Unit Plan: Rocks and Minerals Covering science and language arts (writing) standards.

Topic and Big Ideas  Topic: Rocks and Minerals Minerals-properties of Rocks- types of Rock Cycle  Big Ideas: Scientific investigations may take many different forms, including observing what things are like or what it happening somewhere, collecting specimens for analysis, and doing experiments. (nature of science) Students will understand that the rock cycle helps explain how our earth is constantly changing. (life science) Writing is a form of taking your understanding and helping others understand your content knowledge.

Differentiation of Key Terms  Describe the properties of minerals such as luster, color, streak and hardness to identify different minerals. (Memory)  Find examples of cycles and apply them to real life situations. (Practical)  Synthesize information from mineral properties and rock cycle to create story based a on personified character. (Creative)  Compare and contrast what makes a rock different from a mineral and vice versa. (Analytical)

Core Proposition # 3: Teachers are Responsible for Managing and Monitoring Student Learning.  This unit embodies different forms of assessment which range from standard worksheet (question/answer) to creative means (through creating a rock and story) to writing. This way I can see which students are succeeding based on multiple views. Some students may struggle with the writing part, but if I can see clear understanding in other areas, I can then tailor my teaching to fit my students individual needs.  Also by using various teaching techniques (discussion, direct, group work, individual work) my students will see how the knowledge they learn can be applied and tested in many different avenues.  Using the different techniques also keeps students engaged more than just using direct instruction. Therefore keeping the students interested.