I love my job!!! I get to spend each work day with an awesome group of 4th graders. Our school is Title One, which means many of my students have limited real world experiences. Currently, I simulate experiences or wait until our weekly Computer Lab time so that I can share information/pictures from the internet with them.
In the past, I have taught my Rocks and Minerals unit using powerpoints. I would search for pictures online or take pictures on trips. We would discuss the characteristics and features of each rock. Students would then classify rocks using photographs.
Last year, I bought a set of rocks for my students. I opened the package in front of my students. They went wild when they realized that there were real igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. Needless to say, the rocks and books I had stayed out the remainder of the year. The kids enjoyed using the magnifying glasses to see the characteristics and classifying the rocks just like "real geologists!"
My students started bringing in rocks they found on their way to school or on fieldtrips to compare with our classroom rocks. Many parents commented that they had not seen their kids so excited about science.
We need more rocks!! I loved watching my students excited about learning. It was great to see them talking and comparing ideas with each other.
To capitalize on their excitement,I have taken a class from the NEF on rocks and minerals. I want to be able to help my students answer their questions as well as better directing their curiosity.
I have also created some cooperative labs and projects. Students will learn that minerals are made from crystals. They will also identify every day uses of minerals, from the toothpaste they use to the cars they drive in.
Students will use Moh's hardness scale to determine the hardness of rocks. They work in their groups to identify other characteristics and properties of rocks(streak and luster).
They will use the literature to research and teach their peers about their rocks and many uses.
You can help me bring the world to my students!!! By donating you are helping me to create future geologists. Better yet, together we are creating an excitement for learning that will last a lifetime.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Wardell and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.