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks by referring to
their properties and methods of formation (the rock
cycle).
ES4b
Students know how to identify common rock-forming
minerals (including quartz, calcite, feldspar, mica,
and hornblende) and ore minerals by using a table of
diagnostic properties.
ES5 Waves, wind, water, and ice shape and reshape Earth’s land
surface. As a basis for understanding this concept:
ES5aStudents know some changes in the earth are due to
slow processes, such as erosion, and some changes are
due to rapid processes, such as landslides, volcanic
eruptions, and earthquakes.
ES5bStudents know natural processes, including freezing
and thawing and the growth of roots, cause rocks to
break down into smaller pieces.
ES5cStudents know moving water erodes landforms,
reshaping the land by taking it away from some places
and depositing it as pebbles, sand, silt, and mud in
other places (weathering, transport, and deposition).
*Science Content Standards for California Public Schools: Kindergarten
through Grade Twelve (Sacramento: California Department of
Education, 2000).
†Science
Framework for California Public Schools: Kindergarten through
Grade Twelve (Sacramento: California Department of Education, 2003),
page 56.
full option science system
The Solid Earth Module supports the following Investigation and
Experimentation Content Standards for grade 4.*
Investigation and Experimentation
I&E6 Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions
and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for
understanding this concept and addressing the content in
the other three strands, students should develop their own
questions and perform investigations. Students will:
I&E6a
Differentiate observation from inference (interpretation) and know scientists’ explanations come partly from what they observe and partly from how they interpret their observations.
I&E6b Measure and estimate the weight, length, or volume of objects.
I&E6c Formulate and justify predictions based on cause-and-
effect relationships.
I&E6d Conduct multiple trials to test a prediction and draw conclusions about the relationships between predictions and results.
I&E6f Follow a set of written instructions for a scientific investigation.
*Science Content Standards for California Public Schools: Kindergarten
through Grade Twelve (Sacramento: California Department of
Education, 2000).
“Students in grade four learn to
formulate and justify predictions
based on cause-and-effect
relationships, differentiate observation
from inference, and conduct multiple
trials to test their predictions. In
collecting data during investigative
activities, they learn to follow a
written set of instructions and
continue to build their skills in
expressing measurements in metric
system units. They will analyze
problems by identifying relationships,
distinguishing relevant from
irrelevant information, sequencing
and prioritizing information,
and observing patterns, all of
which support the Mathematics
Content Standards. They should
conduct scientific investigations
and communicate their findings in
writing.Ӡ
†Science
Framework for California Public Schools: Kindergarten through
Grade Twelve (Sacramento: California Department of Education, 2003),
page 56.
solid earth
solid earth Module Matrix
Synopsis
1. mock rocks
Students record observations of
mock rocks. They take the rocks
apart and sort ingredients. They
place some rock material in water,
evaporate the liquid, and identify the
crystals that form. Students learn
that rocks are made of minerals.
2. scratch test
Students investigate four unknown
minerals and use the property
of hardness to make confident
identification of the rock-forming
minerals. Students learn one
important diagnostic property of
minerals.
3. calcite quest
Students investigate the mineral
calcite and its special property of
reacting in vinegar. They place
four rock samples in vinegar and
look for evidence that calcite is an
ingredient. Students are introduced
to common sedimentary and
metamorphic rocks.
4. take it for granite
Students investigate more mineral
properties—streak and luster—and
use a diagnostic table to identify
several unknown minerals.
Students are introduced to the rock
cycle and the processes that form
the three types of rocks.
5. Landforms
Students investigate chemical
weathering by soaking limestone in
vinegar, and physical weathering
by shaking granite in a jar. They
investigate erosion and deposition
in a stream table. They learn about
processes that cause rapid changes
to Earth’s surface—earthquakes,
volcanism, landslides, and floods.
CA Science CONTENT Standards
ES4b
Students know how to identify common rock-forming minerals (including quartz, calcite,
feldspar, mica, and hornblende) and ore minerals by using a table of diagnostic properties.
I&E6a Differentiate observation from inference (interpretation) and know scientists’ explanations
come partly from what they observe and partly from how they interpret their observations.
I&E6b Measure and estimate the weight, length, or volume of objects.
ES4b
Students know how to identify common rock-forming minerals (including quartz, calcite,
feldspar, mica, and hornblende) and ore minerals by using a table of diagnostic properties.
I&E6f Follow a set of written instructions for a scientific investigation.
ES4a
Students know how to differentiate among igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks
by referring to their properties and methods of formation (the rock cycle).
ES4b
Students know how to identify common rock-forming minerals (including quartz, calcite,
feldspar, mica, and hornblende) and ore minerals by using a table of diagnostic properties.
I&E6a Differentiate observation from inference (interpretation) and know scientists’ explanations
come partly from what they observe and partly from how they interpret their observations.
ES4a
Students know how to differentiate among igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks by
referring to their properties and methods of formation (the rock cycle).
ES4b
Students know how to identify common rock-forming minerals (including quartz, calcite,
feldspar, mica, and hornblende) and ore minerals by using a table of diagnostic properties.
I&E6a Differentiate observation from inference (interpretation) and know scientists’ explanations
come partly from what they observe and partly from how they interpret their observations.
ES5a
Students know some changes in the earth are due to slow processes, such as erosion,
and some changes are due to rapid processes, such as landslides, volcanic eruptions, and
earthquakes.
ES5b
Students know natural processes, including freezing and thawing and the growth of roots,
cause rocks to break down into smaller pieces.
ES5c
Students know moving water erodes landforms, reshaping the land by taking it away from
some places and depositing it as pebbles, sand, silt, and mud in other places (weathering,
transport, and deposition).
I&E6b Measure and estimate the weight, length, or volume of objects.
I&E6c Formulate and justify predictions based on cause-and-effect relationships.
I&E6d Conduct multiple trials to test a prediction and draw conclusions about the relationships
between predictions and results.
I&E6f Follow a set of written instructions for a scientific investigation.
full option science system
Concepts
Reading and Writing
Assessment
• Rocks have many properties, including shape,
color, and texture.
• What Geologists Do
• Rocks are made of ingredients called
minerals; minerals are made of only one
substance.
• Mock Rocks
Pretest
Embedded Assessment
• Crystal Identification Table
• Teacher observation
• Mineral crystals have identifiable shapes.
• Summary: Mock Rocks
• Science Notebook: Students record
observations, make drawings, and come to
conclusions about mock rock ingredients.
• Science notebook
• Response sheet
Benchmark Assessment
• I-Check 1
• A mineral is an earth material that cannot be
physically broken down any further.
• Mining for Minerals
Embedded Assessment
• Hardness, a mineral property, is the resistance
of a mineral to being scratched; minerals can
be identified and seriated by hardness.
• Birthstones
• Summary: Scratch Test
• Science notebook
• Response sheet
• Science Notebook: Students record mineral
observations and organize hardness data in
a chart to help identify minerals.
Benchmark Assessment
• Rocks are made of minerals.
• Calcite = Calcium Carbonate
Embedded Assessment
• Calcite is one of the most common minerals
on Earth.
• Rock of Ages
• Science notebook
• Sometimes more than one test is needed to
provide conclusive evidence.
• Science Notebook: Students record rock
observations and organize evidence for the
presence of calcite in rock samples.
Benchmark Assessment
• Rocks are made of ingredients called minerals.
• Identifying Minerals
Embedded Assessment
• Minerals can be identified by their properties
(e.g. hardness, luster, streak, fizzing in acid).
• Where Do Rocks Come From?
• Teacher observation
• The three basic rock types are igneous,
sedimentary, and metamorphic.
• Science Notebook: Students record
their rock and mineral observations and
organize this information on a diagnostic
chart to identify the minerals.
• Crystal patterns can help us identify certain
minerals.
• Summary: Calcite Quest
• I-Check 2
• Response sheet
• I-Check 3
• Limestone and marble are two rocks that
contain calcite.
• The rock cycle is a way to describe how the
three types of rocks form from one another.
• Summary: Take It for Granite
• Response sheet
• Science notebook
Benchmark Assessment
• I-Check 4
• Chemical weathering of rocks changes
minerals into different minerals.
• Weathering
Embedded Assessment
• Physical weathering breaks rock into smaller
particles by physical forces.
• Landform Vocabulary
• Science notebook
• Erosion and Deposition
• Teacher observation
• Erosion wears away and transports earth
materials by water, wind, or ice; deposition
relocates eroded earth materials.
• Volcanoes, earthquakes, and landslides
contribute to rapid changes in landforms.
solid earth
• Landforms Photo Album
• It Happened So Fast!
• Cynthia Dusel-Bacon: USGS Geologist
• Summary: Landforms
• Science Notebook: Students record
observations of results, draw stream-table
maps, and interpret results.
• Response sheet
• Performance assessment
Benchmark Assessment
• I-Check 5
Posttest
solid earth Overview
safety in the classroom
Following the procedures described in
each investigation will make for a very
safe experience with earth science in the
classroom. You should also review your
district safety guidelines and make sure that
everything that you do is consistent with
those guidelines.
Look for the safety-note icon in the Getting
Ready section, which will alert you to safety
concerns throughout the module.
You will need to provide goggles for
students when they take apart the mock
rocks. Small amounts of household vinegar
are put on rocks in Investigations 3, 4, and 5.
If your district requires goggles for students
using household vinegar, provide them at
that time.
Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for
materials used in the FOSS program can
be found on the Delta Education website
(http://www.delta-education.com/msds.
shtml). If you have questions regarding any
MSDS, call Delta Education toll free at 800258-1302 (Monday–Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
EST).
General classroom safety rules to share with
students include
1. Listen carefully to all instructions.
Follow directions. Ask questions if you
don’t know what to do.
4. Never smell any unknown material.
If your teacher asks you to smell a
material, wave your hand over the
material to draw the smell toward your
nose.
5. Do not touch your face, mouth, ears,
nose, or eyes while working with
chemicals, plants, or animals.
6. Always protect your eyes. Wear safety
goggles when necessary. Tell your
teacher if you wear contact lenses.
7. Always wash your hands with soap
and warm water after working with
chemicals, plants, or animals.
8. Never mix any chemicals unless your
teacher tells you to do so.
9. Report all spills and accidents to your
teacher.
10. Treat animals with respect, caution, and
consideration.
11. Clean up your work space after each
investigation.
12. Act responsibly during science
investigations.
These rules are provided for your class on
the FOSS safety poster and are in the Science
Resources book for each student.
2. Tell your teacher if you have any
allergies.
3. Never put any materials in your mouth.
Do not taste anything unless your
teacher tells you to.
32
full option science system
scheduling the module
For comprehensive teaching of the science
standards at grade 4, with multiple
exposures, science should be taught
every day. Active-investigation sessions
(including wrap-up) and reading sessions
might be 40–45 minutes, I-Check and
assessment-review sessions 20–25 minutes.
Active-investigation (A) sessions include
hands-on work with rocks, minerals,
and stream tables, active thinking about
the concrete experiences, small-group
discussion, writing in science notebooks,
learning new vocabulary in context, and
completing written embedded assessments
to inform instruction.
Week
Day 1
Day 2
Pretest
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Reading (R) sessions (Science Resources
book) include individual and interactive
reading, answering review questions,
and discussing the reading to ensure that
students integrate the information.
I-Checks are short summative assessments.
Students respond to written prompts.
The next day, after you have scored the
assessments, students review their written
responses to reflect on and improve their
understanding.
Day 3
Day 4
Start Inv. 1 part 2
Start Inv. 1 part 1
A/W
Wrap-up (W) sessions are teacher-directed
vocabulary reinforcement and science
content review.
R
A/W
Day 5
Start Inv. 1 part 3
R
A
Start Inv. 2 part 1
A/W
R
I-Check 1
Review
A/W
W
R
R
Start Inv. 2 part 2
R
A
I-Check 2
Review
A/W
R
A
R
R
I-Check 3 Review
Start Inv. 3 part 2
Start Inv. 3 part 1
A/W Start Inv. 4 part 2
Start Inv. 4 part 1
A
A/W
R
A/W
Start Inv. 5 part 1
R
R
I-Check 4
Review
A
Start Inv. 5 part 2
A
A
Start Inv. 5 part 3
A/W
A/W
R
A/W
A/W
R
Start Inv. 5 part 4
R
A
Start Inv. 5 part 5
R
I-Check 5
Review
A
A
Posttest
solid earth
33
solid earth overview
Scope and Sequence for
FOSS California 2007 Edition
Grade
Physical Sciences
Life Sciences
Earth Sciences
5
Mixtures and Solutions
Living Systems
Water Planet
4
Magnetism and Electricity
Environments
Solid Earth
3
Matter and Energy
Structures of Life
Sun, Moon, and Stars
2
Balance and Motion
Insects and Plants
Pebbles, Sand, and Silt
Plants and Animals
Air and Weather
Animals Two by Two
Trees
Wood and Paper
Trees
1
K
Published and distributed by
P.O. Box 3000
80 Northwest Boulevard
Nashua, NH 03063-4067
1-800-258-1302
34
Solids and Liquids
Air and Weather
Wood and Paper
The FOSS program was developed with
the support of National Science
Foundation grants Nos. MDR-8751727
and MDR-9150097. However, any
opinions, findings, conclusions, statements, and recommendations expressed
herein are those of the authors and do
not necessarily reflect the views of NSF.
Developed by
Full Option
Science System
Lawrence Hall of Science
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720
510-642-8941
full option science system