Transcript Is it possible to conquer the impossible?

Rock Our Town
Unit Portfolio Presentation
Debbie Farney
Unit Summary
Rocks and minerals are all around us and are used in
our daily lives in more ways than we think. In this
unit, students study the properties of rocks and
minerals, and how they are used in our daily lives.
Using their new-found knowledge, students take on
the roles of geologists, and research the rocks and
minerals in an assigned area. Their task is to put
together a proposal for their area’s local town
planning committee on the native materials that can
be used in the town’s growth and why the town
should be using native materials. Students present
their proposals using multimedia in a Town Planning
Night.
.
Curriculum-Framing Questions
• Essential Question
What changes do you see?
• Unit Questions
Where does this rock in my hand fit into my life?
Why are rocks and minerals important to us?
Why look further than your own backyard?
• Content Questions
What are igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks?
How are different rocks formed?
How do various types of rocks fit into the rock cycle?
Why are rocks different?
What are some properties of minerals?
Rock Our Town Project
This project will help my students develop
21st century skills by:
• Collaborating with peers.
• Researching the rocks and minerals in an assigned
area.
• Writing a proposal for their area’s local town
planning committee on the native materials that can
be used in the town’s growth.
• Solving problems and making decisions dealing with
why the town should be using native materials.
• Communicating with others by presenting proposals
using multimedia.
Gauging Student Needs Assessment
Purpose of the Assessment
To gather information about what students already know and what they
wonder about rocks and mineral.s.
What I want to learn from my students?
I want to find out what they already know about the Unit Questions and
what they know about setting up experiments.
How I have tried to promote higher-order thinking?
Generate a discussion on why using materials native to the area would be
advantageous.
How the assessment information helps me and my students plan
for upcoming activities in the unit?
If students have misconceptions about how to set up experiments, I can
provide scaffolds. If students have different levels of understanding
about the importance of native materials., I can provide various
resources. We will revisit this assessment throughout the unit for students
to add their knowledge.
What feedback or additional ideas I’d like?
I would like help on my assessment. I think I need to elicit more higherorder thinking, but I’m not sure how.
My Goals for the Course
• Find ways to get my students more
interested in learning science
• Learn about different kinds of technology
my students and I can use
• Share ideas with other teachers
Goals for My Students
• To learn how scientists collect and think
about data
• To become more independent learners
Request for Feedback
• Places I could find a classroom in a
different climate for my students to work
with
• Ideas for helping students take more
responsibility for their own learning