SAMPLE UNIT PLAN

Lesson Topic: Science - Earth Materials grade Length of lesson: 2 weeks Grade level: 1st

Stage 1 Desired Results Content Standard(s): 1.E.2. Understand the physical properties of Earth materials that make them useful in different ways. Understanding (s)/goals Students will understand: That there are many Earth materials that all have different properties. That all of these Earth materials are useful for different reasons and purposes. Essential Question(s): What makes sand scratchy? Why are some rocks smooth and others rigid? Why is there different soil by rivers than by lakes? Have you ever stepped in mud? What did it feel like?

Student objectives (outcomes): Students will be able to: Know the differences between certain Earth materials including rocks, minerals, soils, and water. Understand why certain materials have different uses than other materials. Recognize where certain Earth materials can be found (beach, rivers, lakes, etc.)

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence Performance Task(s): Other Evidence: Students will participate ingroup projects, which will demonstrate their understanding of the learned material of this unit plan. Students will be able to come up with their own hypotheses about these Earth materials. Students will be tested in Before even beginning the lesson the students will be given a short quiz (notgraded) to see what background knowledge or assumptions they have about the topic. After group activities they will be individually tested to see what they have comprehended and what

various ways to see if they have comprehended and can apply the information that they have learned to new ideas.

they have not. At the very end of the entire lesson students will be asked to create a drawing of an environment will the various Earth materials and will be assessed to see how well everything in it is relevant.

Stage 3 Learning Plan Learning Activities: 1. Teacher will ask open ended, big-picture questions to start the lesson followed by pictures and charts to show differences between Earth materials. 2. A small quiz or worksheet will be given to the students to see what prior knowledge they have on the topic. This is solely to see what needs to be taught; therefore it will not be graded. 3. Show a movie about different environments and what Earth materials can be found there. 4. Bring in samples of soils, rocks, water, minerals, etc. and have them (in small groups) observe the materials and record what they see and notice about them. 5. Take a field trip to a local river, stream, park, beach, etc. to have them collect or just observe some materials themselves. 6. Have the students create a model or drawing of their favorite environment so far and list what materials can be found there. 7. Assess them based on their drawings/models and/or worksheets that can be used as small assessment quizzes to see what they have comprehended.