The History of the Earth: Supplemental Guide 5B | Minerals 103- Give each student Instructional Master 5B-2. Have each student
select a rock to draw and describe. - After drawing and coloring in their rock, students should write
a sentence describing their rock using the sound/spelling
correspondences taught thus far. - Compile the student pages together into a class Rock Book by
using two binder clips to secure the loose pages together. - Have the class select a title for the book. Write the title on a
piece of construction paper, and use it as a cover for the book.
Rock Sort (Instructional Master 5B-3) 20 minutes
- Select the six descriptive words from the class’s Rocks Book
that students used most often to describe their rocks. Write one
word on each card, add a small supporting illustration to help
students remember what is written on the card, and then attach
each card to a bin. Place the bins around the classroom. - Divide students into groups of four.
- Give each group four small/medium rocks of different types.
- Explain to students that they are going to sort their rocks as a
class. Remind students that minerals are the building blocks of
rocks and that most rocks have two or more minerals. - Walk around the room and read the bin labels with the students.
- Hold up the sample rock, and ask students which bin is the
most appropriate for sorting the rock. Call on two or three
students to explain their thinking. If student answers differ, but
are equally appropriate, point out that one rock can be sorted
by many different characteristics. Place your sample rock in an
appropriate bin. Repeat this procedure, as necessary, with the
other sample rocks. - Explain to students that you are going to name a characteristic
on one of the bins. Tell students that if they have a rock that
matches that characteristic, they should raise it into the air.
Confi rm that all raised rocks match the named characteristic,
and then have students place their rocks into the appropriate
bin.