It's Matter!
Rockin' Rocks & Shakin' Sand
We studied rocks and sand for a week in Kindergarten. Our goals were aligned with the Florida Sunshine State Standards.(see the listed website for the standards K-2) This study could easily be adapted and expanded for older grade levels. And it is fun! This might be a great summer study and potential hobby for a curious child or a neighborhood of friends!
Simplified, this is what Kindergarten "Rock Week" looked like! You can use many or all of these successful books,websites, and activities. These are also aligned with educational theorists, Benjamin Bloom and Jean Piaget. Bloom has 6 levels to define Mastery Learning, with awesome questions. Piaget's emphasis is on hands-on learning that engages the child. I used both educational strategies in my teaching career, from Kindergarten through 5th Grade. Children learn more when they are actively engaged with books, meaningful units of study, and technology.
I recently took an Technology in Education class to renew my certificate. We were required to create a blog about an educational theorist. I knew that my blog would eventually evolve to encourage parents to read and use books in lively ways. So I chose Jean Piaget, whose theory of hands-on activities was the keystone of my classroom. A child-centered classroom, with engaging activities, helps the children learn more, cooperate better with peers, are better problem solvers, and are happier in school.
Whenever possible, I included hand-made games, extension activities, music and finger plays with my math, science, reading,writing, social studies, and geography.I used a map and globe every day of my career!
Let's review our "Rock Week" in my classroom! Your children need to explore many areas and have lots of hobbies. As parents, you want to be resourceful with your public library, bookstores, neighbors, and the Internet. I learned that 63% of all written work is on the Internet: encyclopedias, how-to guides, websites, blogs, virtual field trips, lesson plans, experiments, sign language, music and finger plays, and advertisement free educational websites.
This rock study covers 5 days! And there are a lot more ideas out there to use! My future blogs will also include recommended books and activities that I have had success and fun with at home with my children and in my classroom. I will give you some bait (ideas) and you can fish (explore, expand) with it! Remember: like teachers, you are facilitators and the children are the learners, the creators, and explorers!
Day 1
We read Our Earth by Anne Rockwell. We used a globe to review: our Earth is a planet, the equator, the North and South Poles, Florida, the continents, and the water. Keep this simple.
Sing the Matter Song, to the tune of Clementine. Brainstorm.Think of ideas about types of liquids, solids, and gases. Keep it simple.
What are these? A-H: name each one. Group a few related ideas together.
Pick out the rocks. Using a paper cut-out experience chart, have the children think of everything they know about rocks. Let them be smart- do not give any clues. This is a KWL chart- What do you know? What do you want to learn? (on the flip side) And what did you learn?(later this week) Now flip it over and write down what the children want to learn. How will you find your anwers?
Create a Science Center or a science box: microscope, feely bag (paper or cloth), nature items (3 in a bag), magnifying glass, books-Earth and Sky, Rocks and Minerals, and whatever else you can add.
Go to Salt The Sandbox, a fabulous website with practical rock ideas. Your children will love looking through it. Have fun! You may want to photograph and document your own adventures in rock collecting!
Also, go to Life Print.
Learn the sign for "rock". Help one child find the alphabet at the top. Help them click on "r". Now have the child sound out and find the work "rock" on the left navigation bar. Scroll down (good keyboarding skills) and match it to the word, rock, on your experience chart. Click on "rock" and see and read about the sign for rock. This is very empowering to learn simple sign language. Talk about the need for signing. Good job!
Day 2
Read this terrific National Geographic book, Sand, by Ellen Prager and illustrated by Nancy Woodman. These women have great credentials and make learning fun. Do the experiement in the book.It's at the end and requires: 1 cup of water, 1 lidded coffee can, rocks, and a cup. In class I illustrated the difference with the clean water and clean rocks in a clear pie plate and the shaken rocks with water in a 2nd plate to compare. Let your children feel the gritty, sandy water that they made from rocks!
Play an e-game with Rocky and his rock cycle at The Learning Zone.
Day 3
Read Everybody Needs a Rock by Baylor Byrd and illustrated by Pete Parnall. This is a plain,simple,and wonderful book. Talk about where the children can explore and find rocks. Stress safety and always have parent supervision. Ideas for rock collecting: park, beach,woods, neighborhood, yard. Find a rock. Remember the rules. The children make the rock decision. Bring a container if you are collecting many rocks. Clean them at home and wash your hands.
Use Salt The Sandbox for rock collecting ideas and rock identification.
For your Art Center, add rocks, paint, wax paper, brushes, glue, and water. Paint rocks, using ideas from KinderArt.
Add sand castle forms and a spritz bottle of water to your sand table. Or, for Floridians, go to the beach!
Day 4
Sing a new rock song to the tune of Frere Jacques. Use a rock in your pocket or under your leg. Sing the old songs and use your sign language movements.
Let's go on a few virtual field trips. Get your globe ready near your computer. I use AOL for a lot of these great photos. You may surf the web for appropriate sites before showing them to the children. Avoid inappropriate advertising.
Read Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran and illustrated by Barbara Cooney. Use a USA map to show the state or Arizona. Don't forget to show Florida 1st.
List ideas you could use in your own yard or neighborhood to create your own Roxaboxen. Let your imagination flow!
When I was in South Africa, I was given a beautiful Mankala game. My children had a museum version when they were little. It is fun. The African "stone" game was originally played in the dirt. You can make your own game with 36 rocks/stones and an egg carton. There are websites and You Tube videos with game directions. They vary- I like to play with 3 rocks in each hole (my African and museum versions) but some people like to play with 4. Make a choice for your family and stick with it.
http://www.marbleboardgames.com (rules and how-to video)
Day 5
Get your neighhood and school friends together for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig. Have a jar of rocks and a red pebble ready. Paint one if necessary. Read together and show the rocks and the pebble. The 2nd time, assigned parts for a play. The actors are animals, characters, props, and the audience. Everyone is in the play!
Suggestions: Children can double with parts. Here are the parts and possible props you can make or find- Sylvester has a jar of rocks and a red pebble/later a grey cloth will cover him because he is a rock and a picnic table, Mrs. Duncan- apron, Mr. Duncan- newspaper or book, lion- paper beard, fall leaves to throw, snow to sprinkle, wolf-ears, flowers-die cuts, picnic supplies- basket, fake food and red pebble again, sun-big cut out, lightning bolt cut out, stars on sticks, neighbors, puppy, kitten, piglet, dog, rain- spritz bottle, and police- hat & badge.
Perform the play for the neighbors, their parents, or another class. Have fun with it. Look for my future blogs with other great books and easy drama ideas. Even better- look for your own books to act out,with your children!
Assessment
A teacher would normally assess with some type of test, using the Florida Sunshine State Standards. In class, I would write down at least 3 attributes the child told me about a rock. I would ask them to define "matter" and give me an example for each. I would have a check list for the children to sign for the Computer Centers , Art Center, and Science Center . I would look at this daily to make sure the children had the full experience with technology and hands-on activities. This is where the real learning takes place. A teacher can have the children add to the rock and sand experience charts that you developed on the first day. The children will have more ideas and new words. Read the old words first to review.
And I would have a fun Rubric for the students. They all have opinions and like to express them. I have used: thumbs up or down, smilies or frownies, or a simple rubic like below:
It's Matter: Rockin' Rocks & Shakin'Sand
Name________________Date_____________
Circle one answer:
1. Were you excited to learn about rocks and sand?
yes no maybe
2. Did you learn anything new?
yes no maybe
3. Was this science study fun?
yes no maybe
4. Can you tell someone what you learned?
yes no maybe
5. Are you interested in learning more about rocks?
yes no maybe
More websites to explore
clouds bears homes sea creatures
ice cream pizza nursery rhymes folk tales
insects/spiders bees fireflies butterflies
pancakes vegetables relatives shapes
colors weather Hans Christian Anderson
I like me! peanuts plants
Eric Carle Leo Lionni Jack Ezra Keats
Check in again soon! We will make books and learning come alive!
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