3rd Grade Solid Earth Unit Plan 1

Solid Earth
Unit Plan
Amber Kingery

Overview:
3rd Grade Solid Earth Unit Plan 2

Standards:
K-7 Standard E.SE: Develop an understanding of the propertiesof
Earth materials and how those properties make materials useful.
Understand gradual and rapid changes in Earth materials and
features of the surface of Earth. Understand magnetic properties of
Earth.

Day 1:

E.SE.E.1 Earth Materials- Earth materials that occur in nature

include rocks, minerals, soils, water, and the gases of the
atmosphere. Some Earth materials have properties which

sustain plant and animal life.

E.SE.03.13 Recognize and describe different types of Earth

materials (mineral, rock, clay, boulder, gravel, sand, soil, water, and

air). *E.SE.03.14 Recognize that rocks are made up of minerals.

Day 2&3:

E.SE.E.2 Surface Changes- The surface of Earth changes.

Some changes are due to slow processes, such as erosion and
weathering; and some changes are due to rapid processes,

such as landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes.

E.SE.03.22 Identify and describe natural causes of change in the

Earths surface (erosion, glaciers, volcanoes, landslides, and
earthquakes).

Day 4&5:
3rd Grade Solid Earth Unit Plan 3

E.SE.E.3 Using Earth Materials- Some Earth materials have

properties that make them useful either in their present form
or designed and modified to solve human problems. They can
enhance the quality of life as in the case of materials used for

building or fuels used for heating and transportation.

E.SE.03.31 Identify Earth materials used to construct some common

objects (bricks, buildings, roads, glass). *

E.SE.03.32 Describe how materials taken from the Earth can be

used as fuels for heating and transportation.
3rd Grade Solid Earth Unit Plan 4

DAY 1:
Rocks & Minerals
 Rocks & Minerals, Oh My!
3rd Grade Solid Earth Unit Plan 5
Standard:

E.SE.E.1 Earth Materials- Earth materials that occur in nature

include rocks, minerals, soils, water, and the gases of the
atmosphere. Some Earth materials have properties which
sustain plant and animal life.

E.SE.03.13 Recognize and describe different types of Earth

materials (mineral, rock, clay, boulder, gravel, sand, soil, water, and

air). *E.SE.03.14 Recognize that rocks are made up of minerals.

S.IP.E.1 Inquiry involves generating questions,

Added bonus:
conducting investigations, and developing solutions to
problems through reasoning and observation.

Learning Outcomes:

Students will:
Discover that there are different types of rocks that are made up of
minerals.

Learning Targets:

I can describe that there are 3 different types of rocks that are made up
of minerals.

Time Needed:

45 minutes

Hook/Anticipatory Set:

Media Power point #301 Play movie link for hook.

Ask your students what they know about rocks.

List their responses on SMART Board.
Now ask your students what they want to know
about rocks. List their responses on chart paper.
Directed Instruction:
3rd Grade Solid Earth Unit Plan 6

Name:
____________________________________
Can You Guess What Type of Mineral I Am?

I am

I see

I smell

I hear

I feel.

I know.

I want.

I wonder.
3rd Grade Solid Earth Unit Plan 7

DAY 2:
Slow Changes
 Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition!
3rd Grade Solid Earth Unit Plan 8
Standard:

ART.M.I.3.4 Sing melodies with confidence in a large group.

E.SE.E.2 Surface Changes- The surface of Earth changes. Some

changes are due to slow processes, such as erosion and
weathering; and some changes are due to rapid processes, such as
landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes.

E.SE.03.22 Identify and describe natural causes of change in the

Earths surface (erosion, glaciers, volcanoes, landslides, and
earthquakes).

S.IP.E.1 Inquiry involves generating questions,

Added bonus:
conducting investigations, and developing solutions to
problems through reasoning and observation.

Learning Outcomes:

Students will:
Describe and identify erosion, weathering, and deposition.

Learning Targets:

I can describe that there are 3 different types of rocks that are made up
of minerals.

Time Needed:

45 minutes

Hook/Anticipatory Set:

Media Power point #402 Play movie link for hook.

Ask your students what they know about rocks.

List their responses on SMART Board.
3rd Grade Solid Earth Unit Plan 9

DAY 3:
Fast Changes
 Landslides, Volcanic Eruptions, and
3rd Grade Solid Earth Unit Earthquakes!
Plan 10

Standard:

E.SE.E.2 Surface Changes- The surface of Earth changes.

Some changes are due to slow processes, such as erosion
and weathering; and some changes are due to rapid
processes, such as landslides, volcanic eruptions, and
earthquakes.

E.SE.03.22 Identify and describe natural causes of change in the

Earths surface (erosion, glaciers, volcanoes, landslides, and
earthquakes).

S.IP.E.1 Inquiry involves generating questions,

Added bonus:
conducting investigations, and developing solutions to
problems through reasoning and observation.

Learning Outcomes:

Students will:
Identify rapid changes that occur to the Earths surface

Learning Targets:

I can identify fast changes that occur to the Earths surface.

Time Needed:

45 minutes

Hook/Anticipatory Set:

Media Power point #402 Beginning on slide 13 Play movie link for
hook.

Directed Instruction:

- Continue Media Power point #402 on Intro to Physics (Encourage

conversation and exploration!).
3rd Grade Solid Earth Unit Plan 11

Name:__________________________
__
1.
Preparegelatinforthevolcanomodelbymixingtwocupsof
coolwaterwithfourpackagesofunflavoredgelatininalarge
bowl.Stirfor30seconds.Thenaddsixcupsofboilingwater
andstiruntilgelatinisdissolved.Transfermixturetoa2liter
bowl,smallerbowls,orbreadpans.Refrigerategelatinatleast
threehoursoruntilset.

2.
Prepare"magma"bymixingwaterinaglasswithenoughred
foodcoloringtomakeaverydarkliquid.

3.
Loosenthegelatinbydippingthebowlbrieflyinalargerbowl
ofhotwater.

4.
Transferthegelatinupsidedowntothecenterofthepegboard
andliftoffthebowl.Thegelatincastwillsettlesomewhatafter
beingremovedfromthebowl.Itshouldresembleacolorlessto
milky,shimmeringvolcano.Thereshouldbenocracksinthe
gelatin,butit'sOKtoproceedifonedevelopsduring
unmolding.

5.
Placethepegboardontopofthetwobricks.
3rd Grade Solid Earth Unit Plan 12

6.
Fillasyringewithredwater.Removeairbubblesfromthe
syringebyholdingituprightandsquirtingoutasmallamountof
water.Airtendstofracturethegelatin.

7.
Predictwhatwillhappenwhenredwaterisinjectedintothe
gelatincast.Whatdirectionwillitgo?Whatshapewillittake?
Williteruptthroughthesurfaceofthegelatin?Ifso,where?

8.
Insertthesyringethroughaholeinthepegboardintothecenter
ofthegelatincast.Injecttheredwaterslowly,atarateofabout
20cc/minute,andwatchcarefully.

9.
Describehowtheexperimentalresultscomparewithyour
predictions.

10.
Refillandinsertthesyringeasmanytimesaspossible.Compare
magmamigrationeachtime.Aretheredifferencesinthe
directionthemagmatakeswhenthesyringeisinsertedin
differentpartsofthegelatincast?Describeandexplainwhat
yousee.

11.
3rd Grade Solid Earth Unit Plan 13

Lookingdirectlydownonthegelatincast,sketchthepositions
andshapesofthemagmabodies.Labelyourdrawing"Map
View."

12.
Raiseyourhandandyourteacherwillcutthroughthegelatin
cast.Separatethepiecesandexaminethecutsurfaces.Notethe
tracesmadebythemagmabodies;thesearesimilartowhatwe
seeinhighwayroadcutsorclifffaces.

13.
Sketchthepositionsandshapesofthemagmabodiesonacut
face.Lableyourdrawing"CrosssectionalView."

14.
Comparewhatyouseeintwodimensionsonthecutfacewith
whatyouseeinthreedimensionslookingintothegelatincast.
Whichviewgivesyoumoreinformation.Why?

15.
Howandwhydoesmagmamovethroughvolcanoes?
3rd Grade Solid Earth Unit Plan 14

DAY 4:
Building Our Communities
 Building Our Communities!
3rd Grade Solid Earth Unit Plan 15
Standard:

E.SE.E.3 Using Earth Materials- Some Earth materials have

properties that make them useful either in their present form or
designed and modified to solve human problems. They can enhance
the quality of life as in the case of materials used for

building or fuels used for heating and transportation.

E.SE.03.31 Identify Earth materials used to construct some

common objects (bricks, buildings, roads, glass). *

S.IP.E.1 Inquiry involves generating questions,

Added bonus:
conducting investigations, and developing solutions to
problems through reasoning and observation.

Learning Outcomes:

Students will:
Observe that earth materials are used to construct our objects.

Learning Targets:

I can identify that the earths materials are used to build common objects.

Time Needed:

45 minutes

Hook/Anticipatory Set:

Media Power point #402 Beginning on slide 19 Play movie link for
hook.

Directed Instruction:

- Continue Media Power point #402 on Intro to Physics (Encourage

conversation and exploration!).
Keep on for the duration of lesson, it will guide you through lab. Dont
3rd Grade Solid Earth Unit Plan 16

Name:____________
___
Match the material to the object.
1.

________________________________

2.

________________________________
3rd Grade Solid Earth Unit Plan 17

3.

________________________________

4.

________________________________

5.

_ _______________________________
3rd Grade Solid Earth Unit Plan 18

DAY 5:
Building Our Communities
continued
 Building Our Communities 2!
3rd Grade Solid Earth Unit Plan 19
Standard:

E.SE.E.3 Using Earth Materials- Some Earth materials have

properties that make them useful either in their present
form or designed and modified to solve human problems.
They can enhance the quality of life as in the case of
materials used for

building or fuels used for heating and transportation.

E.SE.03.32 Describe how materials taken from the Earth can be

used as fuels for heating and transportation.

S.IP.E.1 Inquiry involves generating questions,

Added bonus:
conducting investigations, and developing solutions to
problems through reasoning and observation.

Learning Outcomes:

Students will:
Identify that materials are taken from the earth to use as fuel for
heating and transportation.

Learning Targets:

I can describe how materials are taken from the earth to use for
heating and transportation.

Time Needed:

45 minutes

Hook/Anticipatory Set:

Media Power point #402 Beginning on slide 22 Play movie link

for hook.

Directed Instruction & Guided Practice:

- Continue Media Power point #402 on Intro to Earth (Encourage