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CLEVELAND AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL  

Project Based Learning  
Design Guide 
Unit 2/Project Title: Rocks & Soils  Duration: 9 weeks 
Content Focus: Science  Teacher(s): Askew-Davis/ Metayer  Grade Level:Kdg 
Other subject areas to be included: Mathematics/ELA/Art/Engineering/Science/Social Studies 
KEY KNOWLEDGE: 
Significant Content  NGSS:​​ Science and Engineering Practices
  ● Obtain, evaluate and communicate information.
● Ask questions
● Plan and carry out investigations
Crosscutting Concepts
● Patterns
● Structure and function
Core Idea
● Physical attributes
● Classifying

SKE2 Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to describe the physical attributes of earth materials
(soil, rocks, water and air).
● SWBAT ask questions about earth materials IOT identify the physical attributes of Earth.
● SWBAT ask questions about earth materials IOT describe the uses of their physical attributes.

Writing/ ELA:

ELAGSEKW2: Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose i​nformative/explanatory texts
in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.

ELAGSEKRL7: With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story (how
illustrations support the text).
 ● SWBAT Demonstrate effective communication skills.
● SWBAT Participate in teamwork to accomplish specific organizational goals.

Social Studies:​​ ​SSKG2 - Explain that a map is a drawing of a place and a globe is a model of the Earth.
a. differentiate land and water features on simple maps and globes.

Math:​​ ​MGSEK.CC.6 Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to
the number of objects in another group, e.g., by using matching and counting strategies.

Technology:​​ ​ENGR - STEM7 - Students will develop leadership and interpersonal problem-solving skills
through participation in co-curricular activities associated with the technology student association.

ENGR-STEM7 – Students will develop leadership and interpersonal problem-solving skills through
participation in co-curricular activities associated with the Technology Student Association.

Engineering:
E​NGR-STEM7 – Students will develop leadership and interpersonal problem-solving skills through
participation in co-curricular activities associated with the Technology Student Association.

21​st​​ ​ Century Competencies  Collaboration ​What’s in the Bag?   Creativity and Innovation: ​Students 
(to be taught and assessed)  Students will work in small groups, while using will create a map of CAE’s grounds, 
their sense of touch to explore different earth including the gardens in order to assist 
materials. The teacher will facilitate this lesson with location of the learning garden. 
by asking guiding questions, in order for
students to predict what they are feeling in the
bag.

Students will use their recording/journal sheet

to record all observations.
Communication ​Students will work on   Other: 
communicating their findings through their
Earth Materials journal, PBL night and by
creating an infomercial for the awareness of
others at CAE.
 Critical Thinking ​How can we use Earth    
materials to improve the learning garden?
Which rocks will be beneficial to the issue of
flooding in our CAE gardens?
How can we sort Earth materials?

Project Summary  After the entry event of exploring rocks and different types of soil, the students will explore different ways
(include student role, issue, 
problem or challenge, action taken,  earth materials can be used by: 1. Experimenting with earth materials to see which one absorbs the best in order
and purpose/beneficiary) 
  to help relieve the flooding in the learning garden. 2. Create jewelry out of rocks and different types of soil.
 
  3.Identify the different stages a rock goes through before it becomes dust. 4. Create a rock pet that will also
 
  include Chatter pix. 5. The students will create a BrainPop Video in order to explain soil.
 
 
CHALLENGING PROBLEM OR QUESTION: 
Driving Question: 
  How can we identify and use different Earth materials to improve our environment ?

SUSTAINED INQUIRY: 
Need to Know:  What are different earth materials? Are all soils the same? Why do we need earth materials? How do rocks
(​​Remember to create a list of  feel? What does it mean to sort? Where does dirt/soil come from? Where do rocks come from? ​How can we
“​Anticipated”​ ​Need to Know  describe different Earth materials? How can we use Earth materials.
questions prior to Entry Event. 
AUTHENTICITY: 
Project Problem  Sometimes the CAE learning garden has a problem with flooding due to the rain;
(How does this relate to the real  plants are dying and the soil can become damaged. How can we identify and use Earth
world? What problem exists in  materials to improve the learning garden to prevent flooding?
their lives, school, community, or 
world? ) 
Entry Event:  Is all soil the same? By exploring the different habitats of Dunwoody Park, students Trevor Williams
Recycling Center
will use their senses and powers of observation to understand the different textures,
Supervisor
smells, colors and particle size of dirt. Students will also examine rocks and (770) 442-8822
 minerals found in nature and organize them by size, weight, and appearance.

Meets GSE SKE2, SKP1.

STUDENT VOICE & CHOICE: 

Products:   Individual: (Rock Cycle)​​Mountain, Boulder,  Specific content and competencies to be assessed: 
  Rock, Pebble   
Products: ​Must include ED  rock jewelry, rock pet (Chatter Pix)  Can students identify the rock cycle and the process that 
Process in at least one of the    rocks go through to become rocks, and dirt. 
products.   
  Group:  
  Rock Flip book, Soil BrainPop Video, Class 
Engineering Design Process:  Big Book, Think Map/Venn Diagram of Earth 
● ASK ​questions- Introducing  Materials, experiment to determine which 
the project (30 minutes)  earth materials will absorb more/less than 
● Conduct ​RESEARCH​​ ​(1 or  water. 
more class periods) 
● Draft a ​PLAN​​ (​​3 class 
periods) 
● CREATE​​ a 
model/prototype (5 class 
periods) 
● TEST/EVALUATE​​ ​the 
model (1 class period) 
● IMPROVE​​ the design (2 
class periods) 
● COMMUNICATE​​ project 
to a public audience (peers, 
other grade levels, parents, 
experts, etc. This part is 
crucial and extremely 
important) 
 
  Team:  Specific content and competencies to be assessed:
Recreate rock phases from Mountain to dust.  
 
 
 PUBLIC PRODUCT: 
Public Audience  1. Students will collect different earth materials for CAE PBL Night to see which one will absorb water to 
(​​Experts, audiences, or product  aid in the prevention of flooding in the garden.  
users students will engage with  2. Students will display and discuss their rock jewelry and rock pets.   
during/at end of project) 
 
Resources Needed  On-Site Experts: Technology Specialist  Off/Site Field Experience: ​Dunwoody Park Nature 
    Center 
  Equipment: Ipads -Stem lab - 
   
   
  Materials: Rocks -Paint -Jewelry making kits, ​Different earth materials such as sand, soil, loam, mulch, 
  etc., Books about rocks and soil ​http://www.kindergartenkindergarten.com/2012/04/rock-and-roll.html 
   
   
  Community Resources: ​Gardener  
CRITIQUE, REVISION, REFLECTION 
Reflection:  Journal/Learning Log  X  Focus Group   
(Individual, Team, and/or Whole  Whole Class Discussion  X  Rubric  x 
Class)  Survey  X