Part 1Big Ideas

Disciplines: Science Social Studies ELA Math Art

Standards 3-3.1 3-1.1 CCSS.ELA.W.3.b 3.MD.2 VA3-1.3
(indicators):
Overarching Classification- Rocks and their change over time, which types of rocks are found in the different regions of
Topic/Theme: South Carolina and why.
Students 1. The students live in South Carolina.
interest/Relevancy 2. They can find these different types of rocks around their school and homes.
: 3. If they become future builders or construction workers they may need to use these different types of
rocks to build homes or for features in a home (counter tops, outlining of fire places)
4. Many of my students enjoy going to the beach they can find sand and rocks there.
5. Roads are made out of different type of rocks. Students in my class love to bike on the roads and their
parents drive on them with their vehicles.
6. My students love the game Minecraft; students choose different rocks to build thing in Minecraft.

Essential Which types of rocks would you find in the six different regions of South Carolina?
Question:

Science:
3-3.1- Classify rocks (including sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic) and soils (including humus, clay, sand, and silt) on the basis
of their properties.

Social Studies:
3-1.1- Categorize the six landform regions of South Carolinathe Blue Ridge, the Piedmont, the Sand Hills, the Inner Coastal Plain,
the Outer Coastal Plain, and the Coastal Zoneaccording to their climate, physical features, and natural resources.

Writing:
CCSS.ELA.W.3.b- Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details,
and clear event sequences. b. Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or
show the response of characters to situations.
Art:
VA3-1.3- Use and combine a variety of materials, techniques and processes to create works of visual art.

Math:
3.MD.2- Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses of objects using standard units of grams (g), kilograms (kg), and liters.

Part 2-Know-Do-Be Web and Web of Choice

Know
-Know the three different types of
rocks; igneous, sedimentary and
metamorphic.
-Know how igneous, sedimentary
and metamorphic rocks are
formed.
-Know physical characteristics of
igneous, sedimentary and
metamorphic rocks.
-Know examples of igneous,
sedimentary and metamorphic
rocks.
-Know which regions of South
Carolina the different types of
rocks are formed and located.
Do
-Create an edible version of an
igneous, sedimentary and
metamorphic rock to show the
formation of the different rocks.
-Make observations about
igneous, sedimentary and
metamorphic rocks.
-Classify rocks based on their
physical characteristics.
- Weight and measure rocks to
help classify and make predictions
about rocks.
-Create a web to plan for writing a
creative narrative about rocks in
South Carolina.
-Write a creative narrative about
Be
- Students will be planers; they
will create web for a pre writing
assignment.
- Students will be decision
makers; they have to choose
which writing prompt they are
going to write about, which rock
they will bring into class and
chose which type of rock they are
exploring based on the physical
properties of different rocks.
-Students will be observers; they
will weigh, feel and look at
different rocks.
-Students will be aware of the
regions of South Carolina; aware
 which types of rocks they would of their natural surroundings and
find in the different region of environmentally aware.
South Carolina.

Students will be
weighting different
rocks to help learn
more about the
properties of rocks.

From using Math: 3.MD.2-

prior Measure and estimate
knowledge liquid volumes and
about the masses of objects
Students will
regions of using standard units
Social Studies: 3- observe different
South rocks and
Carolina 1.1-Categorize the six
landform regions of determine which
students Science: 3-3.1- type of the three
have to South Carolina Classifying rocks
according to their rocks they are
determine (igneous,
climate, physical based on their
which sedimentary and
Classifica metamorphic) on the
regions of
South
tion basis of their
properties. Students will
Carolina classify the three
different types of rocks
CCSS.ELA.W.3.b- Write narratives
based on their
to develop real or imagined
properties
experiences or events using Visual Art: VA3-1.3-
through a graphic
Students will create atechnique, descriptive
narrative writing details
piece. They get to choose from to Use
willand and combine a
different
Students will create and
prompts: 1.You travelled to event
clear the Coastal Use of South Carolina. Whichvariety
Zone Region
sequences. type of of materials,
rock would you find indialogue
this region and what could you techniques and edible version of each
and descriptions of use this rock for? 2. You are
going to build a houseactions,
for your thought
Minecraftand
game. Whichto processes
region of South Carolina would to create the three types of rocks.
feelings
 Part Three-Summative Assessment

*This activity will take place on the third day of the integrated unit.

Objective/Mastery level:
Students will be able to choose one of the two writing prompts:
1. You are traveling to the Coastal region of South Carolina with your family. Which type of rocks would you
find there? What would they look like? What might you use these rocks for? Please describe.
2. Pretend you are going to build something for your Minecraft game. What would you build and which type of
rock would you use? Which region of South Carolina would you have to travel to, to find this rock? What
would this rock look like?
And will answer the questions in the writing prompt to create a narrative piece of writing with 80% accuracy.
Students must receive 16 out of 20 on the writing rubric to achieve 80% accuracy.

*(see checklist on the next page)

 Checklist for Summative Integrated Unit-Writing Piece
Possible Points you
Points that earned.
can be earned
(20pt)
Science: 3- One of the three types of 2
3.1-Classifying rocks: igneous,
rocks (igneous, sedimentary or
sedimentary metamorphic is included
and in writing piece.
metamorphic) An example of the type of 2
rock chosen was included
in writing.
There is a description of 2
what the chosen rock
Social Studies: 3-
1.1-Categorize the six would look like.
landform regions of
South Carolina A region in South Carolina 2
according to their which the writer would
climate, physical
travel to, to find the
features and natural
chosen rock is included.
 The student wrote what 2
CCSS.ELA.W.3.b-
they would use the
Write narratives to chosen rock for.
develop real or There is a description of 3
imagined what the chosen rock was
experiences or used for.
events using
Correct capitalization and 2
technique,
descriptive details
punctuation was used.
and clear event No more than 3 words are 2
sequences. Use spelled incorrectly.
dialogue and The writing piece makes 3
descriptions of sense.

Part 4:
Day 1: What Are The Three Types Of Rocks?
Standards:
Science: 3-3.1-Classifying rocks (igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic) on the basis of their
properties.
Visual Art: VA3-1.3- Use and combine a variety of materials, techniques and processes to create
works of visual art.

Objectives:
1. Students will be able to classify the properties of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks with
78% accuracy.
 2. Students will be able to create igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rock using a variety of
materials with 100% accuracy.

Description of two activities:

1. Students will learn about the different formation of the three types of rocks and will create an
igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rock out of edible materials.
2. Students will complete a graphic organizer on properties of the three types of rocks. (formation,
physical characteristics and examples)

Materials:

The teacher
A flipchart on the Three Types of Rocks
A crockpot
Half a bag of white chocolate chips
Half a bag of butter scotch chip
One paper plate
A spoon
One sugar cookie baked with sprinkles for each child
One container of sprinkles

Per Student
One baggie with two unwrapped starbursts
One paper plate
One circular sugar cookie
One copy of the Three Types of Rock graphic organizer

Procedure
Introduction (5minutes)
The teacher will tell students that today they are going to be learning about the three types of rocks.
 The teacher will ask students to share some examples of what rocks are used for in their everyday
lives (allow students to brainstorm).
The teacher will ask students if they know what the names of the three main types of rocks are.
The teacher will tell students that the three types of rocks are called Igneous, Sedimentary and
Metamorphic

Body of Lesson (60 minutes)

The teacher will start by teaching students about igneous rocks.
The students will watch a 4 minute video clip from Discovery Education on igneous rocks.
http://app.discoveryeducation.com/search?Ntt=three+types+of+rocks+video
The teacher will asked students to share what they learned about igneous rocks.
The teacher will explain to students that igneous rocks often start their lives below the Earths crust
and then get pumped out by volcanoes as lava and magna. Once lava/magma has cooled and
hardens it becomes molten rock called an igneous rock. The rock is usually glassy and grainy.
The teacher will tell students that some examples of igneous rocks are granite, basalt, pumice.
The teacher will explain to students that granite is one of the hardest rocks. It is used in architecture
because it is very durable and is used as a work top or flooring.
The teacher will explain to students that they are going to create an igneous rock.
The teacher will explain to students that they are going to pretend two different types of chocolate
chips (white and butter scotch) are two different rocks. The class is going to pretend that a Crockpot
represents the earth and the chocolate chips are deep inside the earth.
The class will wait for the chocolate chips to melt.
While student are waiting for the chocolate chips to melt, the teacher will hand each student a copy
of the three types of rock graphic organizer.
Students will cut out the answers at the bottom of the graphic organizer and glue them into the
correct boxes (formation, physical characteristics and examples) for each of the three rocks.
The teacher will explain to students that right now they will just glue in the igneous section of the
graphic organizer.
The students will choose answers which best fit how an igneous rock is formed, the physical
characteristics and the example and glue them down in the correct boxes for the igneous rock.
 After students have completed the igneous section of the graphic organizer, the teacher will spoon
out small scoops of the melted chips (rocks) and place it on a plate.
The teacher will set the plate on a front table and let students watch/observe the rock as it cools
and hardens.
The teacher will then introduce sedimentary rocks to students.
Students will watch a 2 minute and 12 second video clip from Discovery Education on sedimentary
rocks. http://app.discoveryeducation.com/search?Ntt=three+types+of+rocks+video
The teacher will ask students to share what they learned about sedimentary rocks.
The teacher will review that sedimentary rocks are made up of pieces of rock called sediments that
have been pressed and cemented together. Also, that some contain pieces of animal shells or
skeletons or other remains of plants and animals.
The teacher will give students some examples of sedimentary rocks: sandstone, chalk, limestone.
The teacher will explain that chalk is soft and is used to write on blackboards, to mark tennis courts,
even in some toothpaste.
The teacher will tell students that they are now going to make a sedimentary rock.
The teacher will take a pan with sugar cookie dough in the bottom of a pan. The teacher will tell
students that they will pretend the cookie dough represents sand. The teacher will then have
children take turns sprinkling chocolate chips, sprinkles, etc. on top of the sand (sugar cookie mix) to
represent small pieces of rocks and fossils.
The teacher will explain to students that she would bake the cookie/topping mixture to represent the
rock being cemented together. However since there is not an oven in the classroom, the teacher
will bring in one that is already baked to show students what it will look like.
After students have observed their sedimentary rock, they fill in the sedimentary rock section on
their graphic organizer. Students will choose answers which best fit how a sedimentary rock is
formed, the physical characteristics and the example and glue them down in the correct boxes for
the sedimentary rock.
The teacher will then explain to students they are going to learn about metamorphic rocks.
Students will watch a 1 minute and a 30 second video clip from Discovery Education on metamorphic
rocks. http://app.discoveryeducation.com/search?Ntt=three+types+of+rocks+video
The teacher will ask students what they learned about metamorphic rocks.
 The teacher will then review that metamorphic rocks were once was another type of rock deep inside
the earth. Heat and pressure cause them to change over time. A force (heat or pressure) changes
the rock from one type into a new type of rock, resulting in metamorphic rock.
The teacher will give students examples of metamorphic rocks: marble and slate.
The teacher will explain to students that marble is used in sculpture making as building material
after it is smoothed and polished.
The teacher will then tell students they are going to create a Metamorphic Rock.
The teacher will hand out each student a baggie that contains two unwrapped Starbursts. The
teacher will tell students that they are going to pretend that the two pieces of Starburst candy are
two different rocks. She will tell the students to use their hands to create heat and pressure to mold
the two pieces of Starburst candy into one new rock.
After students have observed their metamorphic rock, they will fill in the metamorphic rock section
on their graphic organizer. Students will choose answers which best fit how a metamorphic rock is
formed, the physical characteristics and the example and glue them down in the correct boxes for
the metamorphic rock.

Closure and transition (5minutes)

The teacher will collect each students graphic organizer.
The teacher will review the three types of rocks with students by playing the Rock Cycle song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAMBkoLhTBY
The teacher will ask students to bring a rock from their yard at home or one they found from outside
for Tuesday.
The teacher will hand out new clean Starburst for students to eat and also a sedimentary rock
cookie.
Students will pack up their book bag and get ready to go home for the day.

Day two- Observing Rocks

Standards:
 Science: 3-3.1-Classifying rocks (igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic) on the basis of their
properties.
Math: 3.MD.2- Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses of objects using standard units of
grams (g), kilograms (kg), and liters.
Objectives:
1. The students will observe 13 rocks and will sort them based on different properties rocks have with
83% accuracy.

Description of two activities:

1. Students will be observing 13 rocks and will record their observations in their Rock Observation
sheet.
2. Students will choose on property about the rocks they observed (the color, did it float or sink, weight,
etc) and create a Venn diagram, placing each of their 13 rocks in the Venn diagram.

Materials:
Per teacher:
A flip chart
Per class:
Magnifying glasses
A scale
Per Group of Student:
A Venn Diagram
12 different rocks
A pencil
A Rock Observation sheet

Procedure:
Introduction (5minutes)
The teacher will review the three types of rocks by playing the Rock Cycle song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAMBkoLhTBY
The teacher will explain to students that today they are going to be observing rocks.
The teacher will ask students if they know what it means to observe.
 The teacher will explain to students that they will be given different rocks and will use their senses
(eyes, touch, smell) to make conclusions about the rocks.
The teacher will explain to students that they are going to be looking at different properties of rocks.
The teacher will ask students if they know what properties are.
The students and teacher will brainstorm a list of properties on the board. Examples: color, weight,
size, layering, presence of fossils.
The teacher will group students in partners of two or three based on how many students are in class
that day.
The teacher will tell students that they going to be observing 12 different rocks based on their
properties along with their own rock they brought from home.
The teacher will name and hold up each rock the students will be observing.

Body of Lesson (30minutes)

The teacher will place a try of 12 rocks on each group of students desks.
The teacher will give students 15 minutes observe the 12 rocks and their own they brought from
home. During this time students will record their observations in their science journals on a provided
graphic organizer.
After the 15 minutes is up students will be given a Venn diagram.
The teacher will ask students if they know what a Venn diagram is.
The teacher will explain to students that a Venn diagram is an illustration which shows the
relationship between similarities and differences.
The teacher will explain to students that they are going to choose one property that they made
observations on about their rocks. (for example color)
The teacher will do an example on the board. The teacher will choose to complete the Venn diagram
based on rock color.
The teacher will label the left circle grey and explain to students that all rocks they observed they
will write the name of the rocks that are grey in the left circle.
The teacher will label the right circle brown and explain to students that all rocks they observed they
will write the name of the rocks that are brown in the right circle.
 The teacher will explain that in the space that overlaps the brown and grey circles they will write the
names of the rocks that are both brown and grey.
The teacher will explain to students that they will write the names of any rocks that were not brown
or grey outside both of the circles.
The teacher will let students decide with their group which property they would like to complete their
Venn diagram based on.
The teacher will give students about ten minutes to fill out their Venn diagram.

Closure and transition (10 minutes)

The teacher will collect trays of rocks from students and that they put their own rock back in their
desk.
The teacher will ask students if they would like to share their Venn diagram with the class and then
give them time to share.
The teacher will collect students Venn diagrams. (They will keep their observation sheet in their
science journals)
As a class, the students with the help of the teacher will classify each of the 12 rocks as being
igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic.
The students will clear off their desk and get ready for math.

Day 3: Which Regions of South Carolina Would we Find the Three Different Types
of Rocks?

Standards:
Social Studies: 3-1.1-Categorize the six landform regions of South Carolina according to their climate,
physical features and natural resources.

Science: 3-3.1-Classifying rocks (igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic) on the basis of their properties.

Objective:
Students will be able to predict which regions of South Carolina the three different types of rocks
would be found in according to the formation of the three different rocks.
Description of activity:
1. Together the teacher and students will review how the three types of rocks are formed (igneous,
sedimentary and metamorphic), and then discuss where they would most likely find these types of
rocks in the different regions of South Carolina. As the teacher and students are discussing where
they would most likely find these types of rocks in the different regions of South Carolina, the
teacher will write the word metamorphic in the regions where metamorphic rocks might be found.
The teacher will continue this same process with sedimentary and igneous rocks.
Materials:
Per teacher:
Two different colored markers: green and purple
An enlarged map of South Carolina with the six regions marked on the map.
Per student:
A pencil
One sheet of paper with the two writing prompts
The Rock Observation sheet from Day 2 of the integrated unit

Procedures (10minutes):
The teacher will ask students how sedimentary rocks are formed. (Sedimentary rocks- They are
formed by pieces of rock called sediments that have been pressed and cemented together.)
The teacher will ask students the following question: Where in South Carolina would we find sand,
shells, pieces of decayed animals, little rocks? (Coastal zone, Inner/Otter Coastal Plain, Sandhills)
The teacher will ask students which region they might find sedimentary rocks in South Carolina.
(Coastal Zone, Inner/Otter Coastal Plain, Sandhills)
The teacher will color the Coastal Zone, Inner/Otter Coastal Plain and Sandhills in purple on the map,
and write the word sedimentary in each one of these regions.
The teacher will ask students how metamorphic rocks are formed. (Metamorphic rocks- They are
formed by other rocks inside the Earth that are heated and pressed together.)
The teacher will ask students to think about how mountains are formed.
The class will discuss that mountains can be formed when magma from beneath the Earths surface
is pushed up, but doesnt actually crack through. It may be heated and pressed together with other
rocks.
 The teacher will ask students the following questions: where are we most likely going to find
mountains in South Carolina? (Blue Ridge region and the Piedmont )
The teacher will color in the Blue Ridge region and the Piedmont region in green on the map and
write the word metamorphic in the Blue Ridge region and the Piedmont region on the map.
The teacher will ask students how igneous rocks are formed. (Igneous rocks are formed by magma
or lava cooled and hardened.)
The teacher will ask students the following question: where would this magma or lava come from?
(Volcanoes)
The teacher will ask students the following questions: do we have any volcanoes in South Carolina?
(No, so we can conclude that we would not find very many igneous rocks in South Carolina. However
there may be a few.)
The teacher and students will conclude that they will mostly find metamorphic and sedimentary
rocks in South Carolina.

Culminating Event/Summative assessment-This took place on the third and fourth day
of my unit.

Standards:
Social Studies: 3-1.1-Categorize the six landform regions of South Carolina according to their climate,
physical features and natural resources.

Science: 3-3.1-Classifying rocks (igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic) on the basis of their properties.

CCSS.ELA.W.3.b- Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using techniques,
descriptive details and clear event sequences. Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thought and
feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters in situations.

Objective:
Students will be able to choose one of the two writing prompts:
 1.You are traveling to the Coastal region of South Carolina with your family. Which type of rocks would
you find there? What would they look like? What might you use these rocks for? Please describe.
2.Pretend you are going to build something for your Minecraft game. What would you build and which
type of rock would you use? Which region of South Carolina would you have to travel to, to find this
rock? What would this rock look like?
Students will answer the questions in the writing prompt to create a narrative piece of writing with 80%
accuracy. Students must receive 16 out of 20 on the writing rubric to achieve 80% accuracy.

Description of activities:
1. Students will choose from two writing prompts and create a narrative writing piece answering the
questions in the prompt they chose.

Materials:
Per teacher:
An enlarged map of South Carolina with the six regions marked on the map.
Per student:
A pencil
One sheet of paper with the two writing prompts
The Rock Observation sheet from Day 2 of the integrated unit

Procedures:
Introduction (5 minutes)
The teacher will explain to students that today they are going to do a creative writing piece.
The teacher will hand each student a copy of the writing prompt page.
The teacher will read students both prompts
1. You are traveling to the Coastal region of South Carolina with your family. Which type of rocks
would you find there? What would they look like? What might you use these rocks for? Please
describe.
2. Pretend you are going to build something for your Minecraft game. What would you build and
which type of rock would you use? Which region of South Carolina would you have to travel to, to
find this rock? What would this rock look like?
The teacher will ask students to circle the prompt they would like to write about.
 The teacher will provide students with a checklist of exactly what she is looking for in their writing
pieces.
The teacher will hand students back their Rock Observation sheet from the day before and will
explain to students that they can use this sheet to help them describe the types of rock they would
choose to use in their writing piece. The teacher will also tell students to use the map of South
Carolina up on the board that they filled out a few minutes ago to include the region of South
Carolina they would travel to, to find the rock they would use in their writing piece.
Body (40minutes)
The teacher will give students independent time to write.

Closure (5 minutes)
The teacher will tell students that they are going to stop writing for today and will continue
tomorrow.
The teacher will tell students to put their writing away for the day and to get out their book for silent
reading.

*This writing piece (the culminating event) will take students about days to complete during writing time.
Once students have finished their writing piece their story will be placed on the classroom bulletin board
out in the hallway.