Examining the Characteristics of Rocks and Minerals

Third graders at HSA-DE have been busy learning about the Earth.  So far in this interdisciplinary unit, we have learned about the Earth's landforms, the Earth's layers, and fast and slow changes to the Earth's surface.  Recently we have been investigating the Earth's non-living resources and their properties.  One of the non-living resources we have been investigating is rocks and minerals.  

Darren, James, and Angel are investigating rocks and recording observations.

Ohio's New Learning Standards for Science tell us that the characteristics of rocks must be studied through sampling, observation and testing. To do this Ms. Amstutz brought in her sons' rock and mineral collection to share with the class.  These rocks and minerals were collected over a period of 15 years and were gathered from across 5 states from various different caves and caverns.  

One of the P.R.I.D.E groups sorted their rocks and minerals by color.

Students worked in their P.R.I.D.E. groups to gather measurable data and notice observable characteristics of rocks including size and shape of the particles or grains (if present) within the rock, texture and color. Age-appropriate tools such as magnifying glasses were used to test and measure the properties. 

Shy'Diamond examines a rock with a magnifying glass.

The Ohio New Learning Science Standards also ask student to test for  the ability of water to pass through samples of rock or soil.  Because we will be doing a soil erosion study in the upcoming days, we opted to conduct a different test on our rocks.  We decided to test for the presence of calcium carbonate in our rocks.  Calcium carbonate is found in some rocks such as marble, limestone, and chalk.  

In order to test for calcium carbonate, we numbered. a sample of five rocks.

Getting ready to test rocks for the presence of calcium carbonate.

To test for calcium carbonate, white vinegar was dropped on each of the rocks and a magnifying glass was used to observe for fizzing.  

Watching for a chemical reaction between calcium carbonate and white vinegar. 

Technology can be used to analyze and compare test results, and to further explore rocks and minerals.  Following this lab, students completed a Web Quest to review what they have learned about rocks and explore their own unique geological interests.  Here are some sites they visited:

• Geography 4 Kids

• Rockhound Kids

• Oxford University Museum of Natural History "The Learning Zone"

Students have been very interested in our study of rocks and minerals, so much so, that we have had several bring in rocks from their own collection to share with each other.

Abubakr shares a rock from his own collection with the class.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals for Smart Third Graders

Goal setting is an important component of students' motivation, self-regulation, and achievement in academic settings. A goal is a behavior or outcome that one is consciously trying to perform or attain. Goal setting refers to the process of establishing that behavior or outcome to serve as the aim of one's actions. Goals can exert positive effects in achievement settings by directing learners' attention to important activities and away from distractions and by mobilizing their effort and persistence directed toward goal attainment.

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Last week, students reviewed their goals for NWEA growth targets and re-read their October S.M.A.R.T. goals. We discussed our progress towards our goals and worked to establish new goals.

The process of setting goals allows students to choose where they want to go in school and what they want to achieve. By knowing what they want to achieve, they know what they have to concentrate on and improve. Goal setting gives students long-term vision and short-term motivation.

Shy'Diamond  and Jayda works on their S.M.A.R.T. goals for literacy, math, and behavior.

Having sharp, clearly defined goals, which students can measure, will allow them to take pride in accomplishing those goals. They can see clear forward progress in what might have seemed a long drawn out process.

By setting goals students can:
1.improve their academic performance

Marion's goal is to learn how to use the make-a-ten
mental math strategy of addition in math.

2.increase pride and satisfaction in performance

TaMya's goal is to listen to the person that is reading,
follow the reading procedure in class every day, pick reading
books that she can read, and be prepared.

3.increase their motivation to achieve

Kaylin's goal is to read 30 minutes each night and record
it on her reading log.

4.improve their self-confidence

Sharnetta reads her goal.

How Can the Surface of the Earth be Changed?

Students in room 177 began the second Interdisciplinary Unit, "Interdependence" shortly after the second quarter began.  We have been spending our time learning about the Earth.  To kick off this unit, students first examined two famous pieces of art:

Tar Beach 2 by Faith Ringgold

Horizon:  Ocean View by Richard Diebenkorn

Using these two pieces of art, students made predictions about the two different communities. They asked and were asked questions about the types of communities they saw in these pieces of art and wondered why people settled in that area. A compare and contrast of these the two paintings was completed using a Venn diagram.

After this lesson "hook" students were introduced to the Earth's landforms by reading from our Science text books.  Next, students were asked to take a globe of the Earth and, together with their P.R.I.D.E. group, apply their knew knowledge of landforms as they identified landforms throughout the world.

Adriana and Ray'Von collaborate as they identify landforms in Africa.

Jayda is identifying landforms in Asia.

Following this lab, students reviewed landforms by watching a Prezi and synthesized what they had learned while completing an interactive notebook entry in their science journals.

Darren works to complete his landform interactive notebook entry.

Students also learned about the layers of the Earth.  They learned that The Earth can be compared to a hard boiled egg.  Both the Earth and a hard boiled egg have an outer layer.  On the egg, this is the shell; on the Earth, this is called the crust.  Below the Earth's crust is the mantle.  This can be compared to the white part of the hard boiled egg.  Below the mantle is the Earth's core.  This can be compared to the yolk of the egg.  The core has two layers:  a liquid outer core and a solid inner core.

Next, students learned that natural disasters can change the Earth's surface quickly.  Some natural disaster's that can change the Earth's surface include earthquakes, floods, mudslides/ rock slides and volcanoes erupting.

Finally, students  learned the processes that can change the Earth's surface slowly.  These processes include weathering, erosion, and deposition.  Weathering is the breaking down of rocks on the Earth's surface over time.  Erosion is the movement of bits of rocks from one place to another.  Deposition happens when bits of rocks or minerals are added to a landform or a land mass.  After reading about these processes in our text books, students watched a Study Jams Weathering and Erosion Video.

Afterward, students were given an interactive notebook entry on weathering, erosion, and deposition to complete with a partner.  To complete this task, students used the glossary of their science text book to document the definition of these three important terms.

Lavon's interactive notebook entry for Weathering, Erosion
and Deposition

Next, students worked with their table partner to complete a Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition mini-lab which consisted of a science sort.  In order to complete this lab, first, as a class we examined some of the terms on the sorting cards.  We noted that some of the terms were the names of landforms that we had not studied in class.  We circled those terms so that we knew that those were landforms or land masses.

Next, we discussed the word "sediments" and learned that it is synonym for rocks.  We wrote that at the top of our sorting sheet so that we would remember that helpful hint.  We, then referred to the interactive notebook entry that we had just completed with our partner and found key words for each term.

• For weathering, we decided that "breaking" was a key word.  
• For erosion,  we decided that "movement" was a key word in the definition.  
• For deposition, we decided that "dropped off" were key words for the definition.  

We also discovered that one of the sorting cards had the word "deposited" on it.  Students determined that "deposit" is the root word for deposited with a suffix -ed.  We took a closer look at the word "deposition" and found that the word "deposit" is also the root word with a suffix of -ion.  We discussed how root words can help give us clues to solving problems.  Finally, students worked with their table partner in a "Partner with a Purpose" relationship.  Their purpose was to evaluate the clues on each sorting card and determine which process to which that card belonged.  

As students worked with partners, Ms. Amstutz circulated the room and assessed student's thinking and learning.  Here is one example:

In this example, Da'Marieon defends his 

thinking about a glacier dragging sediment 

through a valley.

Da'Marieon and Lavon partnered together to sort scenarios demonstrating
slow changes in the earth's surface into the categories of
weathering, erosion, and deposition.

Sorting Science Mini-Lab.  Student's circled landforms names and
highlighted the clue words that helped them identify
which column to place their card into. (Note:  The one error in this
sort was corrected after this photo was taken).

The Buzz About the Spelling Bee

The Horizon Science Academy Dayton Elementary students have been a-buzz about spelling!  Our classroom spelling bee was held on October 27 and the school bee was held on October 29.  The top five students from each homeroom in grades three through five competed in the all school spelling bee.  Representing third grade were:

Dymond, Cayla, James, Darren, and Angel

The top finisher from each grade level will move on to the Concept Schools district spelling bee which will be held in Chicago, IL on December 6, 2014.  We are very excited to announce that James will represent room 177 in the district bee.

Pioneer Life in the 1800's: Field Trip to Carriage Hill Farm

On Friday, October 24, Third Graders from Horizon Science Academy- Dayton Elementary took a Field Trip to Carriage Hill Farm and MetroPark.  This field trip was a follow-up enrichment activity that concluded our study of pioneer life in the 1800's and our novel study of Common Core exemplar text Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia McLaughlan.  While there, we took the self-guided tour:  A Walk Through History.  Students were able to learn more about Carriage Hill MetroPark and its history by touring the Visitor Center and watching a 7 1/2 minute video told through a child's perspective.  Afterwards, we strolled through the historic farm with the provided tour information.  We concluded our stroll with a nature walk and lunch at the Visitor Center before returning to school.

Students began our visit with a 7 1/2 minute video  about farm
life in the 1800s told through a child's perspective.

Students visited the one room school house in the Visitor's Center.  They learned
that during the pioneer times, children like Anna and Caleb Witting all attended school in
the same classroom regardless of age or grade.  They also recalled that students
only attended school during the fall, winter and early spring.  We discussed that this was
because during the summer, children were needed to help work on the farm by plowing, planting,
and harvesting crops.  This tradition of having summer break still continues today.

Dymond observes several different tools used by the pioneers.

Ra'Jhay and Cayla look at some of the items that pioneers like Sarah
and the Wittings may have shopped for in town.

Ray'Von, Jayda, Khadijah and Marcus were impressed by the tools
that were madein the blacksmith shop.

The third graders gathered in front of the barn and windmill at Carriage Hill.

Third graders decided that the amenities we have today are much better
than the outhousethat Sarah and the Wittings  and the Arnold family who
lived atCarriage Hill Farm must have used in the 1800's

Students noticed that the chickens at Carriage Hill Farm were kept in a
pen and hen house but in the novel Sarah, Plain and Tall the chickens
were free to roam and even come into the house.

As we walked to another area of the farm, we stopped on the bridge to make
some observations of the pond ecosystem.

Ray'Von and Kaylin observed that two of the gravestones had smaller gravestones
at the other end of the grave.  Some students hypothesized that those might be graves
of babies.  Ray'Von suggested that since the initials on the smaller stones
corresponded to the names on the larger stones, that those smaller stones were
marking the feet of the people in the Arnold family who were buried here.

Cayla, TaMya, and Ra'Jhay noted that many of the tombstones were from young
children and even infants who lived anywhere from 1 day to a few years.  Students
discussed reasons why people may have had so many children in the 1800s (to help
work on the farm) and why so many children may have died (lack of proper health
care,  no vaccines to prevent disease, living far away from the doctor).

Sharnetta and Lavon (behind) found what Ms. A calls "monkey brains".
We are not sure what these are really called, but they do resemble
the brains of a small animal.  Our hypothesis is that they are the
fruit or seed (or both) of a type of tree.

Aaron found a caterpillar on our nature walk.  Darren, Marion and the others
wanted to take a look at this forest ecosystem consumer, too.

Khadijah and Abubakr find a quiet table in the shade at which to enjoy their lunch.

Lavon, Sharnetta, Diamond, and Dymond choose a table in the sunshine where
they can enjoy one of the last few beautiful days of Fall.

Ra'Jhay leads the way back to the bus.  Time to go back to HSA-DE.