Core
Submitted by:Katherine Lee, St. Pius X School, Aurora, Colorado
Endorsed by: These lesson plans are the result of the work of the teachers who have
attended the Columbia Education Center's Summer Workshop. CEC is a consortium of teacher
from 14 western states dedicated to improving the quality of education in the rural,
western, United States, and particularly the quality of math and science Education. CEC
uses Big Sky Telegraph as the hub of their telecommunications network that allows the
participating teachers to stay in contact with their trainers and peers that they have met
at the Workshops.
Date: May 1994
Grade Level: 8th grade; Earth Science
OVERVIEW: Students have difficulty imagining rock layers and the wealth of
information they contain. This particular activity allows students to take their own
"core sample" and correlate the layers of the earth.
OBJECTIVE(s): Students will be able to:
1. graphically represent the layers of rock in the sample taken
2. correlate the layers found
3. describe conditions that can lead to the formations found
RESOURCES/MATERIALS:
Teacher Materials = clay or playdoh in several colors, a container in which to put the
layers, plastic straws, single edged razor blades, large piece of paper, course spices.
Student Materials = color pencils, standard white paper
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
1. Using playdoh or clay of several different colors make a series of
different colored layers. Within some of the layers, mix small spices such as course
ground pepper or dried parsley to simulate fossils found in different types of rocks.
Have some layers not cover the entire container (I used a small butter container).
Fold or indent as needed to represent faults or other conditions you would like to
simulate.
2. Divide the class in half. Divide the two groups into five smaller
groups each. Give each group a plastic straw with a large diameter and a
single edge razor. Each group should also have color pencils and paper. A
large piece of paper should be available for each half of the class.
3. Each small group will take a core sample of the clay layers with the straw.
By cutting away the straw with the razor, they can then examine and represent on
paper what they have found. Each of the halves of the class can then arrange the
drawings and correlate the layers to give an example of a cross section of the
"earth".
4. Students can also be responsible for explaining the formations that they
have found.
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER: It is quite interesting to have the students do the
sampling in lines that are at right angles to each other. The pictures that the two
groups get are often quite different. The results must often be put together for an
accurate picture to result. It is quite easy to expand this understanding to many of
the other types
of tests scientists have (such as seismic studies) for students to see a different way of
mapping the earth.
|
