Become a
Introduction
| Task
| Resources
| Process
| Evaluation
| Conclusion
| Teacher's
Notes | Timeline
| Credits
Introduction
Several local geologists found out that we are studying Rocks and Minerals and have asked for our help. They would like us to help them by becoming rocks and minerals detectives. Our job will be to collect clues about rocks and minerals that are used in our area and to share our findings with the community in the form of a multimedia presentation.
The Task
Your group will use the Internet and other resources to collect clues about rocks and minerals and how they are used. You will gather multimedia information to share with the other members of your group. Your group will have a short debriefing session when you are finished with your search. As a group, you will be looking for the answers to these questions:
|
What are minerals? |
|
What are the physical characteristics of your assigned mineral? |
|
Where is your assigned mineral found as a natural resource? |
|
How is your assigned mineral used once it is mined from the earth? |
|
What are the three different types of rocks and how are they formed? |
|
What type of rock is your assigned mineral associated with? |
This information will then be organized by your group into a multimedia presentation using Powerpoint. Your group will then be ready to share the findings of your detective work with the community.
The Process
1. You will be assigned to groups of three. Each group member will hold one of these positions:
|
Mineral Detective |
This person will find out what a mineral is and the specific characteristics of your assigned mineral. |
|
Locator Detective |
This person will find out what your assigned mineral is found in nature and how your assigned mineral is used once it is mined from the earth. |
|
Rock Detective |
This person will find out what the three different types of rocks are, how they are formed. then decide in what type of rock is your assigned mineral most often found. |
2. Once you've
decided who will complete each job, you will begin your detective work using
both books and the Internet, You will need to go to the resource and read through
the information presented, thinking about what you are reading. Make sure
you think about your goals as a detective and what you need to find out about
rocks and minerals.
3. You will need
to save any pictures you want to use later in your folder on the
computer. Remember to copy and paste the url into a Word document to
use it as a reference. And if you find an interesting picture, right
click on the picture, and "Save image as" into your folder on the
computer.
4. When you have
looked through all the information, read through all your notes and decide what is the most important information that
solves your detective work and write it down on index
cards. Meet with your group for your detective debriefing session.
Remember that you are responsible for teaching and sharing your information to
the other members of your group.
5. As a group, organize
your information for a PowerPoint slideshow using index cards. You will
need to create at least one slide to answer each question plus an Title Card as the first card and
a Bibliography card as the last card.
6. Create
your Powerpoint slideshow
sharing you detective work.
Steps 7 and 8 are an oral presentation of the slide show, and if and how this is scheduled is decided by the classroom teacher.
7. Mrs. Swarr will ask your group to present the slideshow to the
class. So when your group has finished your slideshow, practice
giving your presentation several times. Take suggestions from your
practice partners and edit your slideshow as needed.
8. Finally, Mrs. Swarr might ask you to present the slideshow of your detective work to your teacher.
Resources
Print Resources:
Circulating Collection: Dewey Decimal 548-549
Encyclopedias:
1. Children’s Britannica
2. Growing up with Science
3. Heinemann First Encyclopedia
4. Land and People
5. Young Scientists
Online Resources:
Other Online Resources:
Evaluation
You will be evaluated on several things in this activity. First, you will be graded on the quality of information you gathered about your mineral. Next, you will be graded on the technical elements of you slideshow, including grammar, punctuation, and spelling. You will also be assessed on the quality of you cooperative group work as you gathered, organized, and presented your information. Lastly, you will be evaluated on the quality of your oral presentation as you share your findings with the community. Design a rubric as a class using this criteria. Go here to view a sample scoring rubric.
Conclusion
You have now successfully located the
physical characteristics of your assigned mineral and where that mineral is
found as a natural resource. You have also located clues that tell others
how that mineral is used once
it is mined from the earth and the type of rock that mineral is associated
with.
Now that you have finished this Rocks & Minerals WebQuest,
you
are officially a
Rocks & Minerals Detective!
Teacher's Notes
This WebQuest
is designed to help students to use the research process to learn about rocks
and minerals.
The process is designed to follow the Big6 Research Model by
Eisenberg/Berkowitz.
Components of the Big6 Research Model
1. Task Definition.
Define the problem.
2. Information Seeking Strategies.
Determine possible sources.
Evaluate the different possible sources.
3. Location and Access.
Locate sources.
Find information within the sources.
4. Use the information.
Engage (read, hear, or view) the information
in a source.
Extract information from a source.
5. Synthesis.
Organize information from multiple sources.
Present information.
6. Evaluation.
Judge the product. (effectiveness)
Judge the information problem solving process. (efficiency)
The process is designed so that, each detective team will be a heterogenous group of 3 members who will work together with one specific rock or mineral in depth. When the teacher assigns members to the detective teams the "Mineral Detective" is the easier task, the "Rock Detective" is the mid-range task, and the "Locator Detective" is the hardest task. Notetaking will be done on a graphic organizer using the Table of Contents and Index in books, and pre-selected Internet resources. The source of information will be credited through development of proper bibliographic citations. To synthesize the information, each student will be an equal contributor in the creation of a Powerpoint slideshow. Each group will present their slideshow as part of an oral presentation to either their class or grade level. Since each presentation will be based on a different rock and mineral, audience participants could compare their rock with another group's rock utilizing a Venn Diagram .
Time Line
(With teacher in classroom)
Provide background on the 3 types of rocks (sedementary, igneous, and metamorphic), and the vocabulary of the properties (e.g. luster, streak, hardness). T
Introduce the "Become a
Assign groups, heterogeneous groups of 3 to specific
(With media specialist, Mrs. Schneider)
Begin Internet research using pre-selected sites on the Rocks and Minerals web page, 3 sessions, 1 session per group, approximately 45 minutes. Take notes on graphic organizer. Add sources to bibliography.
Research 1: All the Locator Detectives (since most of their notetaking success will be online.)
Research 2: All the Rock Detectives.
Research 3: All the Mineral Detectives.
(With teacher in classroom or library) Could be done concurrent with Internet research.
Using books, locate information via Table of
Contents and Index. Take notes on graphic organizer.
Add sources to bibliography.
After Notes are taken, organize or "storyboard" your media presentation by the use of 5x8 index cards.
One question would be answered on each card.
Plus make a draft Title card to be the first card, and a draft Bibliography card to be the last card.
(With either teacher in classroom or media specialist)
Lesson on recording proper bibliographic citation for Bibliography card.
(With computer consultant, Mrs. diFilippo in the computer lab, whole class)
Lab 1: Make a Rock and Mineral folder in the Student
folders. This ideally should be done before Internet research begins.
Save pictures in folder (after library session). Bring bibliography notes to
lab.
Lab 2: Students should be grouped by their mineral. Set up Powerpoint slides with background colors and titles.,
(With teacher in classroom)
Design a rubric as a class to evaluate the webquest.
(With Mrs. diFilippo in the computer lab, whole class divided into their mineral detective teams)
Lab 3: Insert text and pictures into Powerpoint..
If more time is needed to create and fine
tune the presentation
either small groups can be scheduled in the lab or during computer lab class
time.
(With teacher in classroom)
Practice time back in the classroom will be
needed
so group can prepare how to present the slideshow.
Presentation. The library can be scheduled to use the large presentation unit on the wall screen.
Credits
The webquest is based on Rocks and Minerals Detectives developed by Kim Brannon in 1999.
Revised and aligned to the East Lyme Public Schools grade 3 science curriculum by Joan Schneider and Nicki diFilippo, January 2003.
Joan Schneider
Library Information Specialist
Niantic Center School
Niantic, CT 06357
joan.schneider@eastlymeschools.org
Nicki diFilippo
Computer Consultant
Niantic Center School
nicki.difilippo@eastlymeschools.org
Images: Copyright ©1995-2002 by Amethyst Galleries, Inc. Unless otherwise noted, all images are the property of Amethyst Galleries, Inc., and may not be copied for commercial purposes. Permission to copy images is granted for personal and educational use only. All such copies must include this copyright notice and explicit references to this URL http://mineral.galleries.com/.
This page was created by Joan Schneider
on January 7. 2003
last revised on November, 2003.
http://www.eastlymeschools.org/_ncslibrary/rockquest.html