PEBBLES, SAND, AND SILT – Overview Contents Introduction ............................1 Module Matrix ........................2 FOSS Conceptual Framework...4 Background for the Conceptual Framework in Pebbles, Sand, and Silt ...................................6 FOSS Components ................ 12 FOSS Instructional Design ..... 14 FOSSweb and Technology ...... 22 Universal Design for Learning ................................ 24 INTRODUCTION Organizing the Classroom ...... 26 Safety in the Classroom The Pebbles, Sand, and Silt Module provides experiences that and Outdoors ........................ 28 heighten primary students’ awareness, curiosity, and understanding of Earth’s natural resources—rocks, soil, and water—and provides Scheduling the Module .......... 29 www.fossweb.com opportunities for students to engage in scientifi c and engineering FOSS K–8 Scope practices. Students explore the natural world by using simple and Sequence ....................... 30 tools to observe and describe properties of earth materials. In this module, students will permission. Observe and compare physical properties of rocks and soils, further • using various tools. without • Rub rocks together and observe that they break into use smaller pieces. • Use screens to separate and group river rocks by particle size, and investigate properties of pebbles, gravel, classroom California. sand, silt, and clay particles. of than • Explore places where earth materials are naturally found and other ways that earth materials are used. University use or the • Use sand to make sculptures and clay to make beads, jewelry, of and bricks. • Find, collect, record, and compare samples of soil outside Regents the classroom. redistribution, The resale, for Copyright Not © Full Option Science System 1 PEBBLES, SAND, AND SILT – Overview Module Summary Focus Questions Students are introduced to the mineral portion What happens when rocks rub together? of the planet on which they live. They investigate What happens when rocks are placed in water? several kinds of rocks and begin to understand the properties of rocks. Students observe rocks (using How are river rocks the same? hand lenses), rub rocks, wash rocks, sort rocks, and What are the properties of schoolyard rocks? Inv. 1: Inv. describe rocks. They also begin to organize a class How many ways can rocks be sorted? First Rocks First rock collection. Students learn about the properties of rocks and the colorful minerals they contain. Students investigate a mixture of different-sized How can rocks be separated by size? river rocks. They separate the rocks using a series How else can rocks be sorted by size? of three screens to identify five sizes of rocks: large pebbles, small pebbles, large gravel, small gravel, Is there an earth material smaller than sand? and sand. They add water to a vial of sand to What earth material is smaller than silt? Inv. 2: Inv. discover silt and clay. Students learn how sand is River Rocks River formed. Students learn how people use earth materials How do people use earth materials? to construct objects. They make rubbings from What does sand do for sandpaper? sandpaper, sculptures from sand, decorative jewelry from clay, and bricks from clay soil. They go on What can be made with sand? a schoolyard field trip to look for places where What can be made with clay? earth materials occur naturally and where people Inv. 3: Inv. have incorporated earth materials into building How are bricks made? Using Rocks Using materials. Students put together and take apart soils. They What is soil? are introduced to humus as an ingredient in soil. How do soils differ? Homemade and local soils are compared, using techniques introduced in Investigation 2. Students Where is water found in our community? read about sources of natural water, sort images of water sources, both fresh and salt, and discuss where water is found in their community. Inv. 4: Inv. Soil and Water Soil and 2 Full Option Science System Module Matrix Content Reading Assessment • Rocks can be described by their properties. Science Resources Book Embedded Assessment • Smaller rocks (sand) result from the breaking “Exploring Rocks” Science notebook entries (weathering) of larger rocks. “Colorful Rocks” Teacher observation • Rocks are the solid material of Earth. Benchmark Assessment • Rocks are composed of minerals. Investigation 1 I-Check • Rocks are earth materials. Science Resources Book Embedded Assessment Rocks can be described by the property of size. “The Story of Sand” Science notebook entries • “Rocks Move” Teacher observation Rock sizes include clay, silt, sand, gravel, pebbles, • Scientific practices cobbles, and boulders. • Smaller rocks result from the weathering of Benchmark Assessment larger rocks. Investigation 2 I-Check • Earth materials are natural resources. Science Resources Book Embedded Assessment • The properties of different earth materials make “Making Things with Rocks” Teacher observation each suitable for specific uses. “What Are Natural Science notebook entry ● Resources?” Different sizes of sand are used on sandpaper to Benchmark Assessment change the surface of wood from rough Investigation 3 I-Check to smooth. • Earth materials are commonly used in the construction of buildings and streets. • Earth materials are used to make sculptures and jewelry. • Earth materials are natural resources. Science Resources Book Embedded Assessment • Soils can be described by their properties (color, “What Is in Soil?” Teacher observation texture, ability to support plant growth). “Testing Soil” Science notebook entry “Where Is Water Found?” Soil is made partly from weathered rock and Benchmark Assessment • “States of Water” partly from organic material. Soils vary from place Investigation 4 I-Check to place. • Natural sources of water include streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, marshes, and the ocean. Sources of water can be fresh or salt water. • Water can be a solid, liquid, or gas. Pebbles, Sand, and Silt Module 3 PEBBLES, SAND, AND SILT – Overview FOSS CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK In the last half decade, teaching and learning research has focused on learning progressions. The idea behind a learning progression is that core ideas in science are complex and wide-reaching, requiring years to develop fully —ideas such as the structure of matter or the relationship between the structure and function of organisms. From the age of awareness throughout life, matter and organisms are important to us. There are things we can and should understand about them in our primary school years, and progressively more complex and sophisticated things we should know about them as we gain experience and develop our cognitive abilities. When we can determine those logical progressions, we can develop meaningful and eff ective curriculum. FOSS has elaborated learning progressions for core ideas in science for kindergarten through grade 8. Developing a learning progression involves identifying successively more sophisticated ways of thinking about a core idea over multiple years. “If mastery of a core idea in a science discipline is the ultimate educational destination, then well- TEACHING NOTE designedd learning progressions provide a map of the routes that can beb taken to reach that destination” (National Research Council, A FOSS has conceptual structure at FrameworkF for K–12 Science Education, 2011). the module and strand levels. The concepts are carefully selected TheT FOSS modules are organized into three domains: physical science, and organized in a sequence that earthe science, and life science. Each domain is divided into two strands, makes sense to students when asa shown in the table below for the FOSS Elementary Program. Each presented as intended. strandst represents a core idea in science and has a conceptual framework. • matter; energy and change • dynamic atmosphere; rocks and landforms • structure and function; complex systems. The sequence in each strand relates to the core ideas described in the national framework. Modules at the bottom of the table form the foundation in the primary grades. The core ideas develop in complexity as you proceed up FOSS Elementary Module Sequences the columns. PHYSICAL SCIENCE EARTH SCIENCE LIFE SCIENCE ENERGY AND DYNAMIC ROCKS AND STRUCTURE/ COMPLEX The FOSS learning progression MATTER CHANGE ATMOSPHERE LANDFORMS FUNCTION SYSTEMS information is displayed in several 6 Mixtures and Motion, Force, Weather on Sun, Moon, and Living Systems places: (1) the module conceptual Solutions and Models Earth Planets framework (see page 9) represents Energy and Soils, Rocks, Measuring Matter Water Structures of Life Environments Electromagnetism and Landforms the structure of scientifi c knowledge Solids and Balance and Pebbles, Sand, Plants and Insects and taught and assessed in a single Air and Weather Liquids Motion and Silt Animals Plants module, and (2) the content Materials in Our Trees and Weather Animals Two by Two sequence (pages 10-11) is a graphic K World and narrative description placing the single module into a K–8 strand content or learning progression. 4 Full Option Science System Conceptual Framework In addition to the science content development, every module provides TEACHING NOTE opportunities for students to engage in and understand the importance A Framework for K–12 Science of scientifi c practices, and many modules explore issues related to Education describes these engineering practices and the use of natural resources. eight scientific and engineering Asking questions and defi ning problems