EDUC 2220- Educational Technology Lesson Plan Template

Mineral Research
Allyson VanGundy
Grade 6: Science Lesson

Common Core Standards:

INTERPRETINGANDCOMMUNICATINGSCIENCECONCEPTS
Makeachart,tableorkeytouseintheclassificationofcommonrockswithineachdivisionofrock(sedimentary,igneous,
metamorphic).
EARTHANDSPACESCIENCE(ESS)Topic:Rocks,MineralsandSoilThistopicfocusesonthestudyofrocks,mineralsandsoil,
whichmakeupthelithosphere.Classifyingandidentifyingdifferenttypesofrocks,mineralsandsoilcandecodethepast
environmentinwhichtheyformed.
CONTENTSTATEMENTMineralshavespecific,quantifiableproperties.Mineralsarenaturallyoccurring,inorganicsolidsthat
haveadefinedchemicalcomposition.Mineralshavepropertiesthatcanbeobservedandmeasured.Mineralsforminspecific
environments.

Lesson Summary:
I want my students to do a research project on a specific type of rock or mineral, but I want them to go into
more detail than what we go into in class. I want them to make a website based on this rock or mineral to share
with the class and me. There will be no repeats of rocks or minerals that students do, so I will provide a list if
students cannot find one that hasnt already been taken. The website that they will use to make the website is
http://www.wix.com/.

Estimated Duration (5 days):

This lesson will be split up over a weeklong period. Day 1 and Day 2 will both be research days in the
computer lab for the students, they can use the computers/internet to do research, and they can also use the
science books provided and the books in the library. Day 3 and Day 4 will be days where they are making their
websites about their rock or mineral. These days we will be in the computer lab again, so that students can use
the computers to make their websites and finalize them before their presentations. Day 5 will be presentation
day of their website, how it works, and the information about their rock or mineral. If need be I will reserve the
following Monday for presentations of the websites if we do not get all the way through them.

Commentary: Something that I anticipate as a problem will be students overlapping with the rock or mineral
they are wanting to research. So I will need a long list of at least 30 rocks and minerals so that I can help
students find different ones to research (because we dont want anyone doing the same one). Another thing that
might happen is internet issue. Which if that is the case then they can research using library books and science
books that will also be provided for them.

Instructional Procedures:
Day 1:
(15-20 min)- I will introduce the lesson on Monday to my students and what they will be doing with this
project.
(5 min)- Have students sign up for a rock or mineral to research
(25-30 min)- Start research on rock or mineral chosen, ask questions
Day 2: (55-60 min) Continuation of the research of the rock or mineral.
Day 3: (20 min)-I have a website where you can make your own website, so I will do a tutorial of the basics of
how to make your website specific to you.
(30 min)-Then students will have the rest of class to start putting together their websites.
Day 4: (55-60 min)-Work on website and finish up everything to get ready for presentation.
(5 min)- Sign up for a presentation time.
Day 5: (60 min)-This will be the start of presentations.
Day 6 (if need be): (20 min)-Finish up presentations

Pre-Assessment:
To pre access my students I will teach them about the different types of minerals and rocks that exist. They will
have a quiz after these few lessons, which will test them on their knowledge of rocks and minerals. That will
be used as a pretest for this research project that they will be doing in this lesson.
Scoring Guidelines:
Students will get a grade on their quiz out of 20 points. They will be asked multiple-choice questions about
rocks and minerals, about the basics.

During the actual lesson I will be assessing my students based on the work I observe them doing. These will be
formal assessments but if I see students off task or they cannot explain to me what they are working on at that
moment then I will take off points from their final grade.

Post-Assessment:
They will be graded on their presentations and what information they have provided the class about the rock or
mineral they have researched.
Scoring Guidelines:
What I will be looking for in the presentation of the website. Does it look like they put effort in? Is the
website organized? Did they provide in-depth information going past what is discussed in class? Were
they working all week on research and developing the website? Do they know their information about
their rock or mineral? These are some of the things I am looking for in scoring the presentation.

Extension
http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Ohios-Learning-Standards/Science/ScienceStandards.pdf.aspx
This is the link for the Ohio standards of science. Students can benefit from looking at this so they know what
as teachers have to do in order for them to get the best education. This will benefit them to look at it because it
goes into more description of what the each different standard is.

Homework Options and Home Connections

There will not be very much homework during this week, but if they need to do extra research at home. Also,
if by day 4 they have not finished their website, then they will need to finish their website before the
presentation on day 5.

Interdisciplinary Connections
There are many different connections to other subjects in the classroom. For example, they are doing research,
which you do in many different classes. You are researching the history of these different rocks and minerals.
In middle school and high school you start to learn about technology and take different typing/technology
classes, which this lesson uses technology.

Materials and Resources:

For teachers

-List of about 30 rocks and minerals for students

- http://www.wix.com/ (provide them with an explanation of this)
-Standards http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Ohios-LearningStandards/Science/ScienceStandards.pdf.aspx
-Provide time in the computer lab for students
-Sign up sheets for rock and mineral
-Sign up sheets for presentation time
-Rubric for the presentation/the website information needed for minerals

For students

-http://www.wix.com/
-Science book
-Library books
-Computers in the computer lab