Old Dominion University Darden College of Education

Instructional Lesson Plan

Overview
Lesson Plan Overview

Date: 11-30-18

Lesson Title: An Introduction to the Rock Cycle, Pt. 2

Lesson Author: Alyana Lara

Grade Level: 4th Grade

Subject Area: Science and Math

Time Allotted for Lesson: One 30-45 minute session

Short Description of Lesson

In this lesson, the students will be matching the various shapes of minerals and rocks with
the geometric, solid shapes that are found in their math unit. To introduce the math portion
of the lesson, the teacher will show the various geometric solids and provide examples of
them, along with a discussion about what those solids are. In the science introduction, the
teacher will show various minerals and rocks that have crystalline structures that are similar
to the geometric solids shown before. The students have to be able to match the different
minerals with the different solids together during one of the lesson activities. At the end of
the lesson, students will create their own minerals by using their geometric shapes that
they learned about and give them different characteristics. These characteristics include
color, luster (metallic, nonmetallic) and other unique features.

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Standards
Lesson Plan Standards

Science
*Note: These SOLs are from 2010. Due to the new implementation and revisions of the science SOLs,
5th grade SOLs are in place.

5.7 The student will investigate and understand how Earth’s surface is constantly changing. Key
concepts include
a) identification of rock types;
b) the rock cycle and how transformations between rocks occur;
f) weathering, erosion, and deposition

Math

4.11 The student will identify, describe, compare, and contrast plane and solid figures according to
their characteristics (number of angles, vertices, edges, and the number and shape of faces)
using concrete models and pictorial representations.

Instructional Objectives
Instructional Objectives

Science

5.7 In order to meet this standard, it is expected that students will

 apply basic terminology to explain how Earth’s surface is constantly changing.
 draw and label the rock cycle and describe the major processes and rock types involved.
 compare and contrast the origin of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks.
 identify rock samples (granite, gneiss, slate, limestone, shale, sandstone, and coal), using a
rock classification key.
 differentiate between weathering, erosion, and deposition.

Math

4.11 The student will use problem solving, mathematical communication, mathematical reasoning,
connections, and representations to

 Identify concrete models and pictorial representations of solid figures (cube, rectangular
prism, square pyramid, sphere, cone, and cylinder).
 Identify and describe solid figures (cube, rectangular prism, square pyramid, and sphere)
according to their characteristics (number of angles, vertices, edges, and by the number and
shape of faces).
 Compare and contrast plane and solid figures (circle/sphere, square/cube, triangle/square
pyramid, and rectangle/ rectangular prism) according to their characteristics (number of sides,
angles, vertices, edges, and the number and shape of faces).

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Focus
Enduring Understandings

Science
5.7 All students should understand that
 Rocks have properties that can be observed, tested, and described. Composition, grain size
and textural features, color, and the presence of fossils help with identification. Classification
keys (5.1) can aid this process.
 Rocks move and change over time due to heat and pressure within Earth and due to
weathering, erosion, and deposition at the surface. These and other processes constantly
change rock from one type to another.
 Depending on how rocks are formed, they are classified as sedimentary (layers of sediment
cemented together), igneous (melted and cooled, e.g., lava and magma), and metamorphic
(changed by heat and pressure).

Math

4.11 All students should understand that

 The study of geometric figures must be active, using visual images and concrete materials
(tools such as graph paper, pattern blocks, geoboards, geometric solids, and computer
software tools).
 Opportunity must be provided for building and using geometric vocabulary to describe plane
and solid figures.
 A plane figure is any closed, two-dimensional shape.
 A solid figure is three-dimensional, having length, width, and height.
 A face is any flat surface of a solid figure.
 An angle is formed by two rays with a common endpoint called the vertex. Angles are found
wherever lines and/or line segments intersect.
 An edge is the line segment where two faces of a solid figure intersect.
 A vertex is the point at which two or more lines, line segments, or rays meet to form an
angle. In solid figures, a vertex is the point at which three or more faces meet.
 Characteristics of solid figures included at this grade level are defined in the chart below:

Essential Questions

 How are geometric shapes different from each other?

 Why do you think that rocks and minerals are shaped differently?
 To what extent…
 What can convince you that a certain geometric shape is a particular solid figure?
 How might you prove that minerals come in different shapes?

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Procedures
Lesson Set

1. Review of some important geometric vocabulary (verbal, inquiry):

- Point: A location in space
- Line Segment: A part of a line with two endpoints
- Line: Straight figure that goes on infinitely, collection of points
- Ray: A part of a line with one endpoint and extends infinitely in one direction
- Angle: Formed by two rays
- Vertex: Point of an angle
2. Review of rock cycle vocabulary using posters from the LA LP (verbal, inquiry):
- Igneous Rock: Formed when magma or lava cools
- Sedimentary Rock: Tiny debris that is compacted and put under pressure
- Metamorphic Rock: Form from high heat and pressure from inside the Earth
3. Introduction of geometric solids and their similarities to minerals and rocks
(PowerPoint presentation with discussion questions throughout)
- Rocks are made up of many different minerals (which are crystalline)
- These minerals take the shape of many geometric solids
- Some minerals are used for different reasons

Rationale

Minerals are important because we use them for important resources (halite-table salt;
quartz-glass; talc-paint, cosmetics, ceramics; graphite-pencils, etc.) Just like rocks,
they enable us to learn about how the Earth works and the processes that Earth goes
through to produce those rocks and minerals.

Techniques and Activities

4. After completion of PowerPoint: complete geometry sort quizlet:

https://quizlet.com/344836510/geometric-solids-flash-cards/ as a whole class, give a
couple students a chance to do the matching game by themselves
5. Students will begin work on attached worksheet (bottom of this LP) and get it checked
once they are finished (all words will be written on the board, so students can spell the
words correctly)

Lesson Closure

6. When they finish the worksheet, students will use the program Wixie on their
computers to create their own “minerals,” and be able to tell:
- What the mineral is called
- What the mineral is used for
- The type of geometric solid it is
After they finish, a couple students will be picked or volunteer to present their mineral
and read each of the criteria above that they wrote for their mineral.
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Assessment/Evaluation

The main assessment for this lesson is formative, and it takes the form of a worksheet
(bottom of LP). On it, there are four different geometric solids along with an accompanying
picture of a mineral that is very similar to the shape. These will be checked for individual
understanding, and direct (verbal) feedback will be given to the students. The reason why
this format of the assessment is used is because this format is what most of their other
assessments, especially their big unit tests, look like. Making the assessment look the same
as their test can help prevent any confusion or misunderstanding of concepts. Another form
of assessment that the students will be doing in small groups is the geometry sort, where
half of the cards consist of the geometric solids and the other half has the name of the solids.
These will also be checked by the teacher with verbal feedback.

Student Products

As a result of this lesson, the students will have created their own mineral by naming it,
telling what geometric shape it is, and what the mineral is commonly used for. They will also
have completed the formative assessment with the four different geometric solids and their
labels to show their understanding of the content.

Supplemental Activities: Extension and Remediation

Extension:
For those students who have fully grasped the concepts of this lesson, they will be able to
access this website from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM):
https://www.nctm.org/Classroom-Resources/Illuminations/Interactives/Geometric-Solids/
which gets students to examine different types of geometric solids that were not covered
in this lesson, such as octahedrons, dodecahedrons, etc. The activity requires students to
be able to find each face, vertex, and edge of their selected geometric solid. This
interactive program is more of an exploratory activity rather than an activity that checks
for their knowledge of already known concepts (expansion of concepts).

Remediation:
Students who need remediation will be able to access this Splash Math website:
https://www.splashmath.com/geometry-games-for-4th-graders with different interactive
geometry games. Most of these games will be review for the students, as understanding
geometric solids requires an understanding of previous geometry concepts such as lines,
line segments, parallel and perpendicular lines, and shapes. There are seven games that
the students can play so that it can help further solidify past concepts that are a basis for
this lesson.

Adaptations for Diverse Special Learners

Learners with Disabilities:

Those students with disabilities will be able to complete the activities in this lesson on their
chrome books. Their Chrome Books have many accessibility features that can make it easier
for students to finish their activities, such as zooming functions, brightness adjustment, the

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use of headphones, as well as the ability to change hotkeys as necessary for the student’s
individual needs.

ESL Students:
For those students in ESL, translations of the content can be produced with help from the ESL
specialist. These students will also be able to use their Chrome Books and use the translation
feature that is included with Google Chrome to look through different websites showing the
different geometric solids.

Gifted Learners:
Students who are identified gifted will be using the extension listed in “Extension and
Remediation.” They will be able to use an interactive program provided by the NCTM that will
allow them to explore different types of more complex geometric solids.

Differentiated Instruction

In this lesson, there will be a combination of whole group, small group, and individual work.
Whole and small group activities will be inquiry based and the individual work will be done
independently, but assistance will be available during that time. Also, there are kinesthetic
activities for the students to do, such as the timed geometry sort that the students will be
able to interact with on the smart board.

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Resources
Materials and Additional Resources

 Pencils
 Chrome Books
 Smart Board
 Assessment worksheet (next page)
 Geometry sorts

Web and Attachment Resources

 Kids Geology: https://kidsgeo.com/geology-for-kids/crystals/
 Wixie: https://www.wixie.com/
 Splash Math: https://www.splashmath.com/geometry-games-for-4th-graders
 Quizlet: https://quizlet.com/344836510/geometric-solids-flash-cards/

Reflection and Reaction

Personal Impact on Student Learning

Provide a well written in-depth summary of your personal impact on

student learning. Provide information on what worked and did not
work. What would you do differently?
I think that my lesson overall went well. The students were very excited to do this
lesson because they got to get up and use Mrs. Wilson’s View Sonic board to do the activity
that I had them complete. Both of the classes were extremely excited to participate in all of
the parts of the lesson, and they had an exceptional amount of fun when they were doing
the Quizlet geometry sort. The kids were so good at cheering each other on to complete
the sort and cheered loudly whenever someone would break the previous record!
In Mrs. Wilson’s homeroom, the students were able to complete the review and
connect the rocks and minerals to the geometric solids without any problem. When it came
time to do the Quizlet sort, every student got a chance to play the matching game and they
were all super excited to play it. They were also enthusiastic when they started the original
paper assignment and completed it with very few issues.
The switched class was also able to complete the review of some geometric terms
and recognition of the rocks/minerals with geometric solids without much struggle. When
the Quizlet sort was initiated, these students were a lot more enthusiastic than the other
class to complete the matching game, but when it came to the original paper assignment, I
noticed that they got a little bit bored (this may have been because they used up all of
their enthusiasm on the first part of the lesson).
The only problem that occurred with the lesson was the assignment (next page). The
assignment itself was fine, but for some reason we couldn’t print the page with any of the
printers that Mrs. Wilson had access to. For my plan B, I decided to just have the
assignment completed on the View Sonic board and I called each students’ name from
picking their names in a bucket (their names were written on popsicle sticks). Other than
that, there weren’t any other issues that greatly inhibited the lesson.

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Name: ________________________________ #:____________ Date:___________________

Assessment MA.4.4.3 The student will identify, describe, compare and contrast plane and solid
figures according to their characteristics (number of angles, vertices, edges and the number and
shape of faces) using concrete models and pictorial representations. (SOL 4.11; Geometry)

Directions: Identify each shape by writing the name on the line provided.

Name of Solid: ______________________________ Name of Solid: ______________________________

Shape of Faces: _____________________________ Shape of Faces: _____________________________

Number of Faces: ___________________________ Number of Faces: ___________________________

Number of Vertices: __________________________ Number of Vertices: __________________________

Number of Edges: ____________________________ Number of Edges: ____________________________

Name of Solid: ______________________________ Name of Solid: ______________________________

Shape of Faces: _____________________________ Shape of Faces: _____________________________

Number of Faces: ___________________________ Number of Faces: ___________________________

Number of Vertices: __________________________ Number of Vertices: __________________________

Number of Edges: ____________________________ Number of Edges: ____________________________

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