KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

LESSON PLAN FORMAT
Teacher Candidate:

Amanda Tini and Brie Wise Date:

Cooperating Teacher:
Group Size:

24

Subject or Topic:

Dr. Varano

10-23-16
Coop. Initials

Allotted Time 2 days: 45 minutes a day

Rocks

Grade Level

4th

Section _2___

STANDARD:
3.3.4.A2- Identify basic properties and uses off Earths materials including rocks, soils,
water, and gases of the atmosphere
I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes):
A. The student will identify different characteristics of the three types of rocks by
completing an exit slip.
II. Instructional Materials
A. Rock Power Point (see attached)
B. 24 Guided Notes sheets (see attached)
C. 24 Rock recording sheets (see attached)
D. 24 Exit slips (see attached)
E. Rock box with rocks labeled with numbers corresponding to the type
(igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary)
F. Virtual rocket timer
G. Rock Lesson Smart Exchange
H. 1 Rocks and Fossils Foldable per student
I. 24 Rocks and Fossils Foldable Papers
J. Craft Tools- Crayons/Markers/Scissors
K. Rock Unit Observation Checklist (see attached)
III. Subject Matter/Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea, outline of
additional content)
A. Prerequisite skills
1. Basic understanding of what a rock is.
2. Basic knowledge of the layers of the Earth.
3. Basic knowledge that there are three types of rocks.

B. Key Vocabulary
1. Rock- a solid made of many different minerals.
2. Mineral- Minerals are solid substances that occur naturally on Earth
and come together to form rocks.
3. Sedimentary Rocks- formed by years and years of sediment
compacting together and becoming hard.
4. Sediment- smaller pieces of rocks and minerals that have been
weathered and eroded over time.
5. Igneous Rocks- formed by volcanoes hardened lava or magma.
6. Lava- hot molten rock erupted from a volcano.
7. Intrusive- rocks that crystalize and harden under the Earths surface.
8. Extrusive- rocks that crystalize and harden on the Earths surface.
9. Metamorphic Rocks- formed by heat and pressure.
10. Foliated Metamorphic Rocks- formed within the Earth under
extremely high pressure.
11. Non-foliated Metamorphic Rocks- formed at high temperatures
when the rock recrystallizes into a larger size causing the rock to feel
heavier.
C. Big Idea- The types of rocks and their characteristics.
D. Content
1. Rocks
a. A rock is a solid object made of many different minerals and
formed on Earth.
2. Three different types of rocks
a. Sedimentary
b. Igneous
c. Metamorphic
3. Sedimentary
a. Formed when sediment is carried and deposited in layers to a
new site.
b. They become buried and compacted to form a new rock.
c. You can often see the layers sediment in the rock.
4. Igneous
a. Formed from an erupted volcanos lava after it cools and
hardens on or in the Earths crust.
b. Intrusive igneous rocks are formed when the lava hardens
inside the Earths crust.
c. Extrusive igneous rocks are formed when the lava hardens on
the surface of the Earths crust.
d. Has pores/holes on it.
5. Metamorphic
a. Igneous or sedimentary rocks that have been changed by heat,
pressure, or both.

b. Generally found inside the earths crust where there is enough

heat and pressure to form new rocks.
c. Usually has a striped look.
i. Foliated
1. Smooth dull surfaces
2. Glossy
3. Layers- sometimes alternating light and dark
strips
4. Wavy or crinkled
ii. Non-foliated
1. Generally do not form layers
2. No organization of layers
IV. Implementation
Day 1:
A. Introduction
a. Ask students, what did you learn about rocks yesterday?
b. Use the Rocks Lesson Smart Exchange and have student
volunteers complete activities. (See website link)
B. Development
1. Explain to students that there are three main types of rocks on Earth.
a. Pass out guided note sheet to each student.
b. Use Power Point- Explain what is on each slide (See attached)
c. After the Power Point, pass around examples of different types
of rocks by first showing the class the rock and telling them
what type it is so that they can physically explore the
characteristics. Pass around one example of each rock from the
rock box (use the key on the inside of the box to take out one
of each type to pass around to the class).
2. Have students get out their Rocks and Fossils Unit Foldable.
a. Provide each student with the paper slips to add to their second
page of foldable.
b. Show students example of the foldable page and explain the
placement of how to set up the page.
c. Hang example on board for students to view.
d. Give students 15 minutes to complete second page foldable
activity.
e. Allow for student interaction with peers while completing
foldable.
3. Tell students that tomorrow they will be rock investigators and use
their knowledge on the three types of rocks to identify rocks as
igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary.
Day 2:

4. Review information from day before by having the whole class

\engage in the Rocks Lesson Smart Exchange (last slide only for
review). (See website link)
a. Ask for volunteers to complete the interactive activity on the
last slide of the Smart Exchange.
b. Focus discussion on the three different types of rocks and their
characteristics while completing the activity.
5. Place students in groups: 6 groups of 4.
6. Assign each group a number from 1-6.
a. While students get into their assigned groups, divide the rocks
into 6 piles of the three rocks: 1 igneous, 1 sedimentary, and 1
metamorphic.
b. Provide each student with a recording sheet to fill in while
completing activity. (See attached)
i. Explain to students that each rock has a number on it.
ii. Show students that there are three columns on their
recording sheet to write down the number on the rock.
iii.
Tell students that the number on the rock should be
placed in the correct column of the type of rock that it
is.
iv. Explain that after writing the number of the rock, the
student will have to either write a characteristic or draw
a characteristic to explain why they chose to place the
rock in the column that they did.
c. Pass out the groups of rocks to each group of students.
i. Tell students that they will have 5 minutes to look at the
characteristics of the rocks to determine if it is
metamorphic, igneous, or sedimentary.
ii. Google the online-stopwatch timer (rocket), set it to
five minutes, and start is once the students start
identifying the first group of rocks.
iii.
After each 5-minute interval rocket takes off the
students will switch to a new set of rocks. Rotate
groups of students clockwise so that every group has an
opportunity to categorize each set of rocks.
d. While the students complete activity, write Group 1 Group
2 etcon board in columns. Underneath each group number
replicate the worksheet columns of the three types of rocks.
e. As the students are continuing to work, use the Rock and Fossil
Unit Observation Check List while walking around the room
and checking for individual student understanding.
i. Place a check mark for understanding.
ii. Place a X for struggling students.

7. Once the last 5-minute interval has ended, ask if one student from
each group can bring up their recording sheet to copy their answers
on the board underneath their group number.
8. With students, check that each group has the same numbers under
each rock type.
a. If there is a different rock/missing number from a category ask
the student why they put it there and then ask another group,
who placed the rock in the correct category, why they placed
the rock in that specific category.
C. Closure
1. Ask for volunteers in the class to share what they learned from the
rock identification activity.
a. Allow 10 minutes for discussion about activity and the
characteristics of the three types of rocks.
2. Pass out an exit slip to each student.
a. The student will list the three types of rocks and write or draw
at least one characteristic for each type of rock.
D. Accommodations/Differentiation
1. Accommodation: Frank, who has a learning disability, will be able
to have a sheet with the characteristics of the different types of rocks
with him while he is in a group completing the rock identification
activity to assist his memory deficit.
2. Differentiation: On the recording sheet, the students have the choice
to either write or draw the characteristic of the rocks on their rockrecording sheet and their exit slip.
E. Assessment/Evaluation Plan
1. Formative
a. Rock and Fossil Unit Observation Checklist.
i. Place a checkmark for student understanding.
ii. Place an X for struggling students.
iii.
Evidence: Completion of checklist
b. Rock Identification Activity Check sheet
i. Proficient: 2 or less mistakes
ii. Not Proficient: 3 or more mistakes
iii.
Evidence: Collection of rock recording sheets.
c. Exit Ticket
i. if completed correctly or X if the student is still
having trouble.
ii. Evidence: Collection of exit ticket.
2. Summative
i. There is no summative assessment during this lesson.

V. Reflective Response
A. Report of Student Performance in Terms of Stated Objectives (Reflection on
student performance written after lesson is taught, includes remediation for
students who fail to meet acceptable level of achievement)
Remediation Plan
B. Personal Reflection (Questions written before lesson is taught. Reflective
answers to question recorded after lesson is taught)
1. How will I connect the first day of the lesson to the second so that
the students are excited for the second day?
2. Will I need more time to complete the rock activity on day 2?
VI. Resources (in APA format)
Ducksters.com
Oliver, Ray. (1993). Rocks and Fossils. New York: Random House.
Onlinestopwatch.com: http://www.online-stopwatch.com
Pellant, Chris. (2003). Rocks and Fossils. Massachusetts: King Fisher.
Smartexchange.com:http://express.smarttech.com/?
url=http://exchangedownloads.smarttech.com/public/content/70/708670bd-5e3a-48319dbc-0efe3bb2e4ce/Rocks.notebook#
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