|
Printer Friendly Version
Investigation Question 2:
How can you tell rocks apart?
|
What To Do
|
|
Setting the
scene
|
Remind students of the rocks that they studied in their first investigation. What was the same about the rocks? What was different? What characteristics did they think would be useful in identifying their rocks? Make a list of their ideas to refer to during the investigation.
Back To Top
|
|
Presenting the Investigation
question
|
|
After the scene is set, introduce your students to the investigation question: “How can you tell rocks apart?”
Tell your students that they will be investigating this question and at the end of their investigations they will be able to provide reliable answers.
Have your students brainstorm ideas about how this investigation question could be investigated.
- Design an experiment that could be used to test the investigation question.
- What materials would be needed?
- What would you have to do?
- What would be measured?
- How long would the experiment take?
Back To Top |
|
Assessing What Your Students Already Know
|
|
Here are some initial questions that your students can discuss, in pairs, groups and as a whole class:
- What characteristics can you observe in rock samples?
- How can you tell different rocks apart?
Have your students report out their ideas and make a list of them. Add to your class list called “Questions we have about rocks.” By the end of the investigation, more of these questions will probably be answered.
Back To Top
|
|
Exploring the Concept
|
- If you have not already done so, divide your class into groups of about four students with each group sitting around its table or work area.
- Before your students begin, tell them how much time they will have to complete their investigation. (Group learning strategies often call for appointing a group time keeper who keeps the group on track.)
- Provide your students with the following tools for investigation:
- Hand lenses (enough for everyone)
- Samples of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks
- Pencils to record observations
- Rock Data Table
- Tell your students that they will be examining their rocks, recording their observations about the rocks in their Rock Data Table. Circulate while they work to monitor progress and answer questions.
- When they finish, ask students to use the data in their tables to make three groups of rocks. The rocks in each group should have similar characteristics. When they have done this, ask groups to volunteer to share their groupings and their reasons for them.
- Give students copies of the Rock Identification Sheet. Ask them to use the sheets and their Rock Data Tables to identify the groups in which their rocks belong. If they feel confident about this, they can try to identify the specific names of the rock samples.
- When students are finished, hold a whole class discussion about how it is possible to use the characteristics of rocks to group them. Make a list of their ideas on a flipchart for later.
Back To Top
|
