TE 408: Lesson Plan and Report

Stephanie Costigan
School: Chippewa Middle School
6
th
grade Science

Part I: Information about the Lesson or Unit
Unit: Earth Science
Topic: Rocks
Type of Class
Grade level(s): 6
Type of school: Suburban
Tracking level: Somewhat tracked (i.e. higher level math students vs. lower level math
students)
Abstract
This goal of the lesson is to provide students with some background on the three types of
rocks: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. They will learn about some of their defining
characteristics as well as what makes them different from one another. This lesson will also
provide a basis and give the students practice at identifying rocks. The students will identify a
rock and defend their decision as well as make a rock wheel to visually have the different types
separated; the rock wheel will also serve as a study guide and will be something that they can
add to as they learn more about rocks.
Part II: Clarifying Your Goals for the Topic
Knowledge: Big Ideas
There are three major type of rock: igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks.
Igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks are all formed in different ways these differences
give the rocks different characteristics that can be used to identify them. When scientists look at
rocks, they usually observe their composition, color, texture and other features. The features can
help scientists discover the origin of the rock.
Igneous rocks are formed from magma or lava that has cooled at the surface or below the
surface. If the rock is formed at the earths surface, it is called an extrusive igneous rock. If it is
formed below the earths surface, it is called an intrusive rock. Igneous rocks can have a variety
of textures that reflect whether it was intrusive or extrusive and how fast or slow the lava or
magma cooled. When the magma cools slowly, the rock has very coarse, large crystals. When
the lava cools rapidly, it forms fine-grained rocks with small crystals; some even look like glass.
Sedimentary rocks are formed from erosion, deposition, compaction and cementation.
How sedimentary rocks are formed determines their characteristics. The origin of sedimentary
rocks is generally at or near the earths surface. They can be formed from wind, water, on dry
land, rivers, beaches and deltas. Where they are formed can also determine how they look and
what they are composed of; for example, a sedimentary rock formed on the beach may have
shells in it. Sedimentary rocks can also be made up of fragments of other rocks or they can have
fossils in them from dead plants or animals that got trapped between forming rock layers.
Looking at what makes up sedimentary rocks can be a good indicator of where it was formed.
Metamorphic rocks are formed deep in the earths surface from very high heat and
pressure. Metamorphic rocks can be made out of other metamorphic rocks, igneous rocks or
sedimentary rocks. Metamorphic rocks are classified as foliated and non-foliated. Foliated
metamorphic rocks are made up of flat parallel layers or bands. The grains are parallel with one
other. Foliated rocks can split into layers. Non-foliated metamorphic rocks have randomly
arranged grains and do not split into layers. Foliated rocks show that the pressure forming them
comes from one direction and non-foliated show that is came from many directions.

Knowledge: Observations, Patterns, and Models/Principles
Observations or
experiences
Patterns Models and
Principles
Identify the
properties of
igneous
rocks
Relevant examples:
Obsidian: shiny, glassy
rock
Pegmatite: very course
grained and intrusive

Variables:
Texture (fine-grained,
course grained or
glassy)
Mineral composition
(light-colored or dark
colored)
Location (intrusive or
extrusive)
Intrusive rocks
(underground)
tend to have
larger crystals
Origin (intrusive
or extrusive)
How rock
originated
Speed at which
rock formed
(For example:
Obsidian: formed
from cooling lava-
extrusive and
cooled extremely
quickly
Pegmatite: formed
from magma,
intrusive)




Identify the
properties of
sedimentary
rocks
Relevant examples:
Shale: fossils are in it
Conglomerate rock:
made up from many
smaller rocks

Variables:
Color: white, dark,
multiple colors
Composition: made up
of other rocks, has
shells in it, compacted
mud, sand grains
Clastic
Organic
Chemical
Origin
How rock
originated
(Erosion,
deposition,
compaction and
cementation)
Where rock was
formed
(underwater, in the
desert, river bed)
(For example:
Shale: fine-
grained, clastic
sedimentary rock
made of clay
Conglomerate:
clastic sedimentary
rock composed of
large round clasts)

Identify the
properties of
metamorphic
rocks
Relevant examples:
Granite: pink, dark gray
color, coarse grained
texture
Gneiss: banded, coarse
texture

Variables:
Appearance/texture:
banded or non-banded
pattern, shiny
Composition: made of
sand, made of pebbles

Heat
Pressure
Foliated
Non-foliated

Origin
How rock
originated
(extreme heat and
pressure)
What rock
originated from
(from igneous,
sedimentary rock)
(For example:
Granite [igneous]
turns into gneiss
[metamorphic]
after extreme heat
and pressure)
Application: Model-based Reasoning
Inquiry: Finding and Explaining Patterns in Experience

Practices: Objectives for Student Learning
Objective Type
Michigan Objective(s)
1. 1. Rock Formation Rocks and rock formations bear
evidence of the minerals, materials,
temperature/pressure conditions and forces that
created them. ! Compare and contrast the formation of rock types (igneous,
Identifying SP

metamorphic, and sedimentary) and demonstrate the
similarities and differences using the rock cycle model
Specific Lesson Objective(s)
1. Examine characteristics of rocks to hypothesize about the origin of the rocks. Inquiry
2. Identify the characteristics that make up different types of rocks Identifying SP
3. Use properties to classify rocks as metamorphic, sedimentary or igneous Using SP
4. Compare and contrast minerals and rocks Identifying SP

Part III: Classroom Activities
Resources
Source and description of resource Possible uses for your lesson Strengths and weaknesses
The Magic School Bus: Inside the
Earth book by Joanna Cole
Read the book to the class and use it
to formulate understand and
discussion about the different types
of rocks and use as an introduction
for the activity
-Strengths: the book contains easy to
understand content/facts about the
different kinds of rocks, it is a fun
book that the students may enjoy
-Weaknesses: it is not exclusively
about the different types of rocks
and has other earth science
information in it
Ms. Frizzles Rock Cycle Activity Will not use the activity, but will use
the rock samples provided with it for
the activity that we designed
-Strengths: comes with rock
samples, introduces rock
identification
-Weaknesses: not much inquiry,
does not allow students to actively
learn or interact with peers,
worksheet provided is simply fill-in-
the-blank and not helpful
Mineral and Rock Match Activity,
developed and distributed by
Women In Mining Education
Foundation
Based our activity off of the
instructions for this activity but
modified it to make it better for our
students
-Strengths: Inquiry-based, allows
students to interact, introduces rock
identification
-Weaknesses: does not use actual
rock samples

Materials
Presentation materials (Overhead transparencies or PowerPoint presentations, etc): The Magic
School Bus: Inside the Earth book by Joanna Cole, Science Mini Bulletin Board Set: Rocks
and Minerals
Copied materials (Handouts, worksheets, tests, lab directions, etc.): All About Your Rock
worksheet (see attached)
Pages in textbook: Book: Prentice Hall: Science Explorer: Inside Earth Pages: 142-166
Laboratory materials: For the teacher or the class as a whole: construction paper, scissors,
markers/colored pencils, one rock (either igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic) per student
For each laboratory station: see above
Other materials: white board and markers
Activities
Introduction (~10 minutes)
I will start the lesson by gathering the class in the back of the room, either on the floor or
on lab stools, and will read them the book, The Magic School Bus: Inside the Earth by Joanna
Cole. After reading the book, I will have the students return back to their seats and I will hand
out one rock to each student. I will remind them that they just learned about minerals and that
rocks are made up of one or more minerals; I will ask them to try to see if they notice any in their
rock.
Main Teaching Activities (~25 minutes)
I will tell the students that each of them has either an igneous, sedimentary, or
metamorphic rock. I will hand out the All About Your Rock worksheet (see below) and give
the students time to fill it out about their rock. I will explain to the students that they need to get
into three groups according to which type of rock they have. I will tell them that there are
different kinds of each type of rock, so they will not all look the same even if they are in the
same group. I will give them time to get into their rock groups. On the three tables there will be
pictorial representation of each type of rock via the Bulletin Board Set: Rocks and Minerals. I
will then give them time to come up with an explanation of why they think they are in each rock
group; they will have to defend their identification. I will then tell them the correct placement for
each rock.
Conclusion (~15 minutes)
I will then have the student pick up a piece of construction paper, pair of scissors, and
markers/colored pencils. The students will cut the construction paper into a circle and use the
markers/colored pencils to draw lines to separate it into three sections. They will label each
section either: Igneous, Sedimentary, or Metamorphic. We will then talk about each type of rock
and have a discussion about the properties of each type and the differences amongst them. The
information will come mostly from the students from what they have learned throughout the
lesson. They will write the rock information in the corresponding section on their rock wheel.
The rock wheel will then be kept and can be added to throughout the rock lesson.
Part IV: Assessment of Focus Students
Focus Objective
Examine characteristics of rocks to identify their type (igneous, metamorphic or
sedimentary) and their origin.
Developing Assessment Tasks
I will give the students 2-3 rocks (depending on time) I will ask the students the
following questions about each rock:
1. Describe the characteristics you notice about this rock.
2. Do you think this rock is igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary and why?
3. Where and how do you think this rock originated?
I will learn from the students incorrect answers because this will show me if the students
retained the information they learned from the activities. It will show me if they feel
comfortable and confident in describing the characteristics of rocks. It will also show me if they
understand the differences between the three types of rock. I am more concerned with the
student being able to correctly defend their rock ID rather than if their answer is right or wrong.
I will also be able to see if the students understand the idea that the characteristics of rocks
reflect their origin.
This is relevant to my focus objective because I am asking the students to be able to
describe the different characteristics of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks based on
their observations. I am also asking them to deduce the origin of the rock based on how it looks.
I think that a scientist would be able to answer these questions correctly and accurately.
The most important component of this assignment is that the students (or a scientist) can
correctly defend why they think their rock is igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary using known
characteristics. I think a scientist could also deduce the origin of the rock based on which type of
rock they think it is and their characteristics.
Part V: After the Lesson Report
Story of What Happened

Two focus aspects:
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List of observations and examples

Sources of observations and examples:
demonstrations, stories, student suggestions,
etc.
Scientific appropriateness: Were the examples
scientifically aligned with the key ideas of the
lesson?
Interest and relevance: Were the examples
interesting and relevant to the students?
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Notes about who speaks and who does not.

List of questions or other opportunities to
participate
Inclusion: How many people participated?
Were there patterns in who spoke the most?
Meaningfulness: How meaningful was the
participation to the students?

Story with evidence about those aspects:
The lesson began with the students gathering in the back of the room on the floor/lab
stools and I read them the book, The Magic School Bus: Inside the Earth by Joanna Cole. The
students seemed to be into the story and were listening and looking at the pictures. The book was
a really good source of information and the students were able to look at pictures and absorb the
information at the same time. Also, the information was presented at a level that was appropriate
for 6
th
graders to understand. It was also beneficial to those students who do best when hearing
information but also to those who are visual learners. After reading the book, the students
returned back to their seats and received one rock and the All About Your Rock worksheet. I
reminded them that they just learned about minerals and that rocks are made up of one or more
minerals and that yesterday they had learned about classifying rocks.
I explained to the students that each of them had either an igneous, sedimentary, or
metamorphic rock. The students each recieved an actual rock, which is definitely an example of
something from the real world. They were able to use their observations of their rock in order to
hypothesize about which type of rock they had and about its origin. This directly relates to the
focus objective. The students then had some time to work on their All About Your Rock
worksheet (see below); I explained that they should fill it out to the best of their ability. Here the
students were working individually to identify their rock. They each had their own rock, so they
were all engaged doing the worksheet/activity. Then, I went to the back of the room, where I had
previously placed a poster of each type of rock on three different tables, and said If you
classified your rock as sedimentary, come to this table. etc. On each table there were pictures of
different rocks of each type. This real world example was relevant because it allowed the
students to see what a few rocks of each type looked like and some of their rocks were even
depicted. However, this also played a negative role because some of the students thought they
were in the wrong group because their rock looked different than the pictures when in reality,
they were in the right group. This shows though that although rocks are of the same type, they
can have highly varied physical characteristics. Therefore, the students were in three groups
according to which type of rock they had. The students then discussed why they thought they had
each type of rock that they selected and what characteristics are common to that type of rock. At
this point, the students were in 3 groups according to their rock type. They were interacting with
one another and talking about their rocks in order to see the similarities in their rocks. This was
meaningful because they were working together in order to construct an understanding about the
different types of rocks. Some students realized that they were incorrect in their identification
and I said that was ok and they explained to me why they thought they should actually belong in
a different group. The students then returned to their seats and I told them which rock was which
type. They were able to see whether or not they had correctly identified their rock. The students
were interacting here, although I had not anticipated it. They were talking and looking around at
all of the different rocks that people had in order to see which group they belonged in. This part
of the activity was necessary because although the point of the lab was to hypothesize about the
type of rock they had along with its origin, it is important for the students to receive the correct
classification so as to not create any misconceptions about their rocks/classifying.
The students then picked up a piece of construction paper, pair of scissors, and
markers/colored pencils. They cut the construction paper into a circle and used the
markers/colored pencils to draw lines to separate it into three sections. I instructed them to label
each section either: Igneous, Sedimentary, or Metamorphic and told them that we were going to
be making a rock wheel. I stated that it would be helpful for them when they were studying about
rocks later before their test and that they could add to it when they learned new facts. We then
had a discussion about each type of rock; some of the questions I asked the students to guide the
discussion were, What do you know about igneous rocks? What are the properties of igneous
rocks? How are they formed? etc. The information mostly came from the students but I helped
and added information on the board as well. The students were participating throughout the
discussion. They were raising their hands and stating what they knew or what conclusions they
drew about the rock types. Not everyone voiced a fact, but everyone was participating because
they were writing down the information on their rock wheels. There were also real world
examples presented during the discussion i.e. granite is a metamorphic rock and granite is used
to make countertops. This was helpful because students were again relating it to their real life
and using their prior knowledge to build their understanding of rocks. They wrote the rock
information in the corresponding section on their rock wheel. We then took a few minutes to
clean up before the bell rang.

Making Sense of Focus Students Responses
Descriptions of focus students
Pseudonym Academic
Standing
Personal Description
Maria Medium Biracial/Hispanic, female, sociable, average student
Erica Higher White, female, sociable, witty
Amanda Slightly lower African American, female, talkative, sometimes
disruptive

Excellent Response or Rubric
*depends on what type of rock student has
(Ex: obsidian)
1. Describe the characteristics you notice about this rock.
Describe color: black
Describe texture: smooth, glassy, shiny
Describe grain size: very tiny/not visible
Describe other characteristics: rigid angles, sharp

2. Do you think this rock is igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary and why?
I think that it is an igneous rock because of its color and texture. I dont think that
it is a sedimentary rock because it does not look like it is made of sediments. I dont
think that it is a metamorphic rock because it does not appear to have been exposed to
extreme pressure or heat.

3. Where and how do you think this rock originated?
I think that it originated from lava that came out of a volcano and onto the Earths
surface that cooled and hardened.

Finding and Explaining Patterns in Student Responses
Name: Maria
Rocks
[Given: Marble (metamorphic rock)]
1. Describe the characteristics you notice about this rock.
white
sparkely
rough

2. Do you think this rock is igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary and why?
I think it is a igneous rock because it looks like it formed from cooled lava.

3. Where and how do you think this rock originated?
From the lava on the inside the earth

Maria did a nice job describing the color, texture, and defining features of her rock. She
incorrectly identified marble as an igneous rock when it is actually a metamorphic rock. Im not
sure what led her to believe that this white rock cooled from lava. Also, she thought that it
formed from lava inside the Earth which is an incorrect statement because when it is inside the
Earth it is referred to as magma; it is lava when it is on Earths surface. However, the objective
was not necessarily to correctly identify the rock but rather to support your decision and
understand where and how each type is originated. Maria did correctly associate igneous rocks
as forming from lava. Therefore, I do think that Maria did learn from the activity.

Name: Erica
Rocks
[Given: obsidian (igneous rock)]
1. Describe the characteristics you notice about this rock.
Clear, brown, blackish, smooth, has a pointy part, glassy, shiny-ish, bouncy

2. Do you think this rock is igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary and why?
I think this rock is igneous because it doesnt look like it was made from plant/animals,
or from other rocks.

3. Where and how do you think this rock originated?
I think its intrusive, from lava inside Earth.

Erica was thorough when describing the color, texture, appearance, and defining
features of her rock. She also mentioned that it was bouncy which shows how she tends to be
witty and tries to be funny around her peers. She correctly identified her rock as igneous. She
was able to see that it clearly was not made from plants or animals but I am not sure what led
her to believe that it could not have been formed from other rocks. She used scientific language,
intrusive, however she used it incorrectly it actually is an extrusive rock. She also incorrectly
stated that lava was inside the Earth (magma is when it is inside, lava is on Earths surface). It is
formed from lava but it is formed on the Earths surface. Erica correctly identified her rock and
correctly associated with igneous rocks as being formed from lava, therefore I do think that she
learned from the lesson that I taught.

Name: Amanda
Rocks
[Given: sandstone (sedimentary rock)]
1. Describe the characteristics you notice about this rock.
Its rough and Its not chalky nor glassy or and it is grayish whiteish.

2. Do you think this rock is igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary and why?
It think is igneous because It was not made from another rock, also it was formed by lava.

3. Where and how do you think this rock originated?
In the earths places crust when it cools it gets hard.

Amanda did alright when describing the color, texture, and defining features of her rock.
It was interesting that she tended to classify her rock based on what it was not and what it did
not look like. She incorrectly identified sandstone as an igneous rock when it is actually a
sedimentary rock. Im not sure what led her to believe that it was not formed from another rock
and what led her to believe that it was formed from lava. However, as previously stated, the
objective was not necessarily to correctly identify the rock but rather to support your decision
and understand where and how each type is originated. Amanda did correctly associate igneous
rocks as forming from lava that cools and hardens. Therefore, I do think that Amanda did take
away valuable knowledge from the lesson.

Improvements Parts I-IV
The first thing that I would do differently is that after the students got in the groups for
what rock type they thought they belonged in, I would have them get in the actual rock group
that their rock fit into. I would then have the students really discuss what the defining features of
each rock type are and tips to help you identify whether or not your rock is that type. I would
have them put this information on a poster and present it to the rest of the class. I think that it is
important to do this so that the students are able to see which rocks really do belong in each
group and allow them the chance to compare and contrast them. Since each student was only
given one rock, it is important that they understand that rocks of the same type can look very
different. Also, making and presenting the posters allows the students to come up with criteria
for identifying that makes sense to them and each group gets to learn about the other rock groups
when they present to the class. It is also important that they understand the features of each rock
type and not just the one that their rock happened to fall into.
The next thing that I would change was to not place the pictures of the rocks on the tables
that they were meeting at. When the students went to the groups that they thought their rock
belonged in, if their rock did not look like the pictures on the table, they wanted to switch groups
even if they actually did belong in that group. I had originally thought the pictures would be
helpful as a guide and for when the groups were talking about the defining characteristics of each
rock type and I thought it would be good to have numerous examples of the rocks for them to
reference. Instead, however, they seemed to be searching for their rock in the pictures and semi-
basing which group they thought they were in based off of them. I do think that showing the
students pictures of different rocks that they do not have in front of them is important, but I
would have given them the pictures after they had already established which group they
belonged in.
The last thing I would have changed was that I would have utilized the smartboard in
order to show more pictures of rocks of each rock type as well as use it to help setup their rock
wheel. The pictures on the tables were cartoon-ish/clipart pictures of rocks which can be helpful
in some ways but harmful in others because the cartoon-ness of the drawings is not always very
accurate. More actual pictures of rocks could have been helpful to show more examples. I used
the white board to setup the rock wheel and wrote down some important information that they
may have wanted to include on their rock wheel, but I had to keep erasing things in order to
make room to write new things. This could be problematic for slower learners, slower writers,
ELL students, or special education students. The smartboard would have allowed me to write
down more information as well as allowing me to save it on the computer and give it to the
resource teacher or students who did not get all of the information down. It is easy to forget that
you have certain resources but it is important to utilize them when you can!

Improvements in Your Understanding of Science Teaching
The most important thing that I took away from this lesson was that it is important as a
teacher to try to think like you are the student when you are planning your lesson. For example,
with having the pictures on the tables: if I had been thinking more like a 6
th
grade student, I
should have realized that they would base their answers off of the example pictures. Also, for the
question about explaining why you thought your rock was formed how it was/was which type it
was: if I had been thinking more like a 6
th
grader, I should have seen that they would not really
answer this question. It can even be hard for me to sometimes explain why I classified a rock as
metamorphic and not igneous, so how should I expect these inexperienced 6
th
graders to really
give a valid answer? Rock identification is tricky in general, so in this case (and in any case
really) trying to think like your students can help you to plan your lesson accordingly and help
you to realize the possible problems that they might have when doing the lesson.








Attachments
WORKSHEET: Name:_____________________________
All About Your Rock
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ASSESSMENT:
Name: __________________________
Rocks

1. Describe the characteristics you notice about this rock.

2. Do you think this rock is igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary and why?

3. Where and how do you think this rock originated?