Unit Plan Overview
Unit: Rocks
Connections to Context:
Students run into rocks and different
elements of nature every day. Our actions
have an effect on creation, which makes
this important for them to learn. Students
have been learning about nature and
different elements of weather.
(How does this fit with students’ experiences,
the school goals, and the larger societal issues?
How does this fit with the broader curriculum-
what has come before and what will come
after?)
Established Goals
Identify evidence from patterns in rock
formation and rock layers to support an
explanation for changes in a landscape
overtime.
The Standard used will be 4-ESS1-1 Identify
evidence from patterns in rock formations
and fossils.
(What content standards and program- or
mission-related goal(s) will the unit address?
What habits of mind and cross-disciplinary
goal(s)- for example 21st century skills, core
competencies- will this unit address?
Include source and identifying number)
Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to Curriculum
Grade Level: 4th Grade Teacher: Emma Gontjes
Stage 1- Desired Results
Transfer
Students will be able to independently use their learning to…
 Describe rocks that they see in their world and share their knowledge with peers and family members
 Find the beauty and uniqueness in creation
(What kinds of long-term independent accomplishments are desired?)
Meaning
UNDERSTANDINGS ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Students will understand that… Students will keep considering…
 Rocks go through different life cycles that affect their  How are rocks formed?
formation, which must make us more thoughtful  How can I be a scientist?
when handling rocks.  What is my role in the rock cycle?
(What specifically do you want students to understand? (What thought-provoking questions will foster inquiry, meaning-
What inferences should they make?) making and transfer?)
Acquisition of Knowledge, Skill and Values/Commitments/Dispositions
Knowledge Objectives Skill and Physical Development Socio-emotional Objectives
The students will be able to… Objectives The students will be able to…
 Label different kinds of rocks The students will be able to…  Consider the footprint on the
 Distinguish between the three  Make observations on the world around them and come to a
different types of rock formation characteristic of rocks. better understanding that their
 Recognize and know the rock cycle  Design a rock cycle through footprint matters.
pattern making a diagram on paper
 Identify the different locations of  Construct starburst to make the
the different rock formations three different rock formations in (What values and commitments and
 Use evidence for distinguishing order. attitudes should students acquire or
wrestle with?)
different types of rocks  Collaborate and work together
 Demonstrate how other outside with a group to create a
presentation.
elements can change the way a
rock is formed
 Recall the three rock formations in
their correct order. (What discrete skills and processes
 Support what happens with the should students be able to use?)
sediments in all three rock
formations in a paragraph.
 List, name, and describe all the
 elements of a rock cycle.
 Design a poster about the rock
cycle
 Compare the different rock
formations to each other.
 Formulate a proper presentation
and reading order to present to an
audience

(What facts and basic concepts should

students know and be
able to recall?)
Stage 2- Evidence
Evaluative Criteria Students will show their learning by… (summative assessment)
PERFORMANCE TASK(S):
Students will be given a rubric for the  Students will be making posters about the three different types of rocks, and the distinguishing factors. They will
poster on things they must include. also be talking about how our impact is important. Students will then be presenting these posters to their buddies in
Kindergarten.
(What criteria will be used in each assessment
to evaluate attainment of the desired results?) (How will students demonstrate their understanding- meaning-making and transfer- through complex performance?)
(rubric required)
(Regardless of the format of the assessment, OTHER EVIDENCE:
what qualities are most important?)  They will be re-taking their pre-assessment quiz that they took at the beginning.

(What other evidence will you collect to determine whether Stage 1 goals were achieved?

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to Curriculum
 Stage 3- Learning Plan

Pre-assessment Quiz

(What pre-assessments will you use to check students’ prior knowledge, skill levels, and potential misconceptions?)
(Toward which goal does each Learning Events Progress Monitoring
learning event build?)
Student success at transfer, meaning, and acquisition depends upon their participation in  (How will you monitor students’ progress
these learning events… toward acquisition, meaning, and transfer
during lesson events?) (Formative
Assessment)
Initiating or Introductory Phase
 Pre-assessment quiz I will be asking questions as a big group
Acquisition
but also walking around and asking
 Students go outside to find rocks and sort them into different groups
questions one on one to get a better
grasp of their learning and
understanding. Looking over their
sorting.
Developmental Phase
Meaning  Students will be looking at different picture of rock formation and describing the
rocks. They will also be looking at picture of the locations in the earth’s surface
of the rock formations. They will be depicting a visual map of a rock cycle.
Meaning  (How will students monitor their
 Use a map and talk about different environments. Like Arizona is hot and sandy, own progress toward acquisition,
Hawaii has volcanos, ect. Look at rocks from those places and describe their meaning, and transfer?)(Assessment
formation. as learning)(rubric?)
Acquisition
 Read book and make rock cycle charts
Acquisition
 Starburst experiment. Cut up a bunch of starbursts and put pressure on them to Students will be quizzing each other. They will
create a big piece, which will represent a sedimentary rock. A little heat and have to explain the type of rock they chose
and give a definition of what type of formation
pressure will represent metamorphic. Complete heat and melting would
it is.
Acquisition represent igneous. There will also be a poster presentation at the
 Quiz each other. This is when students will be paired up and have to explain end of the unit. The rubric for that is located
what type of rock they have chosen and give an accurate explanation. in lesson 5.

Transfer/Meaning Culminating Phase

 Students will be creating posters about the rocks cycle and be sharing the  (What are potential rough spots and
posters with their Kindergarten buddies. student misunderstandings?)

 (Have you included multiple means of representation, multiple means of action and Keeping up with what we are learning
expression, and multiple means of engagement?) and not getting the different types of
 (Are all three types of goals (acquisition, meaning, and transfer) addressed in the rocks confused.
learning plan?)
 (Does the learning plan reflect principles of learning and best practices?)
 (Is there tight alignment with Stages 1 and 2?)

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to Curriculum
  (How will students get the feedback they
need?)

They will get feedback through quizzing

each other, as well as a grade on the
poster.

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to Curriculum