Beyond-the-Basic

Productivity Tools (BBPT)

Lesson Idea Name: Physical Attributes of Rocks
Content Area: Science
Grade Level(s): Third Grade

Content Standard Addressed:

S3E1: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the physical attributes of rocks and soils.
a. Ask questions and analyze data to classify rocks by their physical attributes (color, texture, luster, and
hardness) using simple tests.
Technology Standard Addressed:
4 – Innovative Designer
Selected Technology Tool:
Popplet
URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☒ Remembering ☒ Understanding ☒ Applying ☒ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☐ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☒ Level 4: Integration

☐ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): This is an essential resource for English Learners. This tool can allow
students to work on this online and they care start it in their native language, the one they are most
comfortable with and they can switch it back online when they are finished. This can help their content
knowledge grow by being given the opportunity to put their information in their native language and then
translate it back. This will grow their use of academic language in the classroom because once they switch it
back they are familiar with what information is written down, so they become more familiar with academic
words. This is also a useful tool because it can be shown at home on their computer as well and can have it
translate to their native language. This gives their family the opportunity to see what their child is working on
in school.
Lesson idea implementation: In this lesson students will be analyzing rocks based on their physical attributes.
The lesson will start by having the class go outside and everyone will be instructed to pick one rock and then
to bring it back to the classroom. When we get back to the classroom I will have the students come down to
the carpet and put the rock in front of them. I will ask them ways to describe their rock one at a time, I will be
hoping for answers such as rough, the color their rock is etc. Then we will watch a BrainPop video on how to
classify rocks. When the video is over we as a whole group we are going to classify the rock that I have picked
out when we were outside. I will put my rock up on the doc cam for everyone to see and also pass the rock
around so students are given the opportunity to feel it. When we are classifying the rock, we will do this in
the form of Popplet so students get familiar with this tool and seeing how it is used while I am modeling and
guiding the discussion about the classification of a rock. Once we have completed the Popplet as whole class
and classified it in as many ways that we could I will then turn to the class and tell them their role in the
lesson.


Once the students have been given the instruction that they are going to be making their own Popplet and
classifying the rock they have found outside, I will walk around and make sure that the students are staying
on task and I want to see what ways they are classifying their rock. I will use their Popplet as my assessment

Spring 2018_SJB
 Beyond-the-Basic Productivity Tools (BBPT)
tool for this lesson. When everyone is completed with their Popplet I will have each student get up and share
their classifications of their rock while displaying their Popplet at the same time. This will allow students to
engage with their peers and see the other rocks and how they could be classified as well. I will end the lesson
by creating a document with pictures of everyone’s rock and their Popplet attached and create a book. I will
laminate it and have it in the classroom library. This will allow students to go back to their work and reference
it while we are in the unit. It will also bring the students a lot of joy to have their work displayed in the
classroom.

Reflective Practice: This lesson will be very beneficial to all learners. The lesson starts off with engaging in the
environment where rocks are found. This allows students to take their learning outside of the classroom and
have voice and choice because they are given the opportunity to pick their own rock. Students will be gaining
more skills after this lesson with becoming familiar with Popplet, this skill can be further used in the
classroom in different subjects. I think that students are given the opportunity to pick their own rock and
engage with it while using technology will be more beneficial for students as opposed to just classifying a rock
I brought in to class or going over a PowerPoint that talked about classifying rocks. At the end of the lesson I
am going to make a book of everyone’s Popplet and putting it in the classroom library I think this will have a
huge impact on students and make them feel accomplished and allow them to look back on their work.

Spring 2018_SJB