Post #4 Text-Sets for my discipline
Sedimentary Rock Classification: © CK-12 Foundation 2014 http://www.ck12.org/earth-science/Sedimentary-Rock-Classification/lesson/Sedimentary-Rock-Classification/ (Text)
This is a general overview of how
to identify sedimentary rock and the types of sedimentary rock. There is a little background on how
sedimentary rocks are formed in the bodies of water including clastic,
chemical, and biochemical types of rock.
Being a fairly short article there wasn’t a huge amount of subject
matter.
Overall the text scored fairly high
on the graded reading levels. The
reading scored between ninth and eleventh grade with an average grade level of
10.8. Looking into the qualitative aspects
of the texts revealed that the text is somewhat complex in vocabulary. The words used in this article are fairly
specific to the content area and there is little background knowledge
The purpose of this text is to
introduce vocabulary after an introduction to sedimentary rocks. It would likely be a take home reading after
an activity where the students create their own clastic sedimentary rocks and
start a rock candy demonstration to show chemical deposition.
Question: What are the two major
types of sedimentary rock?
The Rock Cycle, The Geological Society, © The
Geological Society of London http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/ks3/gsl/education/resources/rockcycle/page3604.html (Digital)
This is an effective info-graphic describing
the deposition or river sediment in a marine or lake environment from season to
season. The simulation shows the
particle sorting caused by differences in the carrying capacity of the
stream. One concept that would need to
precede this graphic would be the ability of high velocity water to move and
carry sediment and when the velocity decreases, the water cannot hold as much
sediment and some is deposited. This simulation
might go well after a lab observing various particle size movements with big,
little, and invisible particles suspended in water.
Question: What might cause the
different sized particles to settle out at different distances away from the
mouth of the river?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagenesis (Text)
This is a fairly specific
description of how sediments turn into rock.
Ultimately this is of the things that I was most interested in when
starting this blog, but I have a feeling that it is too complicated for the
average high school student to understand.
The text discusses the various ways rocks become cemented or lithified
prior to undergoing metamorphism. It
goes on to describe how this can be used and is important in paleontology
because minerals can replace organic compounds in this stage, creating fossils.
Overall, this text is rated at a
very high academic level. It had an
average grade level between 16th and 18th grade. In general there were a lot of words per
sentence and it had quite a few characters per word as well. The text contained many upper level concepts
and vocabulary words that cemented it position as a difficult text. It definitely falls in a category where
students would need a large amount of previous reading and frontloading for
them to actually understand the material.
This would be a text I would use in
an upper level class, or for an individual who is interested in continuing
their inquiry in the content area. I
could also use it as an exploratory activity where the students could get a
small (1-2 sentences) chunk of the text and digest it as a group.
Question: What is required for
sediments to become turned into sedimentary rocks?
Origins of the Great Lakes, Randall Schaetzl (Text)
This is about how the great lakes
were formed. It goes into a fairly broad
explanation of how glaciers are responsible for the gouging out rock along
weaker stratigraphic layers, creating depressions in which water would settle
and pool. The second part of the article
explains that the ground up rock become till and glacial flour.
This article rates somewhat lower
on the difficulty scale with an average grade level of 13.8, ranging between a
12 and a 15. Qualitatively, the
vocabulary used is not as difficult as previous articles but still requires
some other activities and small readings to establish content area definitions. The reading also has a few complex sentences
which would be more difficult for challenged learners.
I would likely use this text when
setting up a unit on erosion and sedimentary rocks. Nearly all rocks in the area around lake Michigan
are sedimentary rocks. Through these graphics
I could relate the subject to the lake and its creation, or how the rocks in
this area were created.
Question: Why might ice carve one rock more than
another?
Bill Nye the Science Guy: Rocks and Weathering https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Xv1DoqkARQ (Video)
This is helpful when talking about
different igneous rocks and how they cool at different temperatures. Later in the episode he talks about erosion,
deposition, and metamorphosis. He covers
the whole rock cycle using some fairly simple concepts and examples.
In general, the vocabulary is
fairly simple. He describes each of the
vocabulary words as he comes across them.
In general the sentences are fairly short with simple vocab.
I would use this as an introductory
video when I actually start teaching vocabulary after an experiment with
sedimentation. This would be potential
homework with a few questions attached to the assignment
Question: Briefly describe the
lifecycle of a rock. What happens to
them?
Fossil Fuel Formation: from Hello Science! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvH-h7TzSsE (video)
This is a video on how coal is
created. They start with a small
introduction on how energy moves around our environment. The video continues to explain each of the
four components needed to make coal. At
each point where a new term is introduced, the narrator discusses what the term
means.
Overall, the text is fairly simple
with much of the vocabulary explained as they come up. The film also uses good depictions of how
algae and plants sink and are buried in successive layers.
I would probably use this as an
in-class film during a lab before climate change, and during sedimentary rock
unit.
Question: What components are required to make coal?
The Rock Cycle. ©Pearson Prentice Hall http://www.phschool.com/atschool/phsciexp/active_art/rock_cycle/index.html (interactive infographic)
This is a very cool interactive graphic
that shows the different steps of the rock cycle through visualizing what
happens between and during each stage of the life of a rock. You can also read about what is happening at
each stage of the process in a box above the graphic. The readings use fairly simple vocabulary to
describe what is happening in the transition or what the characteristics of the
rock are.
In general, the text is fairly
simple without a large amount of difficult vocabulary. The writing style is rather short with a few
complex sentences. The text does requires that students know at least a working
knowledge of the words metamorphic, sedimentary, igneous, pressure, and heat.
I think this activity would be
fun to use in conjunction with a in class lab looking at rocks and how they
change from one form to another. I would need to frontload this activity with
some discussion to see what knowledge the students already have about the types
of rocks. I would then try to provide
them with their own definitions (as long as they are similar to what the actual
definition is) before the activity.
Question: Describe two arrows in
the rock cycle?
Nice text set. I think the most effective ones for me were the first one, the Bill Nye video, and the Great Lakes diagram.
ReplyDeleteThe first one had images, words, and video and I felt that the diverse presentation was a nice benefit and something I would actually go back to as a student.
While difficult, the great lakes piece was relevant and relateable for me, so I thought it was a useful source, at least just the image we were given.
And of course Bill Nye is always fun, but he's a good introduction for students. Never underestimate the effectiveness of simplicity when teaching something new.
The river sediment images were cool too, especially the animated video.
Good and diverse set! I learned a nice bit from perusing it.
I think the Sedimentary Rock Classification page was a very good choice to start with as it will introduce vocabulary that is necessary to understand the later more complicated texts
ReplyDeleteI liked the infograph from the second source and that it communicated a someone involved idea very well . However, I'm looking at the actual picture and wonder how often it actually occurs, the picture makes the situation seem very specific.
I liked the wikipedia article on Diagensis, I always had wondered how we got all of these very specific types of rocks that seem very different from each other. I agree that it is a secondary school text.
I would be interested in knowing how you would bring all the texts together into one congruent curriculum.