Jaclyn Blazier
Earth Science
Week 1 Lesson Plans
Monday
I. Overview of the Lesson
A. 40 minutes (Meet as core team- minus 5 min)
B. Earth Science- Composition of Earth
C. 7th/8th Grade
D. June 16, 2008
E. Jaclyn Blazier
II. Behavioral Objectives
 Students will recall the composition of the Earth by labeling the four layers of the Earth
on a worksheet.
 Students will define what it means to predict by brainstorming and listing their own
definitions.
 Students will predict the characteristic of each layer of the earth by describing their
characteristics on the worksheet.
 Students will collect fact by reading a printout and listing six interesting facts.
(homework)
III. Content to be Covered
 Layers of the Earth
o Crust
o Mantle
o Outer core
o Inner core
IV. Instructional Materials
 Pen/Pencil
 Markers
 Name Tags
 “Jackie’s Class Expectation” Poster
 Outline of the Earth Science Curriculum (handouts) *see attached
 “Predict” Posters (2)
 Layers of the Earth: Diagram (worksheet) *see attached
 Internet information printouts (homework) *see attached
V. Activity and Procedures
*Prior activity- Write 4 questions on the board and place name tags on the desks. Place
Unit Plan and Layers worksheets on desks.
Motivation and Introduction
 Attendance (5 minutes)

Students are going to answer 4 questions on the board on the back of their name tags.
I will share my own name tag answers before they start. (5 min)
1. What is your favorite subject?
2. What is you favorite hobby/ activity?
3. What comes to mind when you think of Science?
4. What are you most looking forward to this summer?
A. Development
 I will discuss my classroom expectations. (5 min)
 I will handout copies of my Unit Plan and I will verbally go through each week and
ask the students if they have any requests/suggestions (5 min)
 Next, I will hand out a worksheet and ask the students to recall/predict what the layers
of the Earth are by labeling a diagram. We will fill this out as a class. (5 min)
B. Summary and Closure (10 min)
 I will have a large piece of paper with “PREDICT” written across the top, and my
definition below it covered up. Before I reveal my definition, I want the students to
quickly brainstorm and describe what they think it means to predict. I will write their
thoughts on the paper and then reveal my definition.
 I want the students then to jot down some predictions they have about the
characteristics of each layer of the Earth on the worksheet.
 EXTENSION
o Ice breaker with Alliteration adjectives.
o Share name tags
C. Assignment (5 min)
 Each student will be assigned one of the layers of the Earth. They will read through
the information print outs and list six interesting facts about their particular layer of
the Earth.
VI. Evaluation
A. Assessment
The students will be assessed based on:
 Participation in class discussions
 Completion of Earth Diagram worksheet
Jackie Blazier
Earth Science- Unit Plan
Week 1 (June 16th-20th)
 Composition of the Earth
 Rocks
 Minerals
Week 2 (June 23rd-27th)
 Air
o Layers of the atmosphere
o Properties of air
 Forces that shape and change the Earth’s Surface
o Earthquakes
o Mountains
o Volcanoes
o Weather/Erosion
Week 3 (June 30th- July 2nd) *4th of July Weekend
 Composition of soil
 Geological History of Earth
o Timeline
o Fossils
Week 4 (July 7th-11th)
 Water
o Properties of water
o Pollution
 Earth’s Sea
o Ocean floor
o Waves
Week 5 (July 14th-18th)
 Wind
o Create anemometer
 Water in the are
o Evaporation
o Condensation
o Humidity
o Deposition
o Fog
o Clouds
o Precipitation
Week 6 (July 14th-18th)
 Weather
o Hurricane
o Tornadoes
o Thunder
o Lightning
 Meteorology and Climatology
Layers of the Earth:
Diagram
Name & Date: __________________________________________
Directions: List the name of each layer of the Earth on the lines provided. Then predict
what some of the characteristics of each layer are underneath the line.
MSN Encarta
Fact Sheet
Directions: Read the article, and, on a separate sheet of paper, write the six most important
facts about this layer of the Earth.
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761595513/Crust_(earth_science).html
Crust (earth science), outermost layer of Earth. The crust is solid and relatively thin, and it lies
below both landmasses and oceans. The dry land of Earth’s surface is called the continental
crust. It is about 15 to 75 km (9 to 47 mi) thick. The oceanic crust is thinner than the continental
crust. Its average thickness is 5 to 10 km (3 to 6 mi). The crust is very thin in relation to the rest
of Earth. If a trip to the center of Earth at 100 km/h (60 mph) were possible, it would take 64
hours, of which only the first 15 to 45 minutes would be in the crust. See Earth: Earth's Surface:
Crust.
The crust has a definite boundary. This boundary, called the Mohorovičić discontinuity, or
simply the Moho, after the Croatian geologist Andrija Mohorovičić, separates the crust from the
underlying mantle. Mohorovičić discovered the boundary in 1909, when he observed that
earthquake waves do not pass through Earth’s interior in a straight line but change course at a
certain depth below the surface. He believed that the point at which these waves change course
marked the boundary between the crust and the mantle. See Earthquake: Studying Earthquakes.
In comparison to the crust, the mantle is much thicker. The mantle extends for about 2,900 km
(1,800 mi). It consists of an upper mantle and a lower mantle. The solid, outermost section of the
mantle and the solid crust together form the lithosphere. The lithosphere is approximately 65 to
100 km (40 to 60 mi) thick and covers the asthenosphere (see Geology: Guiding Principles of
Geology). The asthenosphere is approximately 100 to 350 km (60 to 220 mi) thick. It consists of
rocky material that is softer and less rigid than that in the lithosphere. This softer, less rigid state
results from higher pressures and temperatures, which cause the rocks partially to melt and
become soft.
Oceanic crust and continental crust differ in composition. Oceanic crust consists of dark, dense
rocks, such as basalt and gabbro. In contrast, continental crust consists of lighter colored, less
dense rocks, such as granite and diorite. Continental crust also includes metamorphic rocks and
sedimentary rocks, which the oceanic crust lacks. Metamorphic rocks, which include quartz,
marble, and crystal, are formed when high temperatures and pressures at great depths inside
Earth transform rock material. Sedimentary rocks form from accumulation and burial of
fragments or particles of preexisting rocks. The rocks that make up continental crust possess an
average density of 2.8 times the density of water. The rocks that make up oceanic crust are
denser, with a density of 2.9 times the density of water.
MSN Encarta
Fact Sheet
Directions: Read the article, and, on a separate sheet of paper, write the six most important
facts about this layer of the Earth.
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761595521/Mantle.html
Mantle, region of the interior of the earth that lies between the outer crust and the core. The
mantle is the largest of these regions and comprises the bulk of the earth’s mass and volume.
Temperatures in the mantle are high, reaching about 3700° C (about 6700° F). Pressures inside
the mantle are also high, reaching about 137 gigapascals (1.37 million atmospheres). The mantle
is primarily solid, and its density increases with depth. Under these high temperatures and high
pressures, however, material in the mantle can deform, or flow slowly like putty. Slow-moving
currents, called convection currents, within the mantle are thought to play a part in the movement
of the crustal plates on the earth. See also Plate Tectonics
The relative size of the mantle can be understood by likening the earth in cross-section to a softboiled egg. The eggshell represents the thin, hard crust of the earth, which only comprises about
one half of one percent of the mass of the earth. The white of the egg represents the soft mantle,
which comprises about two-thirds of the mass and about five-sixths of the volume of the earth.
The yolk represents the core of the earth.
The mantle is separated from the crust by a sharp boundary known as the Mohorovi ić
discontinuity, or Moho. It is separated from the core by another sharp boundary known as the
Gutenberg discontinuity. Both boundaries are named in honor of the men who discovered them,
Croatian seismologist Andrija Mohorovi ić and German-born American seismologist Beno
Gutenberg. The Mohorovi ić discontinuity lies at a depth of about 8 km (5 mi) under the oceans
and an average depth of about 35 km (about 22 mi) under the continents, but it plunges to as
deep as 80 km (50 mi) under tall mountain ranges. The Gutenberg discontinuity lies at a depth of
about 2900 km (about 1800 mi). Both men discovered the boundaries by using the fact that when
an earthquake, or seismic, wave reaches a sharp boundary between two materials with different
densities or elastic properties, some of the wave’s energy bounces, or reflects, off of the surface.
In addition, seismic waves may bend, or refract, as they cross a boundary.
The mantle is chemically distinct from both the crust and the core. It is primarily composed of
the rock peridotite, which principally consists of the minerals olivine, pyroxene, and amphibole.
The crust contains lighter materials and the core is composed of iron and nickel. Thus, the
Mohorovi ić and Gutenberg discontinuities represent chemical as well as physical boundaries.
Structure of the Mantle
Seismologists have discovered that the mantle is subdivided into a number of layers. The upper
mantle extends from the Moho to a depth of about 400 km (about 250 mi). The upper mantle is
composed of iron and magnesium silicates, such as the minerals olivine, pyroxene, and
amphibole. Within the upper mantle is a zone called the asthenosphere. The asthenosphere
ranges from a depth of about 100 km (about 60 mi) to about 350 km (about 220 mi). The
asthenosphere is a zone of weakness. It is thought that the asthenosphere contains a small amount
of melt, or liquid fused rock, which acts as a lubricant, allowing the grains of rock to slide past
each other. According to the theory of plate tectonics, large crustal plates of the zone above the
asthenosphere, called the lithosphere, move about the surface of the earth, gliding on the weaker
asthenosphere.
The zone from about 400 km to about 670 km (about 250 mi to about 420 mi) is known as the
transition zone. In the transition zone, the minerals that make up the upper mantle undergo a
process called phase transition, in which they change in structure and form other atomic
arrangements. The pressures at these depths compress the minerals into more compact forms. For
example, olivine is compressed into the mineral spinel, in which the atoms are packed closer
together. By the bottom of the transition zone, spinel has undergone another phase transition to
the mineral perovskite. With each phase transition, the rock becomes denser and seismic waves
travel through it faster. This transition at 670 km also corresponds to the lowest depths at which
earthquakes have been recorded.
The mantle below 670 km is called the lower mantle. The lower mantle may consist of
magnesium, silicon, and iron. Unlike the upper mantle, this region does not change much in
composition or phase as it gets deeper. It is more dense than the upper mantle due to the increase
in pressure.
Mantle Flow
The flow of material within the mantle affects the earth’s crust in several ways. Geologists
believe that large-scale convection currents within the mantle are part of what drives the
movement of the plates in the earth’s lithosphere. These currents also result in mantle material
rising beneath midocean ridges and forming new crust, leading to seafloor spreading.
Descending mantle material drags down and destroys other portions of the crust at regions called
subduction zones. Evidence suggests that these convection currents have been operating for
hundreds of million or even billions of years. In some places, such as Hawaii, plumes of mantle
material have been slowly and steadily rising for tens of millions of years, forming chains of
volcanoes (see Hawaii: Formation of the Islands and Volcanoes). In other places, large
bubblelike portions of gas-rich mantle material rise explosively from the mantle, forming
kimberlite pipes. Kimberlite pipes are the major source of diamonds.
MSN Encarta
Fact Sheet
Directions: Read the article, and, on a separate sheet of paper, write the six most important
facts about this layer of the Earth.
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761595512/Core_(earth_science).html
Core (earth science), innermost part of Earth. The core of Earth extends from beneath the
mantle to the very center of the planet. The radius of the core is approximately 3,500 km (2,200
mi). This radius is larger than the radius of the planet Mars. The core forms approximately onethird of Earth’s total mass and about one-sixth of its volume. At the earliest stages of its
formation, Earth was basically a mixture of gas and dust. Over millions of years the planet took
shape and solidified. At some point, as more material accumulated, the whole planet reached
extremely high temperatures and changed into a liquid. Geologists believe that at this time the
different elements in the planet separated. In the process of separation, the heavier elements
(such as iron and nickel) sank to the center, and the lighter elements (such silicon and aluminum)
rose to the surface.
Earth’s core experiences pressures that are millions of times greater and temperatures that are
thousands of degrees higher than those at the surface. Core temperatures range from 4000° to
5000° C (7200° to 9000° F). Scientists cannot retrieve samples of material from the core because
the temperatures and pressures are so high. However, scientists believe that the core consists
primarily of heavy elements, such as iron and nickel. This composition of the core is believed to
be similar to that of stony meteorites, which geologists think may have provided the material for
Earth’s core. Seismic studies indicate that the core consists of two parts: a solid inner core and a
molten outer core. Scientists estimate that the core is extremely dense—about 13.5 times as
dense as water. A high concentration of iron in the core is believed to account for the high
density.
Scientists have learned about the core by measuring seismic waves (see Seismology: Seismic
Phenomena). Seismic waves originate in earthquakes. The way these waves travel through the
interior of Earth reveals the nature of materials inside the planet, including in the core. The
principle behind using seismic waves to study the internal structure of Earth is similar to using X
rays to study the human body. A detailed view of the human body can be obtained using modern
CAT (computerized axial tomography) scanning machines, which transmit X rays while rotating
around the body. A CAT scan thus yields a three-dimensional image of the inside of a person’s
body. Geologists use a similar approach in obtaining images of the interior of Earth using
seismic tomography. Scientists collect data from thousands of recording stations that are
sensitive to earthquakes. The recorded seismic data is analyzed and combined by a computer to
produce images of Earth’s interior. This technology has provided scientists with a picture of
Earth’s interior, a picture that reveals a liquid outer core and a solid inner core. The outer core
extends from about 2,900 to 5,200 km (1,800 to 3,200 mi) below the surface. The inner core
extends from about 5,200 km (3,200 mi) to the center of Earth, at a depth of about 6,400 km
(4,000 mi).
In the early part of the 20th century, German seismologist Beno Gutenberg found that Earth
contained a shadow zone, an area that did not allow seismic waves to pass directly through. More
specifically, he discovered that P waves (also known as push-pull waves because of the back and
forth motion they cause on Earth’s surface) are absent in this shadow zone. The P waves are
slowed down and bent toward the center of the core upon reaching a depth of about 2,900 km
(1,800 mi) below the surface. At the same depth, the slower S waves (also known as shear waves
because they shear, or twist, the rocks that they pass through) are totally blocked. The boundary
corresponding to this depth, known as the Gutenberg boundary, separates the mantle from the
core. By 1936 geologists had discovered yet another boundary. This second boundary separates
the liquid outer core from the solid inner core. Scientists believe that the inner core has a radius
of about 1,220 km (750 mi) and consists of solid material.
Tuesday
I.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Overview of the Lesson
45 minute
Earth Science- Composition of Earth
7th/8th Grade
June 17, 2008
Jaclyn Blazier
II. Behavioral Objectives
 Students will discover facts about each layer of the Earth by listing the facts they
identified for homework (the teacher will include additional facts as needed).
 Students will compare and contrast the inside of a Ring-ding to the composition of the
Earth by listing the similarities and differences between the two on a brochure style
pamphlet.
 Students will define what it means to classify by brainstorming and listing their own
definitions.
 Student will classify facts as either core, mantle, or crust.
 In groups, students will create a rap or advertisement (on construction paper) for a
specific layer of the Earth and will present their rap/ad to the class. (Homework)
III. Content to be Covered
 Features of the composition of the Earth
o Core
 15,300 °F
 Inner Core
 Solid metallic sphere
 Radius 800 miles
 Outer core
 Layer of molten rock
 Thickness of 1,350 miles
o Mantle
 2,880 °F
 Thickness of 1,789 miles
 Very Dense
 Plastic characteristics allows Earth’s crust to migrate (plate tectonics)
o Crust
 Thin, outermost layer
 3-25 miles thick
 Forces on earth crust force it to bend and crack (mountains, earthquakes,
volcanoes)
 Made of soil, water, coal, oil gas, minerals
IV. Instructional Materials
 Pen/Pencil/Markers
 Enlarged version of worksheet from previous lesson
 Ring-Ding Snacks
 Napkins
 Plastic knives
 Construction paper
 Enlarged Brochure on large paper
 “Classify” Posters (2)
 Layers of the Earth: Facts worksheets *see attached
 Rap/Advertisement/Poem Rubric *See attached
V. Activity and Procedures
*Prior- Write goals, tape up Layers diagram
A. Motivation and Introduction
 Attendance and check homework (2 min)
 I want the students to share the six facts they found from their homework and create a
list as a class on the enlarged diagram of the Earth. I will fill in additional facts as
needed. (10 min)
B. Development (15 min)
 I will have each student cut open a Ring-Ding and observe its characteristics. Then, I
want them to list how the Ring-Ding is similar and different to the composition of the
Earth. They will divide the construction paper into three parts, and create a Venn
diagram.
 We will then create a list as a class on a large brochure style diagram.
C. Summary and Closure (15 min)
 I will have a large piece of paper with “CLASSIFY” written across the top, and my
definition below it covered up. Before I reveal my definition, I want the students to
quickly brainstorm and describe what they think it means to classify. I will write their
thoughts on the paper and then reveal my definition.
 Each student will complete the fact worksheet and classify facts as core, mantle, or
crust.
Assignment (5 min)
 Students will be assigned a specific layer of the Earth (Crust, Mantle, or Core).
o Create a poem/rap/advertisement about your part of the Earth
 For a POEM/RAP
 Include at least 4 facts
 Follow a rhyming pattern
 For an ADVERTISEMENT
 Draw a slogan that includes at least 1 fact
 Draw a picture with your slogan
VI. Evaluation
A. Assessment
The students will be assessed based on:
 Completion of homework (I will check that before class begins)
 Participation in class discussions
 Participation and completion of rap/advertisement/poem
Layers of the Earth:
Facts
Name & Date: __________________________________________
Directions: Classify the facts as crust, mantle, or core.
Facts:
15,300 °F _______
Forces on earth crust force it to bend and crack _______
Thickness of 1,789 miles _______
3-25 miles thick _______
Thin, outermost layer _______
Plastic characteristics allows Earth’s crust to migrate _______
Radius 800 miles _______
2,880 °F _______
Solid metallic sphere _______
Thickness of 1,350 miles _______
Made of soil, water, coal, oil gas, minerals _______
Very Dense _______
Layer of molten rock _______
Layers of the Earth:
Facts
Name & Date: __________________________________________
Directions: Classify the facts as either crust, mantle, or core.
Facts:
15,300 °F -core
Forces on earth crust force it to bend and crack –crust
Thickness of 1,789 miles -mantle
3-25 miles thick –crust
Thin, outermost layer –crust
Plastic characteristics allows Earth’s crust to migrate -mantle
Radius 800 miles -core
2,880 °F -mantle
Solid metallic sphere -core
Thickness of 1,350 miles -core
Made of soil, water, coal, oil gas, minerals –crust
Very Dense -mantle
Layer of molten rock-core
Answer key
Wednesday
I. Overview of the Lesson
A. 45 minute
B. Earth Science- Rock Cycle
C. 7th/8th Grade
D. June 18, 2008
E. Jaclyn Blazier
II.



Behavioral Objectives
Students will discuss the rock cycle by watching an interactive animation. After watching
the animation they will create a diagram of the life cycle individually.
Students will plan a way to keep melted alum warm, and a way to cool melted alum
quickly to create a representation of intrusive and extrusive igneous rock.
Students will predict what they might observe the next day by writing their predictions
for each sample.
III. Content to be Covered
 Earth’s crust is made up of great masses of rock
 Igneous rock- created through melting and cooling
o Extrusive rock
 rock formed from magma that reached the Earth’s surface and then cools
 characterized by large crystal sizes, and are coarser than extrusive rock
o Intrusive rock
 rocks formed from magma that could not reach the Earth’s surface, and
cooled below the surface.
 fine-grained textures because their rapid cooling at or near the surface
did not provide enough time for large crystals to grow
 Sedimentary rock- weathering and erosion create sediments, is transported, deposited,
and cemented
 Metamorphic rock – exposure to heat and/or pressure
IV.





V.
Instructional Materials
Pencil/Paper
Smartboard/Computer
2 beakers
Hot water
Alum
Activity and Procedures
*Prior to class…2 beakers of hot water and dissolved alum
A. Motivation and Introduction
 Attendance/ Collect HW- Worksheets, Fact sheet, Poem (5 min)
 To start the class, I will explain the Earth’s crust is made up of great masses of rock
that is categorized as igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. As a class, we will
click through and discuss how the rock cycle works by using an interactive sitehttp://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/investigations/es0602/es
0602page02.cfm?chapter_no=investigation. (10 min)
B. Development
 The kids will copy a diagram of the rock cycle http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/investigations/es0602/es
0602page03.cfm?chapter_no=investigation. I will ask them to recall how each rock is
formed and then I will scroll over each arrow to see if they are correct. The students
will write notes on their own diagram. (10 min)
 I will explain that there are two types of igneous rock- extrusive and intrusive. I will
list describe how each are formed and their resulting characteristics and have them
copy those facts from the board.
http://geology.com/rocks/igneous-rocks.shtml
 We will look at images of intrusive and extrusive rock. A few examples will be
shown, and the students will have turns guessing what some of the other images are.
(10 min)
C. Summary and Closure
 I will introduce an activity in which we will be melting alum in two beakers. One
needs to cool faster than the other. (i.e. one can go in a fridge, while the other cools at
room temperature). One represent intrusive rock and the other represents extrusive
rock.
 Each beaker will form crystals by the next day, so to end the class, each student will
individually record predictions about how the quickly cooled alum will look in
comparison to the slowly cooled alum. (10 min)
D. Assignment (1 min)
 Each student must find 4-5 different looking rocks from home and bring them in the
following day.
VI. Evaluation
A. Assessment
The students will be assessed based on:
 Completion of homework
 Participation in class discussions
 Creating a Rock Cycle diagram and listing the process
 Listing predictions about the alum during class
Thursday
I. Overview of the Lesson
A. 45 minute
B. Earth Science- Characteristic of Rocks
C. 7th/8th Grade
D. June 19, 2008
E. Jaclyn Blazier
II.





Behavioral Objectives
Students will define what it means to observe by brainstorming and listing their own
definitions.
Students will observe the alum and write their observations on the same paper that they
wrote their predictions on in order to decide if their predictions were correct or not.
Students will define what it means to classify by brainstorming and listing their own
definitions.
Students will classify rocks into group by using the eights major characteristics of rocks
to help them decide how to classify them.
Students will observe the characteristics of one rock and write a description in order for
the class to tell which rock matches each description. (homework)
III. Content to be Covered
 Eight major characteristics of rocks
o Hardness
 Moh’s Scale of Hardness
 Softest-hardest: chalk, fingernail, penny, sandpaper
o Color
o Streak
 Color when rock is rubbed
o Texture
 Size of grains of crystals in the rock
 Example: coarse, fine, non-existent
o Luster
 How sample reflects light
 Example: dull, metallic, glassy luster
o Cleavage
 The way a specimen breaks when stuck by a hammer
o Chemical
 How sample reacts with a chemical
 Lime will fizz if acid is dropped on it, and when sulfur is present, it will
smell like a rotten egg.
o Density
 Mass/Volume
 Other ways to describe rocks
o
o
o
o
o
Size
Weight
Shape
Length
Patterns
IV.




Instructional Materials
Classify Poster (2)
Observe Poster (2)
The 4-5 rocks each student brings in
Notecards
V.
Activity and Procedures
A. Motivation and Introduction (15 min)
 Attendance
 To start the class, I will have a large piece of paper with “OBSERVE” written across
the top, and my definition below it covered up. Before I reveal my definition, I want
the students to quickly brainstorm and describe what they think it means to observe. I
will write their thoughts on the paper and then reveal my definition.
 Then, we will look at the alum crystals and each student will record their
observations. As a class, we will discuss if their predictions were correct or not and
explain how each crystal is similar to an extrusive or intrusive rock.
B. Development (15 min)
 Next, I will explain the eight major characteristics of rocks, plus additional
characteristics they can use to classify the rocks.
 Then, I will have a large piece of paper with “CLASSIFY” written across the top, and
my definition below it covered up. Before I reveal my definition, I want the students
to quickly brainstorm and describe what they think it means
 In groups, students will put together the 4-5 rocks they brought in, observe their
characteristics, and then classify them into groups. Each group will write an
explanation of how they classified their rocks.
C. Summary and Closure (10 min)
 The other groups will go around to each groups’ tables to observe how they grouped
their rocks. The other groups will make predictions as to how the group classified the
rocks and the each group will share their explanation.
Assignment (5 min)
 Each student will take a note-card and choose one rock to write a description about
based on the characteristics that we discussed. They should write 4-5 sentences about
their rock.
VI. Evaluation
A. Assessment
The students will be assessed based on:
 Bringing in 4-5 rocks
 Writing observations about the alum and participation in discussion
 Participation in group work- each member must contribute their thoughts
 Participation in group discussion- and make observations/predictions as to how
each group classified their rocks
Friday
I. Overview of the Lesson
A. 45 minute
B. Earth Science- Characteristic of Rocks and Minerals
C. 7th/8th Grade
D. June 20, 2008
E. Jaclyn Blazier
II.



Behavioral Objectives
Students will observe the sample rocks, and predict which rock matches the description
on their note-card.
Students will choose a specific rock or mineral, and find and list information from the
internet.
Students will create a poem about their rock or mineral and share it with the class.
III. Content to be Covered
 Difference between a rock and a mineral
o Rocks are made up of two or more minerals
o Minerals
 Solid material made up of one or more chemical elements
 Defined crystal structure
 Inorganic (not made up of organisms- i.e. pearls and coal are not minerals)
 Tests to absolutely define a mineral
 Color/ streak test
 Luster
 Crystal form
 Cleavage
 Hardness
 Denisty
 Other tests
 Magnetic
 Sulfur become electrically charged when rubbed
 Fluorescent glow hen exposed to ultraviolet light
 Radioactive- Geiger counter
 Common Rocks

o Granite
o Basalt
o Pumice
o Sandstone
o Shale
o Marble
o Slate
o Diamond
Common Minerals
o Quartz
o Feldspar
o Talc
o Calcium
o Sulfur
o Gypsum
o Gold
o Silver
o Copper
o Tin
IV. Instructional Materials
 Computer lab/printers
V.
Activity and Procedures
A. Motivation and Introduction (15 min)
 Attendance
 To start the class, the students will put their rock that they described on the table and I
will collect their descriptions. I will re-handout the note-cards so different people
have the description.
 The students will have to predict which rock sample matches their note-card
description. They will pick up which rock they believe is theirs and tell the class
what’s written on their note-card. The person who wrote the description will reveal if
the person is correct or not.
B. Development (15)
 Next, I will explain that rocks are made up of two or more minerals. Also, I will
describe what determines a mineral.
 On note-cards, I will list the names of common rocks and minerals. The students will
pick the card randomly.
 Then, we will go to the computer lab and students will be able to find information
about their rock/mineral on the internet. They should take notes that are appropriate
for what we have covered this week.
C. Summary and Closure (15 min)

Students will create a poem based on their mineral/rock and will type and print their
poem to share for the next class. I will have images of each rock/mineral to show to
the class on the SmartBoard.
VI. Evaluation
A. Assessment
The students will be assessed based on:
 Completion of homework (each student will bring in their note-card description)
 Participation in class activity
 Using the computer time appropriately