High School Earth Science: Geology

Example Geology High School Lesson Plan for a 12-week term

(one third of an Earth Sciences credit)

Key Texts:

The Practical Geologist by Dougal Dixon

TOPScience #23 Rocks and Minerals

We have tried to indicate the supplies necessary for each lesson card.

any crystal growing kit 

We have had good luck with this Crystal Growing Experimental kit

 

Recommended Texts:

Choose one or more to read ad lib during the term.

The Seashell on the Mountaintop by Alan Cutler

The Map that Changed the World by Simon Winchester

 

Schedule:

3x/week

The Practical Geologist should be narrated each day. Narrations may include or consist entirely of drawings and notes rather than the more typical sentences and paragraphs of something like history.

Lessons:

Week 1

1. The Practical Geologist pp 6-13.
2. The Practical Geologist pp 14-19.
3. TOPS Rocks and Minerals card 1 and card 4 – notebook paper, ruler, glass jar, pie tin, eyedropper, make saturated salt water

Week 2

1. The Practical Geologist pp 20-31.
2. Crystal growing kit.
3. The Practical Geologist pp 32-37.

Week 3

1. TOPS Rocks and Minerals card 7 and card 8 – granite rocks, test tube, coarse sand  
2. The Practical Geologist pp 38-49. 
3. The Practical Geologist pp 50-57.

Week 4

1. TOPS Rocks and Minerals card 9 and card 10 – granite rocks, make 5% HCl solution, microscope slide, paper clip, candle and matches, blackboard chalk, coated canning jar lid (probably only need to make 5 ml HCL and 95 ml water; use a small jar) 
2. The Practical Geologist pp 58-65.
3. The Practical Geologist pp 66-69.

Week 5

1.  TOPS Rocks and Minerals card 22 and card 23 – notebook paper, ruler
2.  The Practical Geologist pp 70-77.
3. The Practical Geologist pp 78-87.

Week 6

1. TOPS Rocks and Minerals card 24 – blackboard chalk, oil-based clay, gram balance, beaker, eyedropper, paper towel
2. The Practical Geologist pp 88-93. 
3. The Practical Geologist pp 94-101.

Week 7

1. TOPS Rocks and Minerals card 25 – 100 mL graduated cylinder, oil-based clay, gram balance, paper towel
2. The Practical Geologist pp 102-109.
3. The Practical Geologist pp 110-117.

Week 8

1. TOPS Rocks and Minerals card 26 – salt and pepper, beaker, scissors, 100 mL graduated cylinder, granite and basalt, gram balance, calculator
2. The Practical Geologist pp 118-121.
3. The Practical Geologist pp 122-129.

Week 9

1. TOPS Rocks and Minerals card 28 – 100 mL graduated cylinder, gram balance
2. The Practical Geologist pp 130-139.
3.  The Practical Geologist pp 140-145.

Week 10

1. TOPS Rocks and Minerals card 30 – canning jar lid, saturated solution of salt water, eyedropper, jar
2. The Practical Geologist pp 146-153.
3. TOPS Rocks and Minerals card 34 and card 35 – oil-based clay

Week 11

Catch-up / Finish reading the ad lib book of your choice.

Week 12

Exam week

Example Exam Questions:

Consider presenting a selection of perhaps five of these questions with instructions for the student to select three over three days.

1. Tell what you know about the formation of the Earth.
2. Tell what you know about plate tectonics OR the rock cycle.
3. Describe how a fossil can be preserved in rocks or minerals.
4. Describe the creation and/or erosion of caves or rock formations.
5. Tell what you know about unconformities.
6. Describe one experiment or activity you completed and what you learned about rocks and minerals doing it.