1.

Earth Patterns, Cycles and Change

5
th
Grade
Sarah McCreery
2. Rationale
I plan to teach this unit by using many diagrams and labs so my students will be
able to actually see how the earth changes and be actively engaged throughout
lessons. I will connect the previous days lesson to the present day lesson so
students realize that these topics are not independent of each other, but are all
very relatable and dependent on each other. I will connect as much material as I
can to their everyday lives so they can relate to what is being taught and it will
serve as an intrinsic motivator to learn since it is a part of their own personal
lives.
3. Major Goals or Objectives
The major goal of this unit is for the students to understand:
A. The forces that impact earths ever-changing crust,
B. Types of rocks,
C. The rock cycle, and
D. Human impact on the soil.
4. SOLs
5.7) The student will investigate and understand how Earths surface is
constantly changing. Key concepts include
a) identification of rock types;
b) the rock cycle and how transformations between rocks occur;
d) the basic structure of Earths interior;
e) changes in Earths crust due to plate tectonics;
f) weathering, erosion, and deposition; and
g) human impact.
5. Matrix
SOL 5.7 a SOL 5.7 b SOL 5.7 d SOL 5.7 E SOL 5.7 F SOL 5.7 G
Lesson 1 X X
Lesson 2 X
Lesson 3 X X
Lesson 4 X X
Lesson 5 X
Lesson 6 X X X X X X

6. Overview
This units main goal will be to examine the effects of weathering and erosion, discover
that the Earth has multiple layers, learn about tectonic plates and their effects of the
Earth, Explore the different types of rocks and how they are made and look at how
human impact Earth. The lessons will all begin with discussions reviewing the previous
days topic and then leading to the lesson for that day. Each day with have activities that
reemphasize the lesson and put it into a visual, hands-on form so that the students can
actually experience what we discussed. By the end of the unit students will have
learned that all the concepts of the unit are not independent of each other, but rather all
work together and depend on each other to occur. Students will also learn how they can
help our environment and fight against pollution which harms the Earth that we all live in
and share.

7. List of Materials
1) Ripe banana
2) Peanut butter
3) Graham cracker crumbs
4) Plastic baggies
5) Wax paper
6) Hazelnut
7) Chalk
8) Water
9) Vinegar
10) Igneous rocks
11) Sedimentary rocks
12) Metamorphic rocks
13) 3 Gatorade bottles with lids
14) 3 clear jars
15) Masking tape
16) Grass/Wildflower seeds
17) Tall cardboard boxes (for recycling bins)
18) Pens/Pencils/Markers/Crayons
19) Small pencil sharpener
20) News paper
21) Hot plate
22) Aluminum Foil
23) Tuna can
24) Ice Cubes
8. Special Safety Concerns
I will need to make sure there are no nut allergies before doing the but lab. When using
the hot plate I will be the only one allowed to control that. When students are looking
and using the different kinds of rocks I will need to supervise closely to make sure they
are not being abused or used against other students.
9. Flow Chart
This unit will go in the order of lessons because that is the way it makes most sense.
10. Lesson One: To begin the unit I will lead a discussion asking what students know
about earthquakes or any other experiences in which doors, windows or buildings
shook. This will lead into a discussion about how the Earth has tectonic plates which
move and cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. After that I will talk about how the
Earths crust is only the outer surface and below that is a mantle and then a core (using
the first two PowerPoint slides as models.
Activity: I will pair the students up and each group will get one hazelnut, wax paper,
crushed graham crackers, peanut butter and a smashed banana. They will take the
hazelnut (the Earths core) and smear peanut butter on the outside of it (the Earths
outer core), then roll it in the smashed banana (the Earths mantle), then the graham
cracker (the Earths crust). This activity will provide them with a hands-on, visual activity
to represent all the Earths layers.
Lesson Two: This lesson is about the other forces that impact the Earths crust. We will
begin by reviewing lesson one and then talk about other things that could change
earths surface. I will take student responses and ideas and let them lead me into
discussing weathering, erosion and disposition. We will talk about the differences
between the three concepts and discuss that there are two types of weathering,
physical and chemical.
Activity: To show the difference between physical and chemical weathering I will once
again put the students in pairs and give them two pieces of chalk, a small cup of vinegar
and a dropper. I will have the students grind the chalk pieces together creating a pile of
chalk dust on a piece of paper. I will then tell them how chalk and limestone are similar
and that the chalk represents the limestone rocks in this lab. I will ask students what
would happen to their chalk piles if I were to turn a fan on in the room. The chalk would
blow away representing physical weathering, specifically wind. Now they will take their
dropper and drop a few drops of vinegar on their chalk pile. The chalk will begin to
bubble which shows chemical weathering.
Homework: Come up with 3 other types of weathering, besides wind and write if they
are physical or chemical and why they think that.
Lesson Three: I will review lesson two by going over homework as a group. Lesson
three will be about the different types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic.
I will use slides three through nine as visuals and explanations between the different
rock types.
Activity: The previous day before I left I would have put samples of the three different
types of rocks in their own Gatorade bottle, labeled them and let them sit overnight. I will
now take these bottles out and let the students look at the bottles and see whats in
them. I will then split the class into three groups. Each group will be assigned a bottle
and they will take turns shaking the bottle as hard as the can as fast as they can for 30
seconds each. After everyone has taken a turn shaking the bottles we will come
together, as a group, and bump the bottles liquid in three separate jars and set the rock
pieces in front of them on paper towels. We will then discuss which rocks are the
strongest, which rocks lost the biggest chunks and which rocks were the weakest. I will
tie this back to lesson two by asking how this represents the erosion and weathering
processes.
For homework I will give them a graphic explaining the rock cycle and have them look
over it for the next class.
Lesson Four: We will review the different types of rocks and their properties and then
we will experience the rock cycle and learn from the days activity.
Activity: The Rock Cycle Lab
After students have completed the lab we will come back together and discuss what we
observed and what we learned so I can make sure everything I wanted to cover was
obtained by the students.
Lesson Five: This lesson will be about how people impact the Earth. We spent all week
talking about all the natural processes and cycles and today we will take about how
humans harm the Earth through pollution, polluting the water, soil or air. We will also
talk about how people can help fight pollution as well by fertilizing the soil, recycling and
being aware of how their daily actions impact our planet.
Activity: For this activity I will pair students up and each will be responsible for building a
recycle bin out of cardboard. We will then decorate them and put them all around the
school to help reduce the waste from the school. (These recycle bins will be for
recycling paper because theyre made from cardboard boxes.)
Lesson Six: Do a short review with the class of the week and answer any questions any
students may have.
Assessment: They will complete the rock cycle diagram and then I will perform activities
that we completed throughout the week and ask them to write down what I am
representing on the back of their worksheet. 1. I will blow a small amount of chalk dust
(physical weathering, wind). 2. Drop vinegar on a chalk pile (chemical weathering, acid
rain) 3. Give me an example of erosion. 4. Give me an example of deposition. Lastly I
would have them draw and label the layers of the Earth..
11. Teaching Aids
Each student would get a handout of the rock cycle lab.

Name__________________________________________________Date___________

Earth Patterns, Changes and Cycles: Notes Page

1. The layers of the Earth are, from inside out are ___________________________
________________________________________________________________.
Draw Diagram:








2. Igneous rocks are formed from________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.

3. Sedimentary rocks are made of ______________________________________
________________________________________________________________.

4. Metamorphic rocks are rocks that_____________________________________
________________________________________________________________.



12. Assessment Tools:
A. Homework will be checked for accuracy and completion (__/10pts.).
B. Notes Page will be checked for completion.
C. Rock Cycle Lab will be checked for accuracy of questions answered and
completion of the lab (__/25pts).
D. I will use this rubric for assessing discussions.

Criteria

Needs
Improvement
Meets Standards Exceeds
Standards
Level of
Engagement


1

3

5
Logical responses/
Accurate answers


1

3

5
Respectfully
Listens and
engages in others
responses

1

3

5

Total ___/15


13. Assessment Rubric
This rubric will be used to evaluate lesson 6.

Earths Patterns Cycles and Change: Assessment Rubric
Rock Cycle Diagram
Igneous Rock _____/3
Sedimentary Rock _____/3
Metamorphic Rock _____/3
Sediment _____/2
Magma _____/2
Correct Arrow Labels _____/9
Total _____/22
Teacher performed Labs
Physical Weathering _____/4
Chemical Weathering _____/4
Total _____/8
Examples
Erosion _____/4
Deposition _____/4
Total _____/8
Layers of the Earth
Inner Core _____/3
Outer Core _____/3
Mantle _____/3
Crust _____/3
Total _____/12

Final Score _____/50


14. Extension Activities/Diverse Learners
An extension activity for lesson three could be to add vinegar or lemon juice to the
bottles that have the rocks to show chemical weathering as well as physical. An
extension activity could be used for lesson five could be to actually go around the
school campus or community and plant grass or flowers to further the protecting the
environment lesson.

Using songs to help remember the different rock types and cycles could help students.
Talking through the labs as well as students being able to watch what is happening and
participate will help auditory, kinesthetic and visual learners. A filled in version of the
handout of the notes will help slower learners be able to focus on the actual material
instead of having to focus on trying to write all the information accurately.
15. Sources
http://www.geosociety.org/educate/LessonPlans/RockCycleLab.pdf
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=2692
http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=52391
Daniel, Lucy, Jay Hackett, Richard Moyer, and JoAnne Vasquez. Science: Earth
Science Teacher' Edition. Vol. 1. New York: Mcmillian McGraw-Hill, 2005. Print.