Understanding By Design Unit Template for NGSS Units of Study (Adapted by Jean Ward 2014)
As you prepare for NGSS unit development, refer to APPENDIX E – Progressions Within the Next Generation
Science Standards to see a general description of the developmental progression of learning. These progressions
describe a learning sequence for the Disciplinary Core Ideas which is helpful in getting a picture of previous and
future learning targets related to the content you are teaching in this unit. If helpful, this information can be
copied or inserted into the table at the bottom of the template.
Geology
Grade Level 4th Grade
Earth Science
Time Frame 6 weeks
Lacey Smith Schwaner
Identify Desired Results (Stage 1)
Performance Expectations
Title of Unit
Curriculum Area
Developed By
4-ESS1-1 Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers for changes in a landscape over time
to support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time. [Clarification Statement: Examples of evidence from patterns
could include rock layers with marine shell fossils above rock layers with plant fossils and no shells, indicating a change from land to
water over time; and, a canyon with different rock layers in the walls and a river in the bottom, indicating that over time a river cut
through the rock.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include specific knowledge of the mechanism of rock formation or
memorization of specific rock formations and layers. Assessment is limited to relative time.]
4-ESS2-1 Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by
water, ice, wind, or vegetation. [Clarification Statement: Examples of variables to test could include angle of slope in the downhill
movement of water, amount of vegetation, speed of wind, relative rate of deposition, cycles of freezing and thawing of water, cycles of
heating and cooling, and volume of water flow.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to a single form of weathering or
erosion.]
Content Standard(s) and DCI(s)
Content Standards
4-ESS1 Earth’s Place in the Universe
4-ESS2 Earth’s Systems
DCI’s
ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth
ESS2.A: Earth Materials and Systems
ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale System Interactions
Understandings
Overarching Understanding(s) /
CCC(s) & DCI(s)
Essential Questions
Overarching
[3/25/14 Vocabulary
Tiers 2-3
Patterns (The locations of mountain ranges, deep ocean
trenches, ocean floor structures, earthquakes, and
volcanoes occur in patterns)
•
What patterns are there
in the locations of
geological features?
•
What patterns in rock
formations and fossils in
rock layers show evidence
of changes in a landscape
over time?
•
How can water and living
organisms change the
land?
Patterns ( rock formations and fossils reveal changes in
landscape over time due to earth forces)
Cause and Effect (Rainfall helps to shape the land and
affects the types of living things found in a region)
Related Misconceptions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Rocks must be heavy.
Soil must have always been in its
present form.
Mountains are created rapidly.
Earth is molten, except for its crust.
Earth’s gravitational attraction is
drastically reduced on mountaintops.
Continents do not move.
The Earth is thousands of years old
Knowledge from DCI(s)
Students will know…
ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth
Local, regional, and global patterns of rock formations
reveal changes over time due to earth forces, such as
earthquakes. The presence and location of certain fossil
types indicate the order in which rock layers were formed.
(4-ESS1-1)
ESS2.A: Earth Materials and Systems
• Rainfall helps to shape the land and affects the types of
living things found in a region. Water, ice, wind, living
organisms, and gravity break rocks, soils, and sediments
into smaller particles and move them around. (4-ESS2-1)
•
•
Fault
Plate
Argument
Pattern
Relationships
Weathering
Focus
Continent
Fault*
Fossil
Magma
Pangaea
Plate*
Seismograph
Vibration
Volcano
Earthquake
Erosion
Skills from Science & Engineering Practices
Students will be able to…
•
Make observations or produce data to serve as the basis for
evidence for an explanation of a phenomenon. (4-ESS2-1)
•
Identify the evidence that supports particular points in an
explanation. (4-ESS1-1)
Overarching Understanding #1
What patterns are there in the locations of geological
features?
Assessment Evidence
Performance Expectation
• 4-ESS1-1 Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and
[3/25/14 fossils in rock layers for changes in a landscape over time to
support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time.
Formative Assessments
Page Keeley probes:
• “Describing Soil” Version 2, Vol.1
• “What Makes up a Mountain” Version 2, Vol.1
Other assessment evidence (to include Practices,
CCCs, and DCIs)
•
Science Notebooks1. Asking Questions and Defining Problems
2. Developing and Using Models
3. Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
4. Analyzing and Interpreting Data
5. Using Mathematics and Computational
Thinking
6. Constructing Explanations (for science)
and Designing Solutions (for engineering)
7. Engaging in Argument from Evidence
8. Obtaining and Evaluating and
Communicating Information
Integrated Instructional Sequence (Backward Design & 5 E’s Instructional Model) to include Formative
Assessment. 5 E’s Instructional Model and Lesson Adapted from Ansberry, K and Morgan, E (2007).
An ENGAGE Lesson
READ ALOUD- “If You Find a Rock” Peggy Christian
With an interesting rock hidden in your hand, announce to the class that you have found something that is older than them,
older than the school building, even older than you…something that could be billions of years old! Have students guess what it
is. Reveal the rock, and then tell them that a rock is probably the oldest thing they will ever touch. Ask students to share
observations of the rock as it is passed around. Then tell students that you have a book to read to get them thinking about
special rocks.
MAKING CONNETIONS- Text-to-Self
Introduce the author and the illustrator of the book, “If You Find a Rock” by Peggy Christian. The author is a rock hound who
[3/25/14 was born in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and loves skiing, camping, and reading. Building connections to the author by
asking:
-What is a rock hound? (a person who likes to collect rocks).
-Is anyone here a rock hound?
-What do you call a scientist who studies rocks to learn about the Earth? (a geologist).
-Would you like to be a geologist?
Explain that there are many people, both men and women, who choose geology as a career and devote their entire lives to
studying it. Tell students that Peggy Christian’s father was a geologist and maybe that is why she loves rocks so much.
DETERMINING IMPORTANCEExplain that, while you are reading the book aloud, you would like students to think about what some of the rocks in the book
are used for and what properties, or characteristics, make them suited for those uses.
Read aloud “If You Find a Rock” by Peggy Christian. Stop after reading the page about the wishing rock and invite students
to close their eyes and make a wish.) After reading, ask:
-What are some of the uses for the special rocks in the book? (answers might include: wishing rick, skipping rock, chalk rock,
splashing rock, and worry rock.)
-Have you ever owned a special rock?
-What made it special to you?
Tell students that they are going to be rock hounds who get to find their own special rock. They can go outside with an adult
and search for a rock, or bring one in from their own special collection. They will need to bring their special rock the next day.
Send a letter home to inform parents of the assignment. Include these rules for students to follow: Your rock must be smaller
than a tennis ball. You are not allowed to throw your rock. You may want to have extra rocks available for students who don’t
bring one in.
Exploration Lesson(s) EXPLORE
The next day, have students place their rock on their desks. Ask them to observe their own rock and then look around at some
of the rocks near them. Discuss the following questions:
-How are the rocks alike?
-How are the rocks different?
Encourage students to notice that rocks come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, sizes, and other characteristics. Then explain
that a scientific tool called a hand lens can help them get an even closer look at their rocks. Demonstrate the proper way to use
a hand lens (holding the lens close to one eye while bringing the rick toward the hand lens can scratch the lens. Pass out the
hand lenses to observe their rick more closely.
Next, revisit the book, If You Find a Rock, Ask students to recall the rocks described in the book. List some of the rocks on
the board, such as: skipping rock, chalk rock, resting rock, wishing rock, worry rock, climbing rock.
[3/25/14 Then ask:
-What makes each rock in the book suited for its special use? (Answers might include: its shape, its color or size, and how it
feels.)
Explain that these things- shape, color, size, texture (how it feels)- are called properties of rocks. Discuss how the properties
of each rick in the book make it suited for a different purpose. For example, a skipping rock is used for skipping across the
water. The properties that make it suited for that purpose are its flat and rounded shape and its small size. Shape and size are
properties of rocks. A chalk rock is used to make pictures on the pavement. The properties that make it suited for that purpose
are its white color and its soft, dusty texture. Texture describes how a rock feels. Color and texture are also properties of rocks.
Another property that students may notice as they observe their rocks is luster, or how the tiny specks in rocks reflect light.
Words that describe luster include shiny, dull, and sparkly.
Explanation Lesson(s) EXPLAIN
Explain that shape, size, color, texture, and luster are different properties of rocks that make each one unique. Geologists
who study rocks use some of these properties to identify types of rocks. Tell students that they are going to observe and record
the properties of their own special rock. Pass out the “I Found a Rock” student page and centimeter rulers. Make sure students
understand how to record the properties listed on the data table by discussing questions such as:
-What are some words that might describe a rock’s color? (Answers might include: black, white, and reddish-brown).
-What are some words that might describe a rock’s texture? (Answers might include: bumpy, smooth, and rough).
-What are some words that might describe a rock’s luster? (Answers might include: shiny, dull, glassy).
-What is one way to measure a rock’s size? (Use a ruler to measure the longest side in centimeters).
Discuss how observations of size such as big or small are not scientific observations because they are not exact. Using
measurements to describe the size of a rock is more scientific. Then have students make careful observations of their ricks and
complete their data tables.
Next, have students think about the unique properties of their rocks and fill in the cloze sentence, “I found a rock that would
be good for _________________ because it is _________________.
ROCK SORTINGThis activity is a fun way to show that rocks can be identified by their unique properties. The object is to end with one student
standing, holding his or her own rock. Collect all of the I Found a Rock students pages. Randomly select one from the stack, but
don’t let students see it. Have all the students stand, holding their rocks. Then read the first observation on the page, for
example, “I found a rock and it is gray. If your rock is gray, stay standing.” Students whose rocks are not gray should sit. Then
read the second observation on the page, for example, “I found a rock and it is smooth. If your rock is smooth, stay standing.”
Students whose rocks are not smooth should sit. Continue reading the observations, include the cloze sentence at the bottom,
until only one students is standing. Repeat the process with several more student pages.
[3/25/14 Elaboration Lesson(s) ELABORATE
READ ALOUD and ROCK IDENTIFICATION- “ROCKS: Hard, Soft, Smooth, and Rough” by Natalie Rosinksy
Form groups of about five students. Give each student in a group a hand lens and one of the following rocks: obsidian, granite,
sandstone, limestone, or marble. Have each student observe his or her rock and compare it to the other rocks in their group.
Ask:
-Are the five rocks all the same kind of rock? (no)
-How are they different? (They have different properties: shape, size, color, texture, and luster.)
-Is it possible to look at a rock and tell what kind it is? (Answers will vary; the following activity will help students understand
how geologists identify rocks by their properties.)
Next, tell students that the picture book “Rocks: Hard, Soft, Smooth, and Rough” can give them clues about their rock’s identity.
Each one of the rocks they have been observing is described in the book. As you read the book aloud, stop after reading each
rock they think it is one being described. After reading, use the rocks chart on page 21 to help students identify their rocks
correctly. Explain that many different kinds of scientists use these kinds of charts, also called keys, to identify unknown objects.
After reading, use the following questions to help students understand how size and shape might not be good properties to
use to identify rocks. Ask:
-What properties did you use to identify your rock? (Answers might include: color, texture, luster, swirls, stripes, or specks.)
-Were you able to identify your rock based on its size or shape alone? (no).
-Why might size not be a good property to use to identify your rock based on its size and shape alone? (Rocks are all different
sizes depending on how they were formed or broke apart from larger rocks- for example, a piece of granite can be any size.)
-Why might shape not be a good property to use to identify rocks? (For the same reason as in the previous question- for
example, a piece of granite can be any shape.)
-What are the basic building blocks of rocks called? (minerals).
Next, have students use hand lenses to see if they can find any specks, crystals, swirls, or stripes in their rock samples.
These are the minerals that make up their rocks. Some rocks are made of a single mineral, but most are made of several
minerals. (A student who is observing a very fine-grained rock may not be able to see any minerals. Geologists often use special
microscopes to look at very thin slices of rocks so they can determine mineral content and thus rock type.) Then ask:
-What are the three main types of rocks you learned about in the book? (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic).
-How are rocks classified into these three groups? (Rocks are classified based upon how they are formed.)
-How do Scientists identify unknown rocks? (They can observe their properties and use a key.)
Evaluation Lesson(s) EVALUATE
PET ROCK POSTERAsk students if they have ever heard of a Pet Rock. Explain that way back in 1973, a businessman in California came up with the
idea of selling rocks as pets. He considered dogs, cats, and birds too messy and expensive to keep, and instead advertised his
Pet Rock as the ideal pet. The Pet Rock was packages in a box that looked like a pet carrying case, and it even came with a “Pet
[3/25/14 Rock Training Manual.” Topics included “How to Make Your Pet Rock Roll Over and Play Dead” and “How to House-Train Your
Pet Rock.” Believe it or not, the Pet Rock became a huge hit and the salesman became rich. Ask:
-Would you have bought your own Pet Rock if you lived in the 1970’s?
-Why do you think this businessman was able to sell so many Pet Rocks? (Answers might include: He had an original idea, and
he used creative packaging and advertising).
-What are some ways that advertisements help sell products? (Answers might include: They describe them, they make them
sound useful, and they make them seem fun.)
Pass out the Pet Rock Poster Rubric and challenge students to create an advertisement for a Pet Rock. You may want to have
them use either their own special rock or the one they identified using the book “Rocks: Hard, Soft, Smooth, and Rough.” Have
them give their rock a clever name and then design an ad to sell the rock. The advertisement should show what they have
learned about properties of rocks, including
4 POINTS: A detailed description of the Pet Rock’s Properties (including size, color, texture, and luster)
3 POINTS: A labeled, detailed, full-color drawing of the Pet Rock showing its unique features.
2 POINTS: Two suggested uses for the Pet Rock based on its properties.
1 POINT: A creative statement to make people want to buy the Pet Rock.
Extra Credit: A Poem, song, rap, jingle, drawing or the rock’s packaging, or training tips for the Pet Rock.
Have students share their advertisements with the rest of the class or have a gallery walk.
•
Assessment Evidence (Stage 2) and Learning Plans (Stage 3)
Overarching Understanding #2
Assessment Evidence
What patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock
Performance Expectation
layers show evidence of changes in a landscape over
• 4-ESS1-1 Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and
fossils in rock layers for changes in a landscape over time to
time?
•
support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time.
4-ESS2-1 Make observations and/or measurements to provide
evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by
living organisms.
Formative Assessments
Page Keeley probes:
• “Is it a Rock?” Version 2, Vol.2
• “Mountaintop Fossil” Version 2, Vol. 2
• “Beach Sand” Vol. 1
[3/25/14 Other assessment evidence (to include Practices, CCCs,
and DCIs)
• Science Notebooks1. Asking Questions and Defining Problems
2. Developing and Using Models
3. Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
4. Analyzing and Interpreting Data
5. Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
6. Constructing Explanations (for science) and
Designing Solutions (for engineering)
7. Engaging in Argument from Evidence
8. Obtaining and Evaluating and Communicating
Information
Integrated Instructional Sequence (Backward Design & 5 E’s Instructional Model)
5 E’s Instructional Model Adapted from Morgan, E. and Ansberry, K (2013).
An ENGAGE Lesson- Pass out a blank sheet of paper to students (or use Science Notebook). Tell students that you would like
them to draw a picture of a dinosaur using a pencil. Ask them to put in as much detail as possible. Give them several minutes to
complete this activity. Refrain from answering any questions students may ask about dinosaurs as you want their pictures to
represent what they already know about what dinosaurs look like. After completing their drawings, have students sit in a circle
and show their pictures to the group while the group looks around at all of the pictures. Ask: “Where have you seen the
dinosaur that you drew?” They may answer by referencing TV, a museum, or a book. Be sure to point out that they have never
seen a dinosaur, as dinosaurs are not alive. Ask: “If you have never seen the dinosaur you drew, how did you know what it
looked like? Ask: How do you think people who make museum displays or write books about dinosaurs know what they look
like? (They use fossils to study what the animals long ago looked like).
Read-Aloud “Fossil” by Claire Ewart (ELA Common Core- Reading Informational Text 3.1, 4.1). Show students the front cover of
the book “Fossil” and ask “What do you notice on the cover?” Explain that the animal on the cover was Ornithocheirus (OrNITH-oh-KAI-rus), which was a reptile very similar to the modern day pelican or seagull. Have students notice what they see
under the water too (the picture shows the remains of the animal as a fossil). Tell students that the author, Claire Ewart, lived
near a lake where she would often finds pieces of fossils. You can read the jacket flap about the author to give the students
more background as well. Ask, “Have you ever found a fossil?” Read the story aloud. After reading “Fossil Evidence”, stop and
Pass out student Short Answer Response sheet (attached): “Where did this animal live (on an island)?”, “What kinds of food did
this animal eat (fish)?”, “What happened to Ornithocheirus when it died (it sank into the silt at the bottom of the sea)?”, “ Why
didn’t its body rot (lack of oxygen at the bottom of the sea protected it from completely decomposing)?”, “How did the animal
become fossilized (minerals seeped in to replace the bones)?”, “Where was the animal’s fossils found (on land)?”, “How did the
[3/25/14 Earth change after the animal died (the sea is now land)?”, “What caused the fossils to be exposed (heat, cold, wind, sun, ice,
and rain wore away the ground)?”
Exploration Lesson(s)
Observing Real Fossils- Pass around some real fossils for students to explore. While students are examining the fossils, ask
guiding questions such as: “What type of animal or plant do you believe your fossil might have been?”, What evidence makes
you think that?”, “Do you think this animal or plant lived in the ocean or on land?”, “Why do you think so?”, “How do you think
this fossil was formed?”
Card Sequencing- Tell the students that you have a set of cards to give them. Each card has a step that a pre-historic animal
may have gone through to become fossilized. Explain that they should try to put the steps in the order that they would most
likely happen. Give each group a set of fossil formation cards and allow them time to put the steps in order, and then bring the
class back together. Discuss how they sequenced the cards and why.
Explanation Lesson(s)
Read Aloud- “Fossils Tell of Long Ago” by Aliki (Common Core Reading: Informational Text 3.9, 4.9, 3.3, 4.3)
Show students the cover of “Fossils Tell of Long Ago” by Aliki and introduce the author and illustrator. Explain that this is a nonfiction book that will tell them more about how fossils are formed and the things that we can learn by studying fossils. As they
are listening, they will get clued as to how their fossil cards should be ordered. Read the story aloud, stopping on page 12 to
ask, (Text-to-Text Connection) “How does the book information compare with what we read in our last book, Fossil (in both
stories the animal died underwater, was buried in the sand, and was found millions of years later)?”, (Questioning) Do you think
all fossils were buried under water? Where else might they have been buried? Continue reading the story and stop after reading
page 21 to clarify that fossils can be formed in mud, ice, stone, and amber.
Card Sequencing- Once you have finished reading the story, have students go back to their placed with their groups and use
what they have learned to reorder their fossil formation cards. Then discuss the correct order and have them rearrange their
cards if needed. The correct order is as follows:
1. The animal is alive and swimming in the sea.
2. The animal dies and sinks to the bottom of the sea.
3. The soft parts of the animal rot away.
4. The animal’s bones are left on the seafloor.
5. The skeleton of the animal is buried in the mud on the seafloor.
6. Over a very long time, more and more mud piled over the animal.
7. Over a very long time, the animal’s bones are slowly replaced over the animal.
8. The animal becomes a fossil.
9. The fossil is discovered.
Ask: What things can we learn from fossils (sizes and shapes of once-living plants and animals)? What things can’t we learn
[3/25/14 from fossils (colors or patterns of once-living plants and animals)? Explain to students that to in order to make their best
guesses about what colors and patterns prehistoric animals and plant had, scientists compare them with similar animals and
plants that are alive today. But no one knows for use what they exactly looked like.
Elaboration Lesson(s)
The Fossil Game- Ask: How common do you think it is for plants and animals to become fossilized?
Explain to the students they are going to play a game to further investigate the probability or likelihood of a plant or animal
becoming fossilized. Distribute template 1, 2, and 3 of the Fossil Fortune Teller evenly among students. Using the How to Make
a Fossil Fortune Teller student page, have the students cut and fold the Fossil Fortune Tellers. You may want to read the steps
together and model them for the class or make them ahead of time. Tell the students that they are going to pretend that they
are prehistoric organism that has died and that they may undergo a number of fates: some will become fossils, while others will
be eaten, washed away, or decayed over time. Say, “We will begin our game with everyone standing. If you become a fossil,
you will remain standing, but if you do not become fossilized you will sit down.” Next, display the Fossil Game Data Table. Tell
students that throughout the game they will keep track of the results using the data table.
Directions for the Fossil Game:
o Have the students stand up and spread out in the classroom holding their assembled fortune tellers.
o Record the number of students in the class in the “Number of Organisms” column.
o Hold the die about an inch above the star on the game board and drop it.
o Call out the number that lands face up, and instruct the students to open and close their fortune tellers that many
times.
o Call out the letter that the die landed on. Have the students open that panel under the corresponding letter to
discover their fate. If they became a fossil, they should remain standing otherwise they should sit down.
o Count the number of students who are standing and record that number in the “Number of Fossils Formed”
column of the data table.
o Have everyone stand for the next round. The game ends after five rounds.
Once the game has ended, add up the number of students who were fossilized in each round and then add up the number of
students who played the game.
Discuss the results of the game. Explain to the class that it is not very likely for a fossil to be formed because the conditions
have to be just right. In fact, most ancient living things never became fossils. The organisms had to have been preserved in ice,
rock, amber, or mud quickly after its death so that it would not be eaten, washed away, or decayed.
[3/25/14 Evaluation Lesson(s) EVALUATE
Fossil Rereading and “ I Found a Fossil” Writing Activity (Common Core W4.3)
Reread the book “Fossil” by Claire Ewart. Have students pay attention to the details and scientific information about
Ornithocheirus that the author reveals through the story. Explain that this type of book, known as a narrative informational
book, communicated a sequence of factual events over time within the context of a story. The author begins the story with the
girl finding a fossil and then describes the life and death of the animal. Finally, she describes how it became a fossil and was
discovered by the little girl. Point out that this book follows a circular pattern, beginning and ending with the girl finding a fossil.
Tell students that they will be writing their own narrative information about one of the fossils that they observed earlier in this
lesson and they will use this circular format for their story.
Give each student a copy of the “ I Found a Fossil” journal, an animal fossil, colored pencils, and the scoring rubric. Tell
students the name of their fossils if they are not labeled. Provide resources for your students to research information about their
animal, such as when their animal lived, what it’s habitat was like at the time, and what and how it ate.
Have students share their story with a partner or the class. Use the scoring rubric to evaluate their book.
•
Overarching Understanding #3
How can water change the land?
Assessment Evidence
Performance Expectation
• 4-ESS1-1 Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and
•
fossils in rock layers for changes in a landscape over time to
support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time.
4-ESS2-1 Make observations and/or measurements to provide
evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by
water.
Formative Assessments
Page Keeley probes:
• “Describing Soil” Version 2, Vol.1
• “What Makes up a Mountain” Version 2, Vol. 1
Other assessment evidence (to include Practices,
CCCs, and DCIs)
•
[3/25/14 Science Notebooks2. Asking Questions and Defining Problems
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Developing and Using Models
Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
Analyzing and Interpreting Data
Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
Constructing Explanations (for science) and
Designing Solutions (for engineering)
8. Engaging in Argument from Evidence
9. Obtaining and Evaluating and Communicating
Information
Integrated Instructional Sequence (Backward Design & 5 E’s Instructional Model) to include Formative
Assessment. 5 E’s Instructional Model Adapted from Morgan, E. and Ansberry, K (2010).
An ENGAGE Lesson
Pass out the Grand Canyon student page and have students make inferences from the picture. Providing students with
additional color photographs of the canyon before they answer the following questions.
- How do you think the Grand Canyon formed?
- Why do you think it has gotten wider and deeper over time?
- How long do you think it took for the Grand Canyon to form?
Exploration Lesson(s) EXPLORE
WIND AND WATER CHECKPOINT LAB- In advance, prepare all of the materials necessary for the Wind and Water Checkpoint
Lab.
USING FEATURES OF NON-FICTION- Tell students you have a nonfiction book that might help them find out how the Grand
Canyon formed. Show them the cover of “Erosion” by Virginia Castleman (Common Core Standard- Informational Text- RI 4.3
and 4.7). Tell students that a unique feature of nonfiction is that the reader can enter the text at any point to get information.
Turn to page 15 in the book and read the inset about the Grand Canyon.
Tell students that they will do activities in a checkpoint lab to help them understand how wind and water can cause changes
on the surface of the Earth.
CHECKPOINT LAB-Distribute the Wind and Water Checkpoint Lab student pages. Tell students to take turns being the reader for
their teams. The reader’s job involved reading the directions out loud for the team, putting the green cup on top if the team is
working, and putting the red cup on top id the team has a question or if it is ready for a check mark. Each member of the group
is responsible for recording the data and writing responses.
Have the students complete the checkpoint lab, working at their own paces. While they are working, observe and listen to
them interact. Before you give a team a check mark or stamp so they can move ahead in the lab, informally evaluate them by
asking probing questions of each member of the team, such as:
[3/25/14 -How do you know?
-What is your evidence?
-Are you surprised by the results? Why or why not?
-What does this remind you of?
-What do you think will happen next?
Explanation Lesson(s) EXPLAIN
READING AND RELATING TO THE CHECKPOINT LABNew Vocabulary- Ask students if they have ever heard the words “weathering” and “erosion”, and discuss their prior knowledge
of the terms. Pass out the New Vocabulary List student page. A new vocabulary list is a “guess and check” type of visual
representation. Students develop vocabulary as they draw and write predictions about a new word’s meaning, read the word in
context, and draw and write their new definitions of the word. Have students write the words “weathering” and “erosion” in the
top two boxes of the first column. Then have them draw and write what they think each word means in the next column. Tell
students they will use this sheet to keep track of new words as they learn about the Grand Canyon. Let them know that they will
get to find out if their prediction about the meaning of the words weathering and erosion are correct by comparing their
observations from the checkpoint lab to the information in the book “Erosion”.
CHUNKINGRead pages 4-7 and page 11 in the book “Erosion”. Then ask the students:
-What is weathering? (Weathering is the natural breakdown of rocks into particles).
-In which part of the checkpoint lab did you observe weathering? (Part B, in which we shook up the jar of rocks and water and
observed that some particles broke off).
Provide time for students to fill in the “What It Means” column of the New Vocabulary List student page.
Then ask students:
-What is erosion? (Erosion is the process by which weathered rock and soil on Earth’s surface are picked up in one location and
moved to another location).
-In which part of the checkpoint lab did you observe erosion? (Part C, in which we observed small particles of sand carried to
the end of the box by wind, and Part D, in which we observed small particles being carried to the bottom of the pan by water).
Provide time for students to complete the “What it means” column of the New Vocabulary List student page.
Ask students to add the words “water erosion” and “wind erosion” to the “Word” column of the New Vocabulary List student
page. Provide time for them to fill in the second column, “What I Think It Means”, based on what they have learned so far. Then
read pages 12-14 about water erosion in the book “Erosion”.
-What is water erosion? (Water erosion occurs when water flows over the ground and takes other loose weathered material with
it).
[3/25/14 -In which part of the checkpoint lab did you observe water erosion? (Part D in which we observed small particles being carried
to the bottom of the pan by water).
Provide time for students to complete the “What It Means” column of the New Vocabulary List student page.
Then read pages 21-22 in “Erosion” about wind erosion, including the inset about the dust bowl. Then ask students:
-What is wind erosion? (Wind erosion is the movement of very small particles by wind).
-In which part of the checkpoint lab did you observe wind erosion? (Part C, in which wind (or breath) carried some of the sand,
and we felt it hitting our hands.)
Provide time for students to complete the “What It Means” column of the New Vocabulary List student page.
Next explain that scientists have evidence that Earth is about 4.6 billion years old! During this long span of time, Earth’s
surface has been in a state of constant change. Both constructive and deconstructive forces have changed Earth’s surface
throughout history. Constructive forces build up mountains and landmasses. Destructive forces break down, or slowly wear
away, mountains and other landforms. Ask:
-Is weathering and example of a constructive or a destructive force? (a destructive force, because weathering breaks down rock
into smaller particles).
-Is erosion an example of a constructive or destructive force? Why? (a destructive force, because erosion carries away pieces of
rock).
-Can you think of an example of a constructive force…something in nature that would build up the Earth’s surface? (a volcanic
eruption, because it covers part of the Earth’s surface in lava, building it up with new rock).
DETERMINING IMPORTANCEGo back to the original questions asked on the Grand Canyon student page:
-How do you think the Grand Canyon formed?
-How do you think it have gotten wider and deeper over time?
-How long do you think it took for the Grand Canyon to form?
Introduce the author and the illustrator of the book “Grand Canyon: A Trail Through Time”. Tell students they can find out if
their inferences about the Grand Canyon were correct by listening as you read the book. Have students signal (raise their hands)
if they hear any clues from the reading and invite discussion about them.
-How do you think the Grand Canyon was formed? (The Grand Canyon was formed by weathering and erosion. The Colorado
River flowed through it over long periods of time and weathered away the rock, and the rock was carried away by the water,
page 11).
-How do you think it has gotten wider and deeper over time? (It has gotten wider and deeper as the rubbing Colorado River
continues to flow through it, deepening the canyon by eroding away rocks and soil. Blustering wind and pounding rain continues
[3/25/14 to weather away the rocky sides of the canyon, page 28).
-How long do you think it took for the Grand Canyon to form? (The Colorado River took almost six million years to carve the
canyon, page 11).
Elaboration Lesson(s) ELABORATE
GRAND CANYON BROUCHUREDistribute a variety of travel brochures from different places. Have students examine them and pass them around. Then ask:
-What are some common features of travel brochures? (photographs, maps, sketches, reasons to visit, catchy slogans, etc.)
Evaluation Lesson(s) EVALUATE
Next pass out the Grand Canyon Brochure assignment. Use the following rubric to assess student work.
Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy W.4.7
Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. (4-ESS1-1)
W.4.8
Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of
sources. (4-ESS1-1)
W.4.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. (4-ESS1-1)
Mathematics MP.2
Reason abstractly and quantitatively. (4-ESS1-1)
MP.4
Model with mathematics. (4-ESS1-1)
ELA/Literacy RI.4.7
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and
explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears. (4-ESS2-2)
W.4.7
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and
explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears. (4-ESS2-2)
W.4.8
Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of
sources. (4-ESS2-1)
Mathematics MP.2
Reason abstractly and quantitatively. (4-ESS2-1)
MP.4
Model with mathematics. (4-ESS2-1)
MP.5
Use appropriate tools strategically. (4-ESS2-1)
4.MD.A.1
Know relative sizes of measurement units within one system of units including km, m, cm; kg, g; lb, oz.; l, ml; hr, min, sec. Within a single system of measurement,
express measurements in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. Record measurement equivalents in a two-column table. (4-ESS2-1)
4.MD.A.2
Use the four operations to solve word problems involving distances, intervals of time, liquid volumes, masses of objects, and money, including problems involving
simple fractions or decimals, and problems that require expressing measurements given in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. Represent measurement quantities
using diagrams such as number line diagrams that feature a measurement scale. (4-ESS2-1),(4-ESS2-2)
[3/25/14 Refer to APPENDIX E – Progressions Within the Next Generation Science Standards to see a general description
of the developmental progression of learning. These progressions describe a learning sequence for the
Disciplinary Core Ideas which is helpful in getting a general picture of previous and future learning targets
related to the content you are teaching in this unit. If it would be helpful to have it embedded in this unit
document, this information can be copied or inserted into the table below.
Increasing Sophistication of Learning
http://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/ngss/files/Appendix E - Progressions within NGSS - 052213.pdf
ESS1.C
The History of Planet
Earth
ESS2. A
Earth Materials and
Systems
K-2
Some events on Earth
occur very quickly,
others can occur very
slowly.
3-5
Certain features on
Earth can be used to
order events that have
occurred in a
landscape.
Wind and water change Four major Earth
the shape of the land.
systems interact.
Rainfall helps to shape
the land and affects the
types of living things
found in the region.
Water, ice, wind,
organisms, and gravity
breaks rocks, soils, and
sediments into smaller
pieces and move them
around.
[3/25/14 6-8
Rock strata and fossil
record can be used as
evidence to organize
the relative occurrence
of major historical
events in Earth’s
history.
Energy flows and
matter cycles within
and among Earth’s
systems, including the
sun and Earth’s interior
as primary energy
sources. Plate tectonics
is one result of these
processes.
9-12
The rock record
resulting from tectonic
and other geosciences
processes as well as
objects from the solar
system can provide
evidence of Earth’s
early history and
relative ages of major
geological formations.
Feedback effects exist
within and among
Earth’s systems.
References
Ansberry, Karen and Morgan, Emily (2007). More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons. NSTA Press, Pgs. 157-167. ISBN#
978-1-93353-112-0.
Ansberry, Karen and Morgan, Emily (2010). Picture-Perfect Science Lessons: Using children’s book to guide inquiry, 3-6.
NSTA Press, pgs. 277-289. ISBN# 978-1-935155-16-4.
Keeley, Page. (2008). Science Formative Assessment, Corwin Press and NSTA Press ISBN# 978-1-4129-4180-8.
Keeley, Page. (2013). Uncovering Student Ideas in Primary Science, Volume 1. NSTA Press ISBN# 978-1-936959-51-8
Keeley, Page. (2013). Uncovering Student Ideas in Primary Science, Volume 2. NSTA Press ISBN#
Morgan, Emily and Ansberry, Karen (2013). Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, K-5: Using children’s books to
guide inquiry. NSTA Press, pgs.223-242. ISNB# 978-1-935155-17-1.
Wiggins, Grant and J. Mc Tighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (ppk) Adapted by Jean Ward. (2014)
[3/25/14 Geology Unit- Short Answer Response
“Fossil” by Claire Ewart
Common Core Writing 4.9- Draw evidence from informational text to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Name:________________________________________
Date:___________________________
Where did this animal live?
What kinds of food did this animal eat?
What happened to Ornithocheirus when it died?
Why didn’t its body rot (decompose)?
How did the animal become fossilized?
Where was the animal’s fossils found?
How did the Earth change after the animal died?
What caused the fossils to be exposed?
Morgan, Emily and Ansberry, Karen (2013). Even More Picture-Perfect Science Lessons, K-5: Using children’s books to
guide inquiry. NSTA Press, pgs.223-242. ISNB# 978-1-935155-17-1.
[3/25/14 Geology
Name:_______________________
Date:________________________
Grand Canyon
At First I Thought...
1. How do you think the Grand Canyon formed?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. Why do you think it has gotten wider and deeper over time?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. How long do you think it took for the Grand Canyon to form?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Ansberry, Karen and Morgan, Emily (2010). Picture-Perfect Science Lessons: Using children’s book to guide inquiry, 3-6.
NSTA Press, pgs. 277-289. ISBN# 978-1-935155-16-4.
[3/25/14 Geology
Name:_______________________
Date:________________________
Grand Canyon
But Now I Know…
1. How do you think the Grand Canyon formed?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. Why do you think it has gotten wider and deeper over time?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. How long do you think it took for the Grand Canyon to form?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
[3/25/14 Ansberry, Karen and Morgan, Emily (2010). Picture-Perfect Science Lessons: Using children’s book to guide inquiry, 3-6.
NSTA Press, pgs. 277-289. ISBN# 978-1-935155-16-4.
Name:________________
Date:_________________
Wind and Water Checkpoint Lab
Part A- How does water carry rocks and soil?
• Fill a large plastic jar halfway with equal amounts of large and small gravel, sand, and soil.
• Add water to fill up the jar.
• Close the jar, and then take turns shaking the jar for a total of 1 minute.
• Set the jar aside for at least 20 minutes (You will observe it in part D).
Part B- How can water cause changes in rocks?
• Divide a cup of rocks into two equal piles.
• Put one pile of rocks into a plastic jar, and fill the jar halfway with clear water.
• Close the lid, and take turns shaking the jar for a total of 10 minutes.
• Pour the mixture through a strainer into a clear container.
• Dump the rocks onto a paper plate.
1. How do the rocks that were shaken in the water compare to the other pile of rocks?
2. Examine the water. Is it still clear?
3. Place a coffee filter in the strainer, then very slowly pour the water through the coffee filter into another container.
[3/25/14 4. Examine the coffee filter. What do you see on it? How does it feel?
CHECKPOINTS A and B ____ (Check)
Part C- How can wind cause changes in rocks?
• All team members must have safety goggles covering their eyes before continuing!
• Open a sheet of newspaper in the center of your table.
• Place a paper box lid in the center of the newspaper.
• Pour a cup of sand into one end of the lid.
• Have one student put his or her hand inside the other end of the lid, open palm facing the pile of sand.
• Have someone blow gently on the sand and then blow harder until the sand hits the other student’s hand,
• Repeat until all team members have felt the sand hitting their hands.
1. How did the sand feel blowing against your hand?
• Observe the sand that was blown to the other end of the box and run it between your fingers.
• Do the same to the sand left in the original pile.
2. Do the textures of the sand feel different? If so, why?
CHECKPOINT C
Part D- How does water carry rocks and soil?
[3/25/14 1. In the box below, sketch and label materials in the jar from Part A.
2. Now imagine that the water in the jar is flowing down a river. Which type of material would be carried
for the longest distance?
3. Which type of material would settle to the bottom of the river?
Very, very slowly pour the contents of the contents of the jar into the high end of the paint tray and observe.
4. What happened to each of the materials in the jar when you poured them out into the paint tray? Which materials were
carried with the water?
CHECKPOINT D ___ (Check)
Ansberry, Karen and Morgan, Emily (2010). Picture-Perfect Science Lessons: Using children’s book to guide inquiry, 3-6.
NSTA Press, pgs. 277-289. ISBN# 978-1-935155-16-4.
[3/25/14 Grand Canyon Brochure
Create a travel brochure advertising the Grand Canyon to tourists. Include the following in your
brochure:
1. A catchy slogan to grab the attention of the reader.
2. A drawing or photograph of the Grand Canyon.
3. A map showing the location of the Grand Canyon.
4. A definition of weathering, and a description of how weathering contributed to the formation
of the Grand Canyon.
5. A definition of erosion, and a description of how erosion contributed to the formation of the
Grand Canyon.
6. An explanation of the changes that still occur every day in the Grand Canyon as a result of
weathering and erosion.
7. Three reasons tourists should visit the Grand Canyon.
Be Creative! Have Fun!
[3/25/14 Ansberry, Karen and Morgan, Emily (2010). Picture-Perfect Science Lessons: Using children’s book to guide inquiry, 3-6.
NSTA Press, pgs. 277-289. ISBN# 978-1-935155-16-4.
Scoring Rubric for Grand Canyon Brochure
0 Points
1 Point
2 Points
3 Points
4 Points
The brochure shows no
understanding of the
concepts of weathering
and erosion AND is
missing all required
elements.
The students
demonstrate a flaw in
understanding of the
concepts of weathering
and erosion AND the
brochure is missing
three or more required
elements; OR the
students demonstrate
understanding, but the
brochure is missing four
or more required
elements.
The students
demonstrate a flaw in
understanding of the
concepts of weathering
and erosion AND the
brochure is missing one
or two required
elements; OR the
students demonstrate
understanding, but the
brochure is missing
three required
elements.
The students
demonstrate a flaw in
understanding of the
concepts of weathering
and erosion OR the
brochure is missing one
or two required
elements
The brochure includes a
creative slogan, a
drawing or photograph
of the Grand Canyon,
complete definitions of
weathering and erosion
with clear descriptions
of how each
contributed to the
formation of the Grand
Canyon, an accurate
explanation of the
changes still occurring
at the Grand Canyon,
and three reasons
tourists should visit the
Grand Canyon.
Team Score: ___ Points
Teacher Notes:
[3/25/14 Ansberry, Karen and Morgan, Emily (2010). Picture-Perfect Science Lessons: Using children’s book to guide inquiry, 3-6.
NSTA Press, pgs. 277-289. ISBN# 978-1-935155-16-4.
[3/25/14