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WELCOME TO GRADE 4!! EXPLORE THE SUBJECT TABS TO DISCOVER WHAT YOU ARE LEARNING THIS YEAR!!
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Science Text: Rocks and Minerals Unit
RM4.1: Investigate physical properties of rocks and minerals, including those found in the local environment.
(a) Pose questions about the properties of rocks and minerals (e.g., What is the difference between rocks and minerals? Where do we find rocks and minerals? Do rocks become minerals?).
(b) Document the locations and characteristics of rocks that exist in their local environment.
(c) Observe and record physical properties of rocks and minerals using appropriate terminology such as colour, lustre, hardness, cleavage, transparency, and crystal structure.
(d) Use appropriate tools (e.g., hand lens, safety glasses, brush, rock pick, knife, measuring tape, and gloves) safely while making observations and collecting information on the physical properties of rocks and minerals.
(e) Demonstrate respect for all components of their environment when observing and collecting rocks and minerals (e.g., do not remove rocks and minerals from private property without permission).
Every day, you see rocks and minerals, although you may not pay much attention to them. Perhaps you have never thought about where they came from or how they affect your life.
In this lesson you will be viewing different rock formations. Look at the video below that shows amazing rock formations from around the world.
Where have you seen rock formations in your community or when travelling? Why do these rock formations stand out in your mind?
For this lesson's assignment you will be creating an online poster in Google Slides that shows one or two rock formations that you have discovered by looking through the Famous Rock Formation Google Doc.
Go to Google Classroom to complete the assignment called, "Lesson 1: Introduction to Amazing Rocks and Minerals". When you have finished the assignment turn it in for grading.
For extra science vocabulary practice go to Quizlet (Click on the button above). If you are having difficulty getting onto Quizlet, email me and I can help you.
To really learn about rocks and minerals it is helpful to start a collection of samples. Saskatchewan has a large variety of rocks. The rocks you find may depend on whether you live in northern Saskatchewan or southern Saskatchewan.
Watch the video below that will introduce you to rock collecting through a story.
In this lesson you will be starting to collect rock samples that we will use in different experiments and tests. You will also be sorting your rocks according to different properties.
Read pages 152 and 153 from the text. The link to the text can be found in the Quick Links above. Notice the difference between the properties of rocks and minerals.
Go to Google Classroom to complete the assignment called, "Lesson 2: Grouping Rocks and Minerals". When you have finished the assignment turn it in for grading.
For extra science vocabulary practice go to Quizlet (Click on the button above). If you are having difficulty getting onto Quizlet, email me and I can help you.
Geologists are scientists who study rocks. To a geologist, a rock and a mineral are two different things that occur in nature. Imagine two chocolate bars. One is pure chocolate and the other has caramel and nuts in it. The pure chocolate bar is like a mineral. In science, a mineral is a solid that is made of the same substance throughout. The chocolate bar that contains nuts and caramel is like a rock. A rock is a solid that is made of two or more minerals.
A mineral will form a crystal under the right conditions. Mineral crystals have straight edges and flat surfaces. Minerals have certain qualities, such as colour, hardness, and crystal shape.
Watch the video below that shows you the difference between rocks and minerals and how rocks are formed.
Go to Google Classroom to complete the assignment called, "Lesson 3: Rock or Mineral? What Geologists Say". When you have finished the assignment turn it in for grading.
For extra science vocabulary practice go to Quizlet (Click on the button above). If you are having difficulty getting onto Quizlet, email me and I can help you.
RM4.3: Analyze how weathering, erosion, and fossils provide evidence to support human understanding of the formation of landforms on Earth. c) Explain how rocks can be classified as igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic based on the processes by which they form.
When geologists study rocks and minerals, they are studying the history of the Earth. They learn about what caused the rocks to form and how Earth is changing.
Scientists have identified many different minerals. However, they believe that there are only three types of rocks. Each type of rock is formed in a different way.
Watch the videos below that explains how the three different rocks are formed.
Go to Google Classroom to complete the assignment called, "Lesson 4: How Do Rocks Form? When you have finished the assignment turn it in for grading.
For extra science vocabulary practice go to Quizlet (Click on the button above). If you are having difficulty getting onto Quizlet, email me and I can help you.
We have been learning about the different types of rocks and how rocks form.
In this lesson we are going to learn about how rocks can change into other rocks by learning about the rock cycle.
Please watch the videos below that explain the rock cycle and show you how different rocks form.
Go to Google Classroom to complete the assignment called, "Lesson 5: The Rock Cycle? When you have finished the assignment turn it in for grading.
For extra science vocabulary practice go to Quizlet (Click on the button above). If you are having difficulty getting onto Quizlet, email me and I can help you.
So far, we have used our senses to find out about rocks and minerals. We have looked at their colour and grain size and felt how rough or smooth they are.
Geologists do this, and more, when they study rocks. They use many different tools and techniques. They conduct tests and observe their results. The more they learn, the more they understand about the history of the Earth. What they learn also helps them figure out how we can use rocks and minerals in our daily life.
In this lesson you will carry out tests that will help you compare and classify (group) rocks and minerals. You will be using the Mohs Scale that helps figure out the hardness of the mineral as well as performing a test to see if your rocks and minerals have limestone.
Go to Google Classroom to complete the assignment called, "Lesson 6: Why Test Rocks and Minerals? When you have finished the assignment turn it in for grading.
For extra science vocabulary practice go to Quizlet (Click on the button above). If you are having difficulty getting onto Quizlet, email me and I can help you.
RM 4.2: Assess how human uses of rocks and minerals impact self, society, and the environment.b) Identify objects in their local environment that are made from rocks and minerals (e.g., nickel, table salt, pottery, cement, carvings, brick, jewellery, bicycle, nutrients, battery, copper wiring, soda can, plumbing pipe, and sidewalk).c) Research historical (e.g., flint arrowhead, gold jewellery, paint pigment, and coal heating) and contemporary (e.g., fertilizer, building products, ceramics, glass, salt, silver fillings, and electronics) uses for rocks and minerals in Saskatchewan.
You have observed and tested rocks and minerals to learn about their properties. You now know that all rocks are not the same. In fact, they are very different. How we use certain rocks and minerals depends on their properties. For example, would a rock made of soft talc and gypsum, be a good building material? Why might granite be better?
In this lesson you will be learning how people have used rocks and minerals in many different ways in their lives. Watch the two videos below that show how rocks and minerals are used in everyday objects.
Go to Google Classroom to complete the assignment called, "Lesson 7: How Are Rocks and Minerals Important in Your Life? When you have finished the assignment turn it in for grading.
For extra science vocabulary practice go to Quizlet (Click on the button above). If you are having difficulty getting onto Quizlet, email me and I can help you.
RM 4.3: Analyze how weathering, erosion, and fossils provide evidence to support human understanding of the formation of landforms on Earth.(j) Create models of different types (e.g., amber, imprint, cast, and mould) of plant and animal fossils.(k) Discuss how fossils and the fossil record provide evidence of Earth's history, including the formation of various landforms.(l) Predict the types of plant or animal fossils that would be found in Saskatchewan landforms in the past, present, and future.
Rocks give us clues to what Earth was like in the past. One way we can learn about the past is by studying fossils. You may have seen fossils in museums or have been lucky enough to find fossils in rocks that you have found.
You can find fossils almost anywhere in the world if you know what to look for and where to look. Think about how igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks are formed. Which type of rock do you think is the most likely to contain fossils?
In this lesson you are going to learn about how fossils are formed and the four types of fossils. You will also be learning about the fossils that have been found in Saskatchewan. Finally, you will be learning about a very famous palaeontologist, Mary Anning, who found many fossils during her lifetime.
Watch the videos below that explains how fossils are formed, the four fossil types, information about the famous palaeontologist, Mary Anning, and about fossil hunting in Saskatchewan.
Go to Google Classroom to complete the assignment called, "Lesson 8: What are Fossils?" When you have finished the assignment turn it in for grading.
For extra science vocabulary practice go to Quizlet (Click on the button above). If you are having difficulty getting onto Quizlet, email me and I can help you.
In the last lesson you learned about how fossils are formed and the different types of fossils. You even found out that Saskatchewan has a lot of fossils to be discovered.
In this lesson you will you will be making your own mould fossil and cast fossil.
Watch the video below to see how to make a cast fossil.
Go to Google Classroom to complete the assignment called, "Lesson 9: Making Fossils" When you have finished the assignment turn it in for grading.
For extra science vocabulary practice go to Quizlet (Click on the button above). If you are having difficulty getting onto Quizlet, email me and I can help you.
RM 4.3: Analyze how weathering, erosion, and fossils provide evidence to support human understanding of the formation of landforms on Earth.
d) Discuss practices and techniques (e.g., mulching, crop rotation, strip farming, windbreaks, terracing, and sediment basins) for minimizing and controlling erosion locally and in communities around the world.
g) Describe possible short- and long-term effects of wind, water, and ice on local, national, and global landscapes (e.g., sandy beaches, coastline erosion, rounded rock formations, sand dunes, river deltas, glacial deposits, and cracks in rocks).
h) Predict the effects of weathering on various landforms (e.g., butte, cliff, cave, valley, river, waterfall, and beach) in Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan has many areas of land that are unique. These areas of land that have been formed over thousands of years are called LANDSCAPES. Within the landscapes are different LANDFORMS. A LANDFORM is a naturally formed feature, such as a valley, plain or hill.
In this lesson you will be learning about landforms of Saskatchewan and where they are located in our province.
Watch the videos below that show you the uniques landscapes and landforms of Saskatchewan. Pay close attention to the differences in the landforms between the south and the north of our province. Why do you think the landscapes looks so different in the southern and northern areas of Saskatchewan?
Go to Google Classroom to complete the assignment called, "Lesson 10: What Shapes Landscapes and Landforms" When you have finished the assignment turn it in for grading.
For extra science vocabulary practice go to Quizlet (Click on the button above). If you are having difficulty getting onto Quizlet, email me and I can help you.
Most of the changes in rocks and minerals are caused by weathering and erosion. These are two terms that geologists use. Weathering is a long and very slow process. It breaks rocks and minerals into small pieces. Erosion occurs when bits of rocks and minerals are carried away b water, wind, gravity or glaciers.
In this lesson you will be learning about weathering and erosion affect the environment by performing an experiment.
Watch the videos below that show you examples of weathering and erosion and their effects on the environment.
Go to Google Classroom to complete the assignment called, "Lesson 11: Weathering and Erosion." When you have finished the assignment turn it in for grading.
For extra science vocabulary practice go to Quizlet (Click on the button above). If you are having difficulty getting onto Quizlet, email me and I can help you.
We have been learning about landforms and what causes weathering and erosion.
In this activity we will be learning about some methods used to stop erosion.
Watch the video of the U.S. Dustbowl of the 1930's. How did the dust storms affect the landscape? How did it affect the people? You can also watch the video "Dustbowl Environmental Catastrophe" to understand more how the windstorms of the 1930's affected the people and the environment.
In the activity you will be watching a video and then answering questions about it. Make sure that you have the assignment open or printed as you watch the video "Erosion and Soil" found below.
Go to Google Classroom to complete the assignment called, "Lesson 12: What Changes The Landscape." When you have finished the assignment turn it in for grading.
For extra science vocabulary practice go to Quizlet (Click on the button above). If you are having difficulty getting onto Quizlet, email me and I can help you.
RM4.2: Assess how human uses of rocks and minerals impact self, society, and the environment.
f) Identify locations where minerals, including potash, sodium sulphate, salt, kaolin, uranium, copper, coal, diamond, and gold, are extracted in Saskatchewan.
g) Discuss the economic benefits associated with mineral extraction and refining, including related careers, in Saskatchewan.
h) Analyze issues related to the extraction and use of minerals from the perspectives of various stakeholders (e.g., company owner, employee, scientist, Elder, environmental group, and end user).
For the last two lessons of this unit you will be learning about the resource industries of Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan is a province that is rich in mineral and oil and gas resources. Mines are located throughout the province. Saskatchewan mines produce potash, uranium, coal, gold, and salt, as well as other mineral resources.
Watch the videos below that shows potash mining as well as the diamond industry in Saskatchewan.
In the activity you will be reading about Saskatchewan's resource industries as well as locating mineral deposits on a map of Saskatchewan.
Go to Google Classroom to complete the assignment called, "Lesson 13: Saskatchewan's Resources." When you have finished the assignment turn it in for grading.
Complete the quiz "Saskatchewan's Resources" on Quizziz by going to our Google Classroom or clicking on the link: joinmyquiz.com Enter the code: 28255224 to access the quiz.