Biology/Chemistry
Land
Formations
|
Barbara J.
Baker |
Doolittle
West |
|
521 East 35th
Street |
|
|
CHICAGO IL 60616 |
|
|
(773) 535-1050 |
Objective(s):
This
mini-teach is designed for 2nd grade.
The
objectives of this mini-teach are:
1. To develop an understanding of how land is
naturally developed
2. To learn about several land formations as
well as
earth science and chemical terminology
3. To provide opportunities for the students
to make
models of various types of land and to investigate a case of erosion in
the
formation of a cave
Materials:
Commercial
clay of green, blue, and gray colors, play dough, pebbles, sand, teas
(for
shrubbery), food trays, nine 3x5 cards and newspaper (for keeping the
desks
clean). A quantity of clay and play
dough sufficient for making models of a mountain, lake, bay, gulf,
cave, island
is needed.
Strategy:
Teacher
should introduce the following vocabulary by writing them on the board:
erosion
rain wind
glaciers
volcano
mudslides snow island gulf
cave
bay
lake
meadow peninsula mountain
Students
will write the terms down and research pictures that illustrate each
term.
Students
will work in groups of twos to create a model of a land formation. The
teacher’s model of a cave will be viewed and analyzed.
The handout of water going through soil will
be distributed to each student.
Students will take turns pouring water over the playdough model
of the
cave to simulate erosion.
Students
will listen to the definitions of 3 types of caves:
limestone, ice and sea caves.
They will also listen to the definitions of a hill and mountain
and
build models of these as well as caves.
Performance
Assessment:
The
students are expected to have 95 % accuracy in looking up the words and
writing
the meanings. Cutting and pasting pictures of the land forms is also
acceptable.
The
students should show enthusiasm in making the model and successfully
completing
it.
High
interest is evident if students bring in pictures of land formations
they have
discovered in magazines or newspapers.
Cooperative
team effort in making the models is expected from each group. .
Each
student will have 3x5 cards to write their names on one side and the
types of
land formations they see posted on the other side.
Learners will place their cards with the name sides showing with
the type of each formation underneath not shown. Teacher
will collect the cards and mark them.
The
above assessment could be repeated until everyone receives 95 %
accuracy. Students who
achieved
95 % the first time will tutor those who missed naming the land
formations
correctly.
Conclusions:
Students
will understand the differences between pairs of similar landforms such
as a
hill from a mountain, a meadow from a plain, and a gulf from a bay. They will understand that the actions of
water, air, ice, lava and waves pounding on the rocky shores help in
creating
caves. They will know of the chemical
substances in a cave like calcium carbonate, carbon dioxide, and the
components
of stalactites and stalagmites. The
students will learn that chalk is made of (calcium carbonate). We will
practice
a few chemical formulas such as H20 (water), C02 (carbon
dioxide), and CaC03 (calcium carbonate).
References:
Groundwater: Illinois Buried Treasure Education Activity
Guide, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, revised 1995.