Pebbles, Sand, and Silt Writing to Learn Opportunities
The following writing activities are intended for use after the science investigations, either as part of the
student’s notebook or separately. Students should refer to information in their science notebooks as they
participate in these writing opportunities. Providing writing practice through science supports understanding of
the science content while also improving writing skills.
Investigation 1
First Rocks
Concept 1: Expressive
(Bring in different sized river rocks that students can use to create rock
pets.) Pretend you are your “rock pet”. Tell your owner about the
adventures you would like to go on. (Part 5)
P.O. 1.
Write a narrative that includes:
a. a main idea based on real or
imagined events
b. character(s)
c. a sequence of events
P.O. 2
Participate in writing simple poetry,
rhymes, songs, or chants.
Concept 2: Expository
P.O. 1
Create expository texts (e.g., labels,
lists, observations, journals) through
drawing and writing.
P.O .2
Participate in creating simple summaries
from informational texts, graphs, tables,
or maps.
Concept 3: Functional
P.O. 1
Write a variety of functional text (e.g.,
classroom rules, letters, experiments,
recipes, notes/messages, labels,
directions, posters, graphs/tables).
P.O. 1
P.O. 2
Participate in writing communications,
with teacher as scribe, including
a. friendly letters
b. thank-you notes
As a class, write a Haiku about a rock. (Part 2)
Haiku-poems consist of 15 syllables
Line one: 5 syllables
Line two: 7syllables
Line three: 5 syllables
Using vocabulary words from the Word Bank and your notebook, write
complete sentences that describe one of the three rocks. (Part 1)
Explain what happens to the rocks when they are put into the water. Use
pictures and words to explain how they look different before and after
they are in the water. (Part 2 )
Using vocabulary words from the Word Bank and your notebook, make
a 3-part T chart listing words that describe each of your three rocks.
(Part 1)
Make a chart describing the different ways that rocks can be sorted.
Provide a label for each category. (Part 3 & 4)
Write a letter to a friend telling him/her how you sorted your rocks and
why. (Part 3 & 4)
Concept 4: Persuasive
Performance objectives at grades
3-12
TUSD Dept.ofProfessionalDevelopment&Academics/SRC/9/24/2004
Concept 5: Literary
Response
P.O. 2
Participate in a group response to a
given piece of literature that connects:
a. text to self (personal
connection)
b. text to world (social
connection)
c. text to text (compare within
multiple texts)
Read Exploring Rocks in Pebbles, Sand, and Silt Science Stories. Connect
the text to your own experience by discussing with your classmates:
“What is the biggest and smallest rock you’ve ever seen? The smoothest
and roughest rock? The shiniest rock?” Bring a “favorite rock” to
school to share.
P.O. 1
Write a simple report with a title and
three facts, using informational sources.
Write about your favorite rock. Why did you choose it? What makes it
special? What does it look like? What do you do with it?
(Part 1)
What is a rock? Gather information from texts, your notebook and the
Internet to summarize into a simple research report. Use drawings,
sentences, and include at least 3 facts. (Parts 1-5)
Investigation 2
River Rocks
Concept 1: Expressive
Imagine you are a river rock. As a class, write a cinquain about your life
as a river rock. (Part 2)
First line: Noun: River rock
Second line: Two describing adjectives
Third line: Three verbs or action words
Fourth line: A 4 word short phrase
Fifth line: Noun: A synonym with first word
Explain why we need different size screens to sort the rocks. (Part 1)
Concept 6: Research
P.O. 1.
Concept 2: Expository
P.O. 1:
P.O. 1:
Concept 3: Functional
P.O. 1
After you have shaken your vial of sand and water, predict what the vial
contents will look like the next day. Draw a picture and write your
prediction in your science notebook. (Part 3)
Make a poster to display in your classroom showing the sizes of earth
materials ranging from the smallest to the largest. (Part 2)
Concept 4: Persuasive
Performance objectives at grades
3-12
TUSD Dept.ofProfessionalDevelopment&Academics/SRC/9/24/2004
Concept 5: Literary
Response
P.O. 2
P.O. 1
Write a response to a literature selection
identifies the:
a. character(s)
b. setting
c. sequence of events
d. main idea
Concept 6: Research
Read Story of Sand in Pebbles, Sand, and Silt Science Stories
? ? What was the author of Story of Sand trying to tell you? What do
you understand about sand that you didn’t before? Write your
response in your science notebook. (Part 3)
? ? Pretend you are a tiny grain of sand on the beach in the Story of
Sand. Draw pictures and write dialogue with a big rock telling
how you got to be so small. (Part 3)
P.O. 1
How did Native Americans use clay as an important part of their culture?
Investigate through research from library books and the Internet. As a
group write a simple report including at least 3 facts. (Part 4)
Investigation 3
Using Rocks
Concept 1: Expressive
Pretend the sand sculpture that you made is alive. Write a narrative
about your adventures with it. (Part 3)
Take a walk around your home with someone from your family. Make a
list in your notebook of all the things you see made out of earth materials.
(Part 1)
P.O. 1
Concept 2: Expository
P.O. 1
P.O. 1
Describe how it feels when you rub your finger over fine sandpaper.
How is it different from coarse sandpaper? Describe your observations in
your science notebook.
(Part 2)
Concept 3: Functional
P.O. 2
Send your sandpaper rubbing artwork to a relative. Include a letter
telling the steps you used in making your artwork. Put your letter and
artwork in an envelope, address it to your relative, and mail it. (Part 2)
P.O. 1
Write directions for making clay beads for your friends. Tell them how
you make designs on your beads before and after they dry. (Part 4)
P.O. 1
Concept 4: Persuasive
(also Expository P.O. 2)
Make a poster for the newspaper advertising the “cool bead necklaces”
you have for sale. (Part 4)
Review the story The Three Little Pigs with your teacher. From the
point of view of the third little pig, urge a new pig in the neighborhood to
build a house out of adobe. Remember to state your reasons why. (Part 5)
TUSD Dept.ofProfessionalDevelopment&Academics/SRC/9/24/2004
Concept 5: Literary
Response
P.O. 2
P.O. 2
Concept 6: Research
P.O. 1
Read Rocks Move in Pebbles, Sand, and Silt Science Stories
Pretend a new student has come to your class. Tell him/her, from your
personal experience, how the rain during the monsoons can move rocks
in rivers and washes. Draw a picture and write about the monsoons in
Tucson. (Part 1)
Read Making Things with Rocks in Pebbles, Sand, and Silt Science
Stories. As a class, connect the things made out of rocks in the story with
the things you found made out of rocks during your school fieldtrip.
Write sentences about how they are the same and different. (Part 5)
How is adobe used as an important building material in the Southwest?
Investigate through research from library books and the Internet. As a
group write a simple report including at least 3 facts. (Part 5)
Investigation 4
Soil Explorations
Concept 1: Expressive
Using vocabulary from the Word Bank, write an acrostic poem
describing the plants and animals that live in soil. (Part 1)
S–
OILWrite a note to your teacher describing where you found soil to use for
the soil investigation on local soils. Draw a map to go with the
description. (Part 2)
Write a letter to a friend or relative. Tell them you have been studying
sand and soil. Ask them to send you some sand or soil in a baggie from
where they live to use in class for your science investigations. Put the
letter in an envelope, address it, and mail it. (Part 3)
Draw a poster for the kindergarten classes showing what is in the soil in
the schoolyard. Include pictures and labels. On the bottom write a
sentence about why it is not smart to eat soil. (Part 3)
Read What is in Soil? in Pebbles, Sand, and Silt Science Stories.
Make a smoosh book titled “What is in Soil?” On each page draw a
picture and write a sentence about what you might find in soil. (Part 1)
Do plants grow better in soil or sand? Read Testing Soil in the Pebbles,
Sand, and Silt Science Stories. As a class, do the investigation. Write a
summary for your school newsletter telling what you discovered in your
experiment. Include your question, what you did, and what you learned.
(Part 3)
P.O. 1
Concept 2: Expository
P.O. 1, 2
Concept 3: Functional
P.O. 2, 3
Concept 4: Persuasive
(also Functional P.O. 1)
Concept 5: Literary
Response.
P.O. 1
Concept 6: Research
P.O. 1
TUSD Dept.ofProfessionalDevelopment&Academics/SRC/9/24/2004