Term 1 - Rocks, Minerals & Erosion~ Science
Miss Berndl's Fabulous Fours
Science Unit
Expectations: Skills
Knowledge Activities
Quarry Field Trip
Rock & Mineral Web Sites National
Geographic Magazine Articles
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Attention Ontario Elementary Teachers in the Greater Toronto Area & York Region ~ School Visits for Grade 4 Science Units: Book Rock Talks by Rockhounds for your science class! |
Ontario Rocks & Minerals Curriculum
Unit Expectations
Skills
 | mucking about |
| learn to observe differences & similarities, classify |
| learn how to use a Field Guide - as a way to identify & learn about something in nature |
| be able to describe what you see using technical vocabulary |
| write up observations using descriptive language and illustrate notes with labeled diagrams |
| get up close & personal with rocks & minerals - enjoy touching them, appreciating them for their beauty and the marvels of nature |
| view videos & take notes |
| copy notes from the board, maintain a complete set of notes |
| draw diagrams, label them and write short captions |
| write definitions in a glossary |
| study for a test |
| maintain a neat and complete set of notes |
| appreciate that almost everything in our man-made environment is made from rocks & minerals |
| understand the rock cycle, how erosion works |
| understand that "if it's not grown (plant or animal), then it is mined" - know some of the main uses of rocks & minerals |
| know that there are 3 kinds of rocks - igneous, sedimentary & metamorphic |
| know that fossils are plants & animals from long ago (millions of years) that were covered up with mud when they died and that their cells were replace with minerals - that is why fossils look like living things - except they are made of rock |
| know the difference between a rock & a mineral |
| know some of the tools used by rockhounds and geologists when they collect rocks & minerals |
| know some of the main characteristics of minerals |
| start a personal rock collection |
| look at & touch a lot of different rocks & minerals |
| locate the section in the library where books on rocks & minerals can be found |
| use a Field Guide to identify some minerals |
| look at many pictures of rocks & minerals - in books as well as on the web |
| viewing & note taking - watch videos about rocks & minerals and make point form notes |
| draw diagrams and copy notes from the board |
| maintain a neat and complete set of notes |
| participate in a field trip and write a report |
| Rock Talk - research one rock or mineral using the internet and prepare a short talk on it - description, uses & interesting facts |
| explore the web site www.rocksforkids.com |
| participate in some simple science experiments |
| Unit test & quizzes |
| help out in the class Rock Shop |
Quarry Field Trip In the past we have taken students to the following quarries:
| Rock Trip to Milton Quarry, Dufferin Aggregates |
| J. C. Duff Sand & Gravel, Limehouse |
| Burlington Quarry, Nelson Aggregates |
| The Aggregate Producers' Association of Ontario have been very helpful to us |
Some Good Web Sites for Kids about Rocks, Minerals & Erosion
| RocksForKids.com | ||||||||
| Mineral Information
Institute is a national USA not-for-profit
organization dedicated to educating youth about the science of minerals and
other natural resources, and about their importance in our every day lives. A super easy site to use. Click on the photo
and you will get to a page that shows you photos of the mineral, describes
it & tells you what the mineral is used for.
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Amethyst Gallery Inc. is a mineral dealer. This site has many photographs of minerals.
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John Betts Fine Minerals is a mineral dealer. John is an avid rockhound. This site is very informative.
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International Colored Gemstone Association This site has a lot of information and pictures of gemstones. | ||||||||
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The Image Gallery has many pictures and information on the physical properties of minerals & gemstones. Just go to a gallery & click on a name.
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| Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada This association is very interested in providing information about mining in Ontario to students. | ||||||||
| Mineralogical Society of America - Mineralogy 4 Kids | ||||||||
| Building Wealth - An educational Game of the Mining Industry
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National Geographic Magazine Articles on Rocks, Minerals and Erosion
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Oct. 1972 Mercury, Man's deadly servant p. 507 |
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Feb. 1974 The Glittering World of Rockhounds p.276 |
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Questing for Gems p.835 |
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Sept. 1977 Salt - The essence of life p.381 |
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Sept. 1977 Amber, Golden Window on the Past p. 423 |
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Aug. 1978 Aluminum, The Magic Metal p.186 |
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Nov. 1983 The miracle metal - Platinum p.686 |
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Sept. 1984 Do we treat our soil like dirt? p.350 |
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Aug. 1985 Our restless planet Earth p.142 |
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Aug. 1985 Fossils: Annals of life written in rock p. 182 |
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July 1990 The timeless Mystique of Emeralds p.38 |
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July 1990 Hawaii's Volcanic Cradle of Life p.70 |
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Dec. 1998 Petra Ancient City of Stone p.116 |
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Dec. 1998 Dinosaur Embryos p.34 (fossils) |
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April 1999 Copper Age p.70 |
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June 1999 A Dinosaur named Sue p.46 (fossils) |
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June 1999 Sahara Rock Art p.98 |
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Oct. 1999 Rubies and Sapphires p.100 |
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Sept. 1999 Preserving Sahara Art p.82 (rock art) |
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Mar. 2000 Hard Rock Legacy p.76 (mining) |
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Oct. 2000 Sky-high over the Sonoran p. 31 (landscapes, deserts, dunes) |
Source: It's all yours, Snoopy by
Charles M. Schulz