Second Grade – Lesson Overview
Students Learn: Investigations: Students Do: Rocks have a variety of Investigation 1, Students investigate and sort a set properties. When rocks rub Part 1: Three of six rocks. They gather together, some (softer) rocks Rocks information about the rocks by may be chipped or scratched, matching the rock samples and or make rock dust. rubbing them together. Rocks have a variety of Investigation 1, Students wash their samples to see properties. When rocks are Part 2: how the rocks change when they washed in water, the colors or Washing Three are wet and what happens to the sparkling qualities are Rocks wash water. enhanced. Rocks can be sorted by their Investigation 1, Students are introduced to river properties. Part 3: First rocks. They listen to the story Sorting “Peter and the Rocks” and use ideas from the story and Part 2 to sort their river rocks. Rocks can be sorted by their Investigation 1, Students use sorting mats to play properties. Part 4: Sorting sorting games with the river rocks. games. Rocks are all around us. Rocks Investigation1, Students start to organize a are the solid material of the Part 5: Start a classroom rock collection. Earth. Rock Collection Screens can be used to sort the Investigation 2, Students separate a river rock sizes of earth materials. Rock Part 1: mixture, using a set of three sizes include sand, small Screening River screens. At the end of the gravel, large gravel, small Rocks. separation, students discover they pebbles, and large pebbles. have five sizes of materials: large pebbles, small pebbles, large gravel, small gravel, and sand. Rocks can be categorized Investigation 2, Students activities reinforce the visually by size. Rock sizes Part 2: River idea of grouping rocks based on include sand, small gravel, Rocks by Size size. large gravel, small pebbles, and large pebbles. Rocks larger than pebbles are cobbles. Rocks larger than cobbles are boulders. Sand often contains smaller Investigation 2, Students take a close look at sand particles, called silt. Water Part 3: Sand and separate sand particles from can be used to sort the sizes of and Silt silt particles, which are smaller earth materials. than sand, by mixing the sand with water and allowing the particles to settle. They observe that the sand settles to the bottom and the silt forms a layer on top of the sand. Clay particles are very small, Investigation 2, Students investigate the properties even smaller than silt. Part 4: of very small rock particles, clay. Exploring Clay Earth materials are natural Investigation 3, Students learn how people use resources. The properties of Part 1: Rocks rocks as natural resources to different earth materials make and Use construct objects and to make each suitable for specific uses. useful materials. They start by Earth materials are commonly looking outside the school building used in the construction of for places where earth materials buildings and streets. can be found naturally or as building materials. The properties of different Investigation 3, Students observe sandpaper and earth materials make each Part 2: Looking compare it to sand. They make suitable for specific uses. at Sandpaper and compare rubbings of three grades of sandpaper. The properties of different Investigation 3, Students mix sand with cornstarch earth materials make each Part 3: Sand matrix to make durable sand suitable for specific uses. Sculptures sculptures. Earth materials are used to make jewelry and sculptures. The properties of different Investigation 3, Students use clay to make beads or earth materials make each Part 4: Clay something decorative, which they suitable for specific uses. Beads paint and keep as a memento of their investigation of clay. The properties of different Investigation 3, Students make adobe clay bricks earth materials make each Part 5: Making with a mixture of clay soil, dry suitable for specific uses. Bricks grass or weeds, and water. After Simple bricks are made by the bricks dry, the can be used to combining clay soil with plant build a class wall. material. Soil is a mixture of earth Investigation 4, Students put together and take materials. Humus is decayed Part 1: apart soils. They are introduced to material from plants and Homemade Soil humus, an important soil animals. The ingredients of ingredient. They mix together soil can be observed by mixing homemade soil containing sand, soil with water, shaking it, and gravel, pebbles, and humus. They letting it settle. shake some of the soil on a paper plate and observe what happens. They use screens to separate the homemade soil. They shake soil and water together in a vial and draw their observations. Soils vary from place to place. Investigation 4, Students go on a schoolyard field Soils have properties of color Part 2: trip to collect soil samples. They and texture. Different soils Soil Search try to find soil in as many places as differ in their ability to support possible: next to sidewalks, near plants. trees, and in landscaped area. Soils can be composed of Investigation 4, Students study their schoolyard soil humus and different amounts Part 3: samples. They shake some of the and sizes of rocks. Studying Local soil with water in vials and draw Soil the results. They compare the vials in drawings of their schoolyard samples with the vials and drawings of the homemade soil.