Elementary Inquiry Unit
Grade Level: Second Grade
Unit Title: Rocks and Soil
Time Frame: 5 Weeks
Stage 1—Desired Results
Established Goals:
Standard 5-1A The Earth’s crust is composed of various materials including soil
and rocks.
Standard 5-1B: The Earth’s materials are formed through a variety of processes.
Standard 3-4A Fossils provide evidence that organisms that lived in the past
were similar and different from organisms present today.
Standard 7-1A: Scientific inquiry includes the ability of students to develop and
test scientific questions.
Standard 7-1B: Scientific inquiry relies upon gathering evidence from qualitative
and quantitative observations.
Standard 7-1C: Evidence gathered from a fair test is used to answer scientific
questions.
Standard 7-1E: The nature of science relies upon communication of results and
justification of explanations.
Enduring Understandings:
Students will understand that…
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Rocks are composed of minerals and both are used in a variety of ways
Soil is composed of many materials including dead organisms
Catastrophic events cause changes in rocks and soil
Fossils are evidence that organisms lived in the past
Essential Questions:
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How can rocks and minerals be classified?
What is soil?
What happens to dead organisms?
How do changes in the earth’s crust form rocks and soils?
How do fossils prove that organisms lived in the past?
Key Knowledge and Skills:
Students will know…
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Different rocks have different
properties
Rocks are combinations of
minerals, and they may also
contain organic materials
That soil may contain the
remains of animals and plants
Sand, clay and hummus are 3 of
the basic components in soil
Every soil component has
unique properties that can be
identified using simple tests
Fossils are a record of life in the
past
Rocks and soil change by
earthquakes, floods, and
volcanoes.
The properties of rocks and
minerals determine how they are
used
People use rocks and minerals
to meet specific needs
Students will be able to …
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Perform simple tests to describe
and identify mineral and soil
components
Communicate observations
through writing, drawing and
discussion
Sort minerals on the basis of
similarities and differences
Identify rocks and how they
were formed
Define: igneous, metamorphic,
sedimentary, fossil, mineral,
organic, properties, luster
Stage 2—Assessment Evidence
Performance Task:
You are archeologists. You are responsible for digging up and identifying various
rocks, minerals and fossils. Once you have excavated them you will need to
perform simple tests to identify what the specimen is. (Rock, mineral or fossil)
You will then have to report where in your digging area you found each item.
(Grid coordinates)
Other Evidence:
Journal entries, observation sheets, discussions, classroom performance, quiz.
Stage 3—Learning Plan
Learning Activities:
Day 1: Sharing What You Know About Rocks: KWL chart on rocks. Give
students a baggie and ask them to bring at least 3 rocks from home. (H, E, T, O)
Day 2: Observing Rocks: Students observe with a hand lens their rocks and fill
out the observation sheet. Hand out specific rocks and have students observe
them using their senses and sort them. (W, E, E, O)
Day 3: Learning More About Rocks: Students will identify properties related to
how rocks are formed. (W, E, R, O)
Day 4: Discovering Minerals: Students compare rocks and minerals and discuss
the similarities and differences. (W, E, R)
Day 5&6&7: Observing Minerals: Students perform simple tests to distinguish
minerals from each other. (H, E, R, E)
Day 8: How Are Rocks and Minerals Used: Students read information on rocks
and minerals and create a class Venn diagram. (W, E, R, T, O)
Day 9: Become a Rock Detective: Students move from station to station and
observe rocks, minerals and fossils and share their findings. Discuss what
fossils are and what they tell us. (H, E)
Day 10: What Is In Soil?: KWL on soil and then students observe soil and
answer questions. (H, W, E)
Day 11: Where Do Dead Plants Go?: Students will observe decomposition bags
and read story on p118 in STC Soils book. (H, W, O)
Day 12: Introducing Sand, Clay and Humus: Students observe different
samples and fill out observation sheets. (W, E, O)
Day 13: When Soils Get Wet: Students describe the feel and appearance of wet
sand, clay and humus. (W, E, O)
Day 14: Opening the Compost Bags: Students open and observe the similarities
and differences in their bags. Read story on p.146 in STC Soils book. (H, E, E)
Day 15: Show the Eyewitness Natural Disaster video. At the conclusion of the
movie the students will record the effects of natural disasters on the earth’s
surface in their journals. (H, W, O)
Day 16: Make volcanoes. (H)
Day 17-20: Performance Task (H, W, O, T, E)