Problem-Based Learning
ITEL’s Adventure Planning Guide
Name of Simulation Unit
Grade Level (s): 6th grade
Subject Matter: Geology – The Rock Cycle
Designed and developed by:
Name: Lauren Richards
Provide a Brief Summary of the Simulation Unit (25-35 words):
Students will become rocks as they travel through the rock cycle, change
forms, decide what will happen to them and then experience what it is like to be
a rock. They will keep a journal as they go and from journal will sprout a
children’s book about the rock cycle, detailing their journeys.
Unit Details
1. Choose the Problem
a. Place a check in front of the description that indicates the source of the
problem:
1. Current events
2. **A topic, theme, or central issue from your curriculum**
3. Students’ interest and learning characteristics
4. Informed intuition
5. Other, please describe
b. Please provide a 25-50 word description of the central problem your students
will explore in this PBL adventure.
Students will learn about the rock cycle by becoming a rock. They will
collect minerals along the way. Students will understand how rocks
change and become different forms by doing it themselves. When
students change forms they will be asked to complete activities that
enhance their understanding of the form that they have taken. Students
will also maintain a journal of their life as a rock and create a children’s
book at the end of their journey.
2. Rationale for the Problem
a. Briefly describe (25-50 words) the problem statement or guiding question that
lies at the foundation of this unit.
What does a pebble lying on the ground learn in its lifetime?
 Has it always been there?
 Where has it traveled?
 What has it experienced?
The guiding question has to do with the students becoming an inanimate object.
Students will be thinking critically about a rock. They will be exploring the life
cycle of a rock including it’s travels, transformations and experiences. Students
will come away with an inside look at the complexities of the rock cycle. They
will then synthesize this experience into a teaching tool.
3. Develop Problem Documents and Problem Statement
a. Briefly describe (25-50 words) the problem statement or guiding question that
lies at the foundation of this unit.
What does a pebble lying on the ground learn in its lifetime?
 Has it always been there?
 Where has it traveled?
 What has it experienced?
The guiding question has to do with the students becoming an inanimate object.
Students will be thinking critically about a rock. They will be exploring the life
cycle of a rock including it’s travels, transformations and experiences. Students
will come away with an inside look at the complexities of the rock cycle. They
will then synthesize this experience into a teaching tool. (repeat question?)





b. List the documents the students will be working with.
Trade book (Peeble in my Pocket by ?)
Harcourt Science Text, 2002
Interactive PowerPoint
Activity reading and experiments, 3 per station (attached)
Children’s book rubric
4. Decide Students’ Role and Situation
The decision you make below about whether students will play single or
multiple roles will likely be influenced by a variety of factors, including: the
learning goals of the unit, the age of the students, and the time you are
dedicating to the unit. For example, a third-grade teacher desiring to spend
one day on a PBL adventure may find it easier to have all students play the
same role. In contrast, a high school teacher desiring to spend several
instructional periods and have students experience the complexity inherent in
multiple perspectives may choose to have students to play different roles.
A. In this Simulation Unit,
1. Students will assume the same role (newspaper editorial
writers, for example)
2. Role Name
3. Brief Description
OR
B. Students will assume different roles (for example scientists, state
senators, farmers)
Group
Role Name Brief Description (12-15 words)
1
Igneous Rock
Igneous rock is lava or
magma that has cooled over time. A group will play this role
for a time and then switch roles.
2
Sedimentary Rock
Sedimentary rock is
eroded or weathered rock that has been cemented together.
A group will play this role for a time and then switch roles.
3
Metamorphic Rock
Metamorphic rock is
sedimentary or igneous rock that has been heated or
compressed by the earth. A group will play this role for a
time and then switch roles.
C. Explain how the simulation addresses each of the following elements
of an effective simulation: content, context, and process fidelity. In so
doing, tell about the obstacles, decisions and choices, and any other
Dodge criteria listed on your Simulation Planning: Version 2 Sheet.
e. Fidelity: context, content, Context fidelity (medium) - Students will literally
process
move about the room like a life-sized rock cycle.
Students will interact with a PowerPoint presentation
to change forms. Students will complete activities
that their rock would go through at each station.
Students will make choices about what will happen
to them next and there will be consequences and
rewards for these choices.
Content fidelity (high) – Students are learning real
information about rocks and the rock cycle. They
are using information from a text and completing
activities to enhance understanding of the three
types of rocks and how they change form.
Process fidelity (medium) – Students cannot actually
become rocks, as they could become a newpaper
editor, but they can take the role as far as their
interest allows. The journal of their life as a rock is
intended for the student to process the information
being presented in a unique way.
f. Problem scenario(s)
What does a pebble lying on the ground learn in its
lifetime?
 Has it always been there?
 Where has it traveled?
 What has it experienced?
1) Students will read a trade book about rocks and
then will go out in the school yard to find their own
rock to examine.
2) Students will observe the rock and brainstorm
what they already know about rocks and make a list
of questions that they would like to know about
rocks and how they change.
3) Students are to travel through the rocks cycle so
that they visit each station at least twice, so that
they collect two minerals per station. Students are
to understand the rocks by becoming them,
experiencing activities about them and keeping a
journal about their journey. Students also collect
minerals along the way.
g. Roles students will play
Students will being by selecting either igneous,
and collaboration involved
sedimentary or metamorphic rock. They will change
roles as they complete activities and collect minerals
from each station. Student roles will change with
the choices that they make.
h. Dodge criteria for student Students will live the life cycle of a rock. Students
role interactions:
will make their way through the centuries changing
 Movement through
forms and moving about the room as they become
time and space
one form or another. Each movement by the
students is considered a thousand years.
5A.

Obstacles
Students will have to complete activities at each
station in order to move on. For example, students
that become metamorphic rock will need to complete
an activity about the heat and compression that
caused them to become a metamorphic rock.

Decisions and
choices

Goals, prizes

Random or
uncontrolled event
Students decide whether or not they should be
melted, compressed, or smashed at the end of each
activity. Depending on what they choose, they will
become a certain type of rock. Under one selection
will be hidden a random event that holds them up
and causes them to have to do something silly.
Students collect minerals along the way. Minerals
will be in the form of little plastic jewels. It will be
their goal to collect two from each station.
Students may be caught in a stream, eaten by an
animal, become part of a rock collection, etc. There
will be random events that slow down the changing
forms of the rock.
Determine Learning Outcomes
In the space provided below, state the major instructional objectives for your
Simulation Unit. Remember when possible, use overt behavioral verbs such
as describe, judge, or compare as opposed to covert verbs such as know or
understand. To save space, begin each learning outcome with TSWBAT (The
student will be able to ….). To support this process, consult such tools as:
1. your district’s course of study,
2. ISTE’s NETS Standards for Students (Technology Standards) or
Ohio Technology Standards that I gave you.
Configure this chart in any way that will help you organize your units. Add
more rows, if needed.
Learning Outcome
1
2
Describe the rock cycle and explain that
there are sedimentary, igneous and
TSWBAT metamorphic rocks that have distinct
properties and are formed in different ways.
1(6ES)
Explain that rocks are made of one or more
minerals. 2(6ES)
TSWBAT
3
TSWBAT
Identify minerals by their characteristic
properties. 3(6ES)
4
Describe how landforms are created through
a combination of destructive and
TSWBAT
constructive processes. 13(8ES)
5
Use content-specific tools, software and
TSWBAT simulations to support learning and
research. (4)
Select and use appropriate tools and
technology resources to accomplish a variety
TSWBAT
of tasks. (8)
6
Curriculum
Standards and
Technology
Standards
Lakota Local
Schools Science
Curriculum(Grades
6-8)
Lakota Local
Schools Science
Curriculum(Grades
6-8)
Lakota Local
Schools Science
Curriculum(Grades
6-8)
Lakota Local
Schools Science
Curriculum(Grades
6-8)
NETS(Grades 6-8)
NETS(Grades 6-8)
7
Select appropriate technology resources to
solve problems and support learning.
TSWBAT
(Standard 3, Benchmark B)
Ohio Technology
Standards(Grades
6-8)
8
Use productivity tools to produce creative
works, to prepare publications and to
TSWBAT
construct technology-enhanced models.
(Standard 3, Benchmark C)
Use narrative strategies to develop
characters, plot and setting, and maintain a
TSWBAT
consistent point of view. (Benchmark A)
Ohio Technology
Standards(Grades
6-8)
9
10
Prepare writing for publication that is logical,
follows an appropriate format, and uses
TSWBAT
techniques such as electronic resources and
graphics. (Benchmark H)
Lakota Local
Schools L.A.
Curriculum(Grades
6-8)
Lakota Local
Schools L.A.
Curriculum(Grades
6-8)
5B. Technology Integration Used to Help Students Achieving Learning Outcomes
Also, although the main technology-enhanced learning focus is the simulation,
identify the uses of technology in your unit by checking the appropriate boxes in
the ADISC chart below. You must address student diversity in some manner
with technology. Do not check simulation unless you are using a technologybased simulation for the unit.
ADISC MODEL
Used? Type
Description
Technology that supports students and teachers in adjusting,
Yes
A
adapting, or augmenting teaching and learning to meet the needs of
individual learners or groups of learners.
Technology that supports students and teachers in dealing effectively
D
with data, including data management, manipulation, and display.
Technology that supports students and teachers in conducting
I
inquiry, including the effective use of Internet research tools.
Technology that supports students and teachers in simulating real
Yes
S
world phenomena, including the modeling of physical, economic, and
mathematical relationships.
Technology that supports students and teachers in communicating
Yes
C
and collaborating, including the effective use of multimedia tools
and online collaboration.
5C. General Pattern of the Simulation
Describe the general pattern of the simulation that you have designed.
m. General pattern of the
1. Brief overview of minerals and the three types
simulation
of rocks.
2. Select a rock to begin.
3. Move to that station.
4. Complete the enhancement activity.
5. Record information in journal.
6. Collect mineral (reward).
7. Random even or move to next station.
8. Move to station.
9. Repeat pattern.
10. Debrief by writing a children’s book and
sharing it with younger students.
6. Scaffolding the Problem
This important step in the PBL planning process is significant because it is where
you make important decisions about how the PBL learning adventure will unfold,
and over what period of time. When this stage in the planning process is
completed, you will have the map necessary to guide you in facilitating the unit.
The primary task in this stage is to complete a PBL flow chart or storyboard for
the unit to support you in laying out key learning, teaching, and assessment
events. Remember, PBL is grounded in constructivist learning theory.
Consequently, your original plans may change as the problem unfolds and
students interact with the problem. Nonetheless, having a map at the beginning of
the journey is most helpful. (Even high-risk outdoor adventurers rarely wander off
on an adventure without a map and compass).
Remember, there are no hard rules about how long a Simulation Unit should be.
Many teachers successfully employ PBL strategies in a single class period, while
others develop units that may engage students for several days or even weeks.
Depending upon the grade level you teach, you may prefer to think about time in
terms of instructional hours, periods, or days.*Simulation Units should require
approximately 5-20 hours of teaching/learning time.
Stage
Hours Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Events
or
Days
Meet the problem
45 min 1. Will technology support this section of the unit?
Students will read a trade book about rocks and then
will go out in the school yard to find their own rock
to examine.
Identify what
45 min 1. Will technology support this section of the unit?
Students will observe the rock and brainstorm what
students know and
need to know
they already know about rocks and make a list of
questions that they would like to know about rocks
and how they change.
Define the problem 10 min What does a pebble lying on the ground learn in its
lifetime?
Think about and include in the answer as it relates to student
Gather and share
4-5
roles:
information
days
1. Will research be independent or collaborative?
Research will be in collaborative teams. Teams will
travel together through the rock cycle collecting
important information at different stations.
2. Will you guide students to resources or let them discover it?
Students will be guided through the stations with
specific activities to do to gain the knowledge that
they need.
3. When and where will the research be conducted?
The research will be conducted in the classroom during
class time.
4. How will technology support this section of the unit?
Technology will be used in the form of an interactive
PowerPoint presentation. The students will make
decisions and find random events that hinder their
progress using this tool.
Generate solutions
2-3
days
Think about and include in the answer as it relates to student
roles:
1. Will solutions be proposed by individuals or groups?
Solutions will be proposed by individuals in the form
of a children’s book. Students will be required to use
the information that they gathered from the group to
synthesize it into a children’s book.
2. What format, standards, protocol will you require students
to use in proposing their solutions?
Students will receive a rubric (attached) to guide
their children’s book.
3. How will students present their solutions to the problem?
Students will present their solutions to a younger
group of students.
4. How will technology support this section of the unit?
Students will be able to use Word to write the text of
the their children’s book.
Determine best fit
of solutions
45 min 1. What assessment strategies and rubrics will you employ to judge
the quality of the proposed solution?
During the reading of the book, the younger
students will give the book a 1-5 based on their
interest and what they learned.
2.
Who will assess the proposed solutions?
The proposed solutions will be assessed by the
younger students.
3.
How will you or your students determine the relative advantages
and disadvantages of the alternate solutions?
Upon return from the reading, students will discuss
the ratings of their books. We will discuss the
advantages and disadvantages of our telling of the
rock cycle.
Present the
solution
45 min 1. Once a final solution or package of solutions is arrived at,
Debrief the
45 min 1. Describe the anticipated flow of the debriefing. Base some of the
how will they be presented and to what audience?
The book will then be given to the teacher for a
thorough grading based on the rubric. Students will
be required to share their final and graded product
with their family and then write a reflection based on
what their family thought.
flow on the information I gave you in class about effective
debriefing (which you then adapt for your students.)
problem
Students will spend time in cooperative learning
groups, telling and sharing. We will first cover how
they felt going through the simulation. We will then
discuss their roles and why they chose to make the
decisions they did and what the consequences of
those decisions were. Finally and most importantly,
we will discuss the rock cycle and in which situations
you turn into different rocks. What does it mean to
be an igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic rock?
Identify the resources that support the unit:
Resource/Reference
Description and Location
The Pebble in my Pocket
By: Meredith Hooper and
Chris Coady
Viking: Orlando, 1996.
Children’s book over the history
of the earth. Purchased on
amazon.com.
Science (Text)
Harcourt: Hong Kong, 2002.
Science textbook.
7. Develop Performance Assessment
Many traditional forms of assessment can be used as measures of student learning
in a Simulation Unit. However, one hallmark of a quality PBL adventure is
engaging students in a performance assessment. The design of powerful
performance assessments requires as much creativity as the design of innovative
instructional strategies. Remember, the very best performance assessments are
powerful learning experiences as well.
Briefly describe (25-100 words) the performance assessment you will use as a capstone
or culminating experience for this Simulation.
Students will find a rock in their own backyards. It should be dirty and hardly
recognizable. Students will then test the rock for properties appropriately,
search through guides for rocks that match its properties and determine which
rock they think they have. They will write up their findings to e-mail to a
geologist to ask questions and to validate their findings. I have one geologist
lined up to come in and talk to us and I’m hoping that he’ll be able to do that
then.