Sr. Rene Noel Blanchard
EDMT 330, Lesson Plan
10/8/14
Title: Cave Creations!
Grade: 6th
Duration: 1 ½ hours
Standards:
 Science: E.SE.06.12 Explain how waves, wind, water, and glacier movement, shape and reshape
the land surface of the Earth by eroding rock in some areas and depositing sediments in other
areas.
 Technology: 6-8.RI.1. use a variety of digital resources to locate information
 Art: ART.VA.I.6.5 Produce and exhibit a final product that demonstrates quality craftsmanship
and technique at a developing level.
 Language Arts: W.GN.06.01: write a cohesive narrative piece such as a personal narrative,
adventure, tall tale, folktale, fantasy, or poetry that includes appropriate conventions to the
genre, employing elements of characterization for major and minor characters; internal and/or
external conflict; and issues of plot, theme, and imagery.
Goals and Objectives:
 Students will be able to describe at least three different cave features
 Students will be able to describe at least one method of cave formation
 Students will be able to navigate a website by following links
 Students will demonstrate their research of cave features by creating a model cave
 Students will create a cave model that accurately reflects cave features
 Students will compose a piece of poetry to display outside their cave
Overview: In this assignment, student will research and learn about different types of caves and cave
features. They will create a clay cave in groups after deciding what features they want to include in their
cave. They will visit a spelunking website and follow the links to view pictures of and learn about cave
features.
Materials:
 A PC or MAC
 Internet access and provider
 Clay
 Shoeboxes—one per group
 Plastic wrap
 Markers
 Cards with cave formations, color-coded for type of cave they’re found in.
Anticipatory Set: As the students are coming into the classroom, have the YouTube video The Most
Incredible Caves in the World playing on the projector.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
1. After students have come in and are settled, give a brief introduction to caves, asking them
what they know. Talk about what they saw in the anticipatory set video.
2. Teach students about the four different kinds of caves using the cave PowerPoint multimedia
presentation. The four kinds are: sea caves, solution caves, lava tube caves, and glacial/erosional
caves.
3. Separate the students into groups of three and give each group a shoebox.
4. Have the cards of cave formations from the website up front (such as “raft”, “stalactite”, and
“arch”). Each student will select a kind of formation to put in the group’s cave. Keep in mind that
these are pretend caves: the features can be from different types of caves.
5. Now, groups will take turns at the computer looking up their features. The color of their feature
will show them which cave their feature is found in. They will go to the site
http://www.goodearthgraphics.com/virtcave/ and follow the links and do a google search, until
they can find and read about their formation, as well as look at a picture. They should use the
given website and at least one other reputable source.
6. The groups not working on their research will work on a piece of poetry to display outside of
their cave. This integrates language arts into the lesson and allows the students to be actively
engaged while not using the computer. Groups that have already done their research can also
begin work on their caves.
7. At the end of the work time, have each group display their cave and walk around the room to
enjoy the cave tour as each group shares about their cave.
Questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What are the four basic types of caves? Where are they found?
How does your formation form?
What is your favorite formation to look at?
Which kind of a cave would you visit if you had the chance? Why?
Was it difficult to find a second source for information?
Cave Design Project
Teacher Name: Sr. Rene Noel Blanchard
Group Member Names:
________________________________________
CATEGORY
4
3
2
1
Quality of Work
The group provides
work of the highest
quality.
The group provides
high quality work.
The group provides
work that occasionally
needs to be
checked/redone.
The group provides
work that usually
needs to be
checked/redone by the
teacher to ensure
quality.
Attitude
The group always has
a positive attitude
about the task(s). They
are never critical of
each other.
The group often has a
positive attitude
about the task(s).
They are rarely critical
of each other.
The group usually has
a positive attitude
about the task(s). They
are occasionally critical
of each other.
The group often has a
negative attitude
about the task(s). They
are fighting and critical
with each other.
Poetry Piece
The poem topic is
cave-related and
follows a set poem
structure.
The poem is caverelated but does not
have a structure.
The poem is not cave
related but follows a
set poem structure.
The poem is not caverelated and has no
structure.
Cave Creation
The cave depicts 3
formations as
accurately as possible;
students show a
perfect or near-perfect
understanding of their
formation and cave
type that the
formation is found in.
Students can name
their formations.
The cave depicts less
than 3 formations;
team members are
only able to vaguely
describe their
features as well as
naming the
formation.
The cave depicts less
than 3 formations;
team members know
nothing outside of the
name of the formation.
The cave was not
created; team
members cannot
describe or name a
single formation.
Clay Works
Students used a
Students used some Students did not try to No formations molded
variety of known
techniques to mold
represent formations out of clay are present.
techniques to mold
their cave formations. accurately.
their cave formations
according to pictures
found on the website.
Computer Research
Skills
Students looked up
their formation on the
given website and on
another source. The
second source is
reputable. Each
student had a turn
navigating the
computer.
Students looked up
their cave formations
on another website
without visiting the
given site, or viceversa; not all of the
team members had a
turn on the computer.
Students looked up
their formations in a
different resource
outside of the
computer.
Students did not
research their
formation on the
computer at all.