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4.32
Stories in Stone.
Kevin Cuff, with Cary Sneider, Lincoln Bergman, and others. Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS) series. Berkeley, Calif.: Lawrence Hall of Science, 1995.
Program Overview
The Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS) series includes more than 50 teacher's guides and handbooks for preschool through grade 10. About 35 of these are appropriate for middle school. The series also includes several assembly presenter's guides and exhibit guides. New guides and handbooks continue to be developed, and current titles are revised frequently. The series is designed to teach key science and mathematics concepts through activity-based learning. The time needed to complete GEMS units varies from about 2 to 10 class sessions.
Teacher's Guide
Recommended grade level:
5-8+.
In Stories in Stone, students closely observe and learn about the properties of rocks and minerals. They also conduct simulations and an experiment to find out about how rocks and minerals are formed. Among the activities of the unit, for example, students examine and describe a class collection of 10 different rocks and minerals, learn to distinguish rocks from minerals, grow sodium chloride crystals, and fold paper templates to make models of crystalline shapes. They also carry out an experiment with phenyl salicylate that simulates the formation of igneous rocks as magma cools and solidifies. They investigate sediments with different grain sizes and then create a model sedimentary rock profile by suspending a mixture of these materials in water and allowing them to settle out. They use clay to model the formation of metamorphic rocks and the rock cycle. In the final session, students apply their new knowledge to classifying the 10 rocks and minerals in the class collection and to identifying unknown "mystery" rocks.
The 8 sessions in Stories in Stone take between 40 and 60 minutes each and require that students work in teams of no more than 4 students. The lesson plan for each session includes an overview, a materials list, and detailed instructions for preparing and for conducting the activity. The guide also includes background information, summary outlines for each lesson, reproducible sheets, and suggestions for related reading. Information on obtaining rock samples for the classroom is included.
Key to Content Standards: 5-8 (see app. C)
UNIFYING CONCEPTS AND PROCESSES: Systems, order, and organization; evidence, models, and explanation; change, constancy, and measurement; evolution and equilibrium.
SCIENCE AS INQUIRY: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry; understandings about scientific inquiry.
EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE: Structure of the earth system; earth's history.
HISTORY AND NATURE OF SCIENCE: Nature of science; history of science.
Price:
$16 (ISBN 0-912511-93-1).
Publisher/supplier:
LHS GEMS.
Materials:
Available locally, or from commercial suppliers.
Topic Index listings linked to this entry
Use these listings to find related entries.
Crystals, Physical Sciences: Chemistry of Matter, ~ Exploring Physical Science, ~ Fun with Chemistry: A Guidebook of K-12 Activities. Vol. 2, Earth Sciences: Earth's Solid Crust, ~ Rocks and Minerals, Hands-On Geology: K-12 Activities and Resources, ~ Science Experiments: Earth Science.
Igneous rocks, Earth Sciences: Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science, ~ Glencoe Earth Science, ~ Earth Processes, Volcano!, ~ Earthy Things, Multi & Applied Sciences: SciencePlus Technology and Society: Level Red.
Magma, Earth Sciences: Exploring Planet Earth,
Metamorphic rocks, Earth Sciences: Earth Processes, ~ Earth's Solid Crust,
Minerals, Earth Sciences: Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science, ~ Exploring Earth Science, ~ Earth's Solid Crust, ~ Project Earth Science: Geology, ~ Rocks and Minerals, Using Earth's Resources: What Are the Tradeoffs?, ~ Glencoe Earth Science, ~ On the Rocks: Earth Science Activities for Grades 1-8, Multi & Applied Sciences: Prime Science: Level B, ~ Science Interactions: Course 2.
Models, Physical Sciences: Glencoe Physical Science, ~ Matter: Building Block of the Universe, ~ Chemical Interactions, ~ Experimenting with Model Rockets, ~ Inventor's Lab, ~ Newton's Toy Box, ~ Experiments with Balloons, ~ Experiments with Motion, ~ LEGO Technic I Activity Center, ~ Machines, ~ Science Experiments: Chemistry and Physics, ~ Simple and Motorized Machines Activity Pack, ~ Soap Films and Bubbles, ~ Structures, Life Sciences: Glencoe Life Science, ~ Heredity: The Code of Life, ~ DNA--From Genes to Proteins, ~ Food, Energy, and Growth, ~ From Genes to Jeans: An Activity-Based Unit on Genetic Engineering and Agriculture, ~ The Human Body: How Can I Maintain and Care for Myself?, ~ An Introduction to Biotechnology: Book 2, ~ Life Changes through Time, ~ You and Your Body, ~ Zebra Mussel Mania, ~ The Molecular Model of DNA and Its Replication Kit, ~ Order and Diversity in the Living World: Teaching Taxonomy and Systematics in Schools, Environmental Sciences: Plastics in Our Lives, ~ Water: Can We Keep It Fit for Life?, ~ Environmental Issues: Intermediate, ~ Environmental Resource Guide: Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention, ~ Global Awareness for Students (GAS): Studies in Climate, ~ H2O Below: An Activity Guide for Groundwater Study, ~ STV: Water, Earth Sciences: Project STAR: The Universe in Your Hands, ~ Asteroid!, ~ Earth, Moon, and Stars, ~ Earth Processes, ~ Earthquake!, ~ Earthquakes, ~ The Moons of Jupiter, ~ Project Earth Science: Geology, ~ River Cutters, The Universe: Exploring Stars, Constellations, and Galaxies, ~ Earthquakes: A Teacher's Package for K-6, ~ Earth Science Investigations, ~ Earthy Things, ~ Hands-On Geology: K-12 Activities and Resources, ~ Janice VanCleave's Earthquakes: Mind-Boggling Experiments You Can Turn into Science Fair Projects, ~ On the Rocks: Earth Science Activities for Grades 1-8, ~ Project SPICA: A Teacher Resource to Enhance Astronomy Education, ~ A Sedimentary Geologists' Guide to Helping K-12 Earth Science Teachers: Hints, Ideas, Activities and Resources, Multi & Applied Sciences: Models and Designs, ~ Prime Science: Level C, ~ Energy Transformations: Fourth Module in Bio-Related Technologies Unit, ~ Hot Water and Warm Homes from Sunlight, ~ How Telecommunication Works: How People Use Energy to Communicate, ~ If Shipwrecks Could Talk, ~ JASON IV Curriculum: Baja California Sur, ~ Life: Here? There? Elsewhere? The Search for Life on Venus and Mars, ~ Packaging, ~ A Sunken Ship, ~ The Teaching Tank Discovery Book, ~ The Teaching Tank Discovery Book, ~ Technology Science Mathematics Connection Activities, ~ Transformations: Science, Technology and Society.
Rock cycle, Earth Sciences: Volcano!
Rocks, Earth Sciences: Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science, ~ Exploring Earth Science, ~ Glencoe Earth Science, ~ Earth's Solid Crust, ~ Geology Lab, ~ Project Earth Science: Geology, ~ Rocks and Minerals, Earth Science Investigations, ~ Hands-On Geology: K-12 Activities and Resources, ~ On the Rocks: Earth Science Activities for Grades 1-8, ~ A Sedimentary Geologists' Guide to Helping K-12 Earth Science Teachers: Hints, Ideas, Activities and Resources, Multi & Applied Sciences: Integrated Science: Book One, ~ Investigating Patterns of Change, ~ Middle Grades Science: A Problem-Solving Approach, Sixth Grade, ~ Prime Science: Level B, ~ Earth and Physical Science: Content and Learning Strategies, ~ Science Is . . .
Sedimentary rock, Earth Sciences: Earth Processes, ~ Geology Lab, On the Rocks: Earth Science Activities for Grades 1-8, ~ Water, Stones, and Fossil Bones, Multi & Applied Sciences: Evolution: Change over Time, ~ How Might Life Evolve on Other Worlds?
