PBL Student Activity-Animating the Rock Cycle

Josh Dempsey

November 21, 2010

Overview

During this activity the students will design a representation of the processes involved in the

earth’s rock cycle. This project based learning assignment will be a culminating assessment activity for an

earth science instructional unit. The students will be given the opportunity to choose how they want to

present their understanding of the scientific principles in the recent study. Following a class discussion

during which several examples of various styles of presentation are displayed and explained, the students

will be given an assessment rubric that will outline the required elements of their presentation. The

teacher will clarify the timeline expectations for completion of this project.

Several educational goals will be addressed through this assignment. It will focus on a specific

Georgia Performance Earth Science Standard as well as give the students an opportunity to strengthen

skills that are included in the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS). Several other

academic standards within the English Language Arts curriculum framework established by the Georgia

Department of Education will also be included within this PBL activity. Listed below are some of the

standards contained in this student assignment.

th
Georgia Performance Standard-6 Grade

S6E5. Students will investigate the scientific view of how the earth’s surface is formed.

a. Compare and contrast the Earth’s crust, mantle, and core including temperature, density, and

composition.

b. Investigate the contribution of minerals to rock composition.

c. Classify rocks by their process of formation.

d. Describe processes that change rocks and the surface of the earth.

h. Describe soil as consisting of weathered rocks and decomposed organic material.

i. Explain the effects of human activity on the erosion of the earth’s surface.

j. Describe methods for conserving natural resources such as water, soil, and air.

ELA6RC4 The student establishes a context for information acquired by reading across subject areas.

The student

a. Explores life experiences related to subject area content.

b. Discusses in both writing and speaking how certain words and concepts relate to multiple subjects.

c. Determines strategies for finding content and contextual meaning for unfamiliar words or concepts.

ELA6W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing. The student

a. Uses organizational features of electronic text (e.g., bulletin boards, databases, keyword searches, e-

mail addresses) to locate relevant information.

b. Includes researched information in different types of products (e.g., compositions, multimedia

presentations, graphic organizers, projects, etc.).

c. Cites references

National Educational Technology Standards for Students

1. Creativity and Innovation -Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop

innovative products and processes using technology.

2. Communication and Collaboration- Students use digital media and environments to communicate and

work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning

of others.
3. Research and Information Fluency - Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use

information.

4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making; Students use critical thinking skills to plan

and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate

digital tools and resources.

Rationale

Educational research has shown that giving students the opportunity to participate in project

based learning activities will increase student engagement and achievement. Therefore it is sound

practice to allow the students to think for themselves and to design their own representation of their

understanding of content. The element of choice will foster creativity and will address the different

learning styles of the students.

This particular learning activity is targeted for sixth grade students at the conclusion of an earth

science unit on earth processes. A major goal for this assignment is to show student understanding and

to strengthen the thought process of each student as they plan, create, problem solve, explain and

present during the course of this assignment. There are many elements contained within the specific

Georgia Science Performance Standard that is the reference point for this student project. The students

will have the freedom to concentrate on any aspect of this science content standard which they choose.

The goal is for the students to clearly communicate their level of understanding and to defend the facts

they present.

Prerequisites

Before beginning this project, the sixth grade students will have participated in a science class

unit dealing with the earth’s structural processes and the formation of various types of rocks. They will

have been introduced to various new science vocabulary words and concepts. All the students will have

been previously trained in the software applications required to complete this project. The applicable

software include: Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Movie Maker.

They will have the skills to save a slide or a graphic design as a picture and upload it to a network folder.
As an incentive to this project, the students will present their finished projects to other classmates, faculty

members, and parents during a Student Showcase Night.

Resources

This PBL student instructional unit will be conducted in the science classroom and the school‘s

computer lab. Several reading texts, computer equipment, and software applications will be needed to

complete this PBL student centered project. Listed below are the required materials:

• Networked Computer with Internet connectivity for each student

• Presentation workstation with interactive whiteboard

• Sixth grade science textbook and other informational sources

• Software applications-Microsoft Office Suite-(Word, Publisher, and PowerPoint) and Windows

Movie Maker

Students will be encouraged to find additional resources as they plan their project. An

instructional folder will be in place on the network which they can access that will provide them with all the

documents needed for this assignment. This teacher-made folder will contain several handouts such as a

detail instruction sheet and assessment rubric. The folder will also include shortcuts to several pre-

approved educational websites.

Processes

Procedural instructions and a project timeline will be presented to the students at the onset of this

student activity. The steps included in the handout are listed below:

1. Reread the science standard and all its elements upon which this project is based.

2. Select an element or create a topic idea that directly relates to this standard.

3. Check with your teacher for approval of your topic.

4. Using available resources (websites, magazines. or books) research and record the information

you need to include in your project. BE SURE to copy your sources.

5. Type up or write your notes and store them in your folder.

 6. Gather all the images you will need in your project and save them in your network folder. BE

SURE to record the reference citations as you download your images. Remember the copyright

rules!

7. Complete an outline or storyboard of how you want to display your information.

8. Design your poster in Publisher, create your PowerPoint slideshow, or upload your images into

Movie Maker to create your movie.

9. After completing your product be sure to review it for grammatical and spelling errors. Make sure

all the information is correct and critique its overall presentation quality. Use the assessment

rubric as your guideline.

10. If time permits, have a classmate review your work and make suggestions on how to improve it.

Feedback

The
students
will
use
the
rubric
to
self‐assess
their
work
and
the
teacher
will
use
it
as
a
grading
rubric


for
this
project.

A
teacher‐student
conference
will
also
be
conducted
to
assess
understanding
and
to


encourage
the
student
to
self‐evaluate
his
work
and
understanding
of
the
content.