Rocks and Minerals
Lesson 5
Sharing What We Know About Minerals
Students are introduced to twelve unknown minerals samples to discuss with their partners. They also brainstorm what they know about minerals.
3. Lesson set up and Management
INQD: Simple instruments, such as magnifiers, thermometers, and rulers provide more information than scientists can obtain using only their unaided senses.
PS2A: Objects have properties, including size, weight, hardness, color, shape, texture, and magnetism. Unknown substances can sometimes be identified by their properties.
PS2B: An object may be made from different materials. These materials give the object certain properties.
- Students are introduced to twelve unknown mineral samples to observe and discuss with partners.
3. Lesson set up and Management
Materials:
- Signs with each material and the amount needed to be picked up at the materials center are helpful.
Student Management:
- Assign one partner to be the materials manager and have that student pick up the materials from the materials center after you model how to do it.
- PREPARATION #1
- Add the lesson # to the upper right-hand corner of all your teacher generated charts. When you are asked to refer back to the chart throughout the unit, the lesson # will make it easier.
- Use your flip chart for teacher generated charts instead of newsprint or use newsprint and laminate them before adding student generated information so they can be used year after year.
- PREPARATION #4
- Use the same egg cartons year after year. Pre-label the cartons with a black permanent marker and have students write their names on masking tape to stick on the lid. The masking tape can be peeled off and the cartons can be stored for the next year.
Writing Support:
- Students can write their thought about their mineral samples in their science notebooks. Good questions to answer are:
- Have they ever seen minerals like these?
- Where have they seen them?
- How are these minerals different from others they have seen?
- How are they similar?
- Students will record their thoughts about rocks in their science notebooks, focusing on what they know about minerals and what they want to know about minerals. They can revisit this to revise and add to throughout the unit.
- Students record three important pieces of information about Feldspar in their science notebook.
- Complete a compare and contrast graphic organizer for two mineral samples of their choice.
Reading Support:
- There is information to read on page 17 of the student activity book about the mineral, feldspar. This is a great chance for students to partner read and record information in their science notebooks as they read to help them identify feldspar.
Math Support:
- Organize mineral samples from heaviest to lightest and actually weigh them.
- Create a bar graph about a property of their choice using their samples - example: Mineral Color Graph.
Last updated 06/18/2009