Scope and sequence · Science
Grade 3 Earth Science: Rocks, Minerals and Fossils
A year of true stories from under our feet, from Friedrich Mohs ranking minerals by hardness and Michelangelo carving David out of a block of Carrara marble to Cope and Marsh racing to dig dinosaurs in the American West, a fish caught in stone with another fish in its mouth, upright fossil trees in the sea cliffs of Joggins, Nova Scotia, and the twelve stones on the high priest’s breastplate, each one looked at closely, scratched, weighed and measured, and then tried at the kitchen table with salt crystals, chocolate, sand jars and plaster.
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What to cover
32 of 36 lessons are MUST COVER. They are tested on the unit tests and exams, or are skills the SAT/ACT relies on. OPTIONAL lessons are enrichment. Do them if time allows. The course is complete when the MUST COVER lessons are done.
Unit 1: Minerals
- MUST COVER 1.1 Friedrich Mohs’ Scale (1812) ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.2 Streak, Luster and Hardness Tests ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.3 Crystals: Grow Salt and Alum · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.4 Quartz, Feldspar, Mica, Calcite · unit test
Unit 2: Igneous Rocks
- MUST COVER 2.1 Rocks from Melted Rock ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.2 Granite and Basalt · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.3 Fast and Slow Cooling: Chocolate and Fudge · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.4 Devils Tower and the Giant’s Causeway · unit test
Unit 3: Sedimentary Rocks
- MUST COVER 3.1 Layers in a Jar ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.2 Sandstone, Shale and Limestone ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.3 Coal from Plants · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.4 Rock Layers in a Road Cut · unit test
Unit 4: Metamorphic Rocks
- MUST COVER 4.1 Squeezed and Heated ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.2 Marble and Michelangelo’s David · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.3 Slate Roofs and Blackboards · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.4 The Rock-Cycle Game · unit test
Unit 5: Fossils
- MUST COVER 5.1 How Fossils Form: Quick Burial ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.2 Kinds of Fossils: Bones, Shells, Tracks and Molds · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.3 Fossil Fish Caught Swallowing Fish · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.4 Polystrate Tree Fossils at Joggins, Nova Scotia · unit test
Unit 6: Dinosaur Digs
- MUST COVER 6.1 The Bone Wars: Cope and Marsh ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.2 Sue the T. rex (found 1990) · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.3 How a Skeleton Is Mounted · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.4 Soft Tissue in Dinosaur Bone (Mary Schweitzer, 2005) · unit test
Unit 7: Gems and Ores
- MUST COVER 7.1 Gems of the High Priest’s Breastplate (Exodus 28) ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.2 Iron, Copper, Gold · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.3 Panning for “Gold” · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.4 Diamonds and Coal: Both Carbon · unit test
Unit 8: My Rock Collection
- MUST COVER 8.1 Labels and a Field Notebook ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.2 A Rock-Shop or Museum Trip · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.3 Sharing the Collection · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.4 Review Game · unit test
Unit 9: Bonus: Field Lab OPTIONAL unit
- OPTIONAL 9.1 Rock Cycle Scavenger Hunt
- OPTIONAL 9.2 Streak and Scratch Field Kit
- OPTIONAL 9.3 Reading a Road Cut
- OPTIONAL 9.4 Fossil Hunt
36-week pacing calendar
From the course’s own 36-week pacing guide, with catch-up and review weeks added to fill a 36-week (180-day) year.
| Week | Plan | Done | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | Session 1: Lesson 1.1 Friedrich Mohs’ Scale (1812): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 2 | Session 1: Lesson 1.2 Streak, Luster and Hardness Tests: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 3 | Session 1: Lesson 1.3 Crystals: Grow Salt and Alum: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 4 | Session 1: Lesson 1.4 Quartz, Feldspar, Mica, Calcite: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 1 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 5 | Session 1: Lesson 2.1 Rocks from Melted Rock: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 6 | Session 1: Lesson 2.2 Granite and Basalt: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 7 | Session 1: Lesson 2.3 Fast and Slow Cooling: Chocolate and Fudge: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 8 | Session 1: Lesson 2.4 Devils Tower and the Giant’s Causeway: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 2 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 9 | Session 1: Lesson 3.1 Layers in a Jar: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 10 | Session 1: Lesson 3.2 Sandstone, Shale and Limestone: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 11 | Session 1: Lesson 3.3 Coal from Plants: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 12 | Session 1: Lesson 3.4 Rock Layers in a Road Cut: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 3 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 13 | Session 1: Lesson 4.1 Squeezed and Heated: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 14 | Session 1: Lesson 4.2 Marble and Michelangelo’s David: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 15 | Session 1: Lesson 4.3 Slate Roofs and Blackboards: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 16 | Session 1: Lesson 4.4 The Rock-Cycle Game: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 4 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 17 | Session 1: Lesson 5.1 How Fossils Form: Quick Burial: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 18 | Session 1: Lesson 5.2 Kinds of Fossils: Bones, Shells, Tracks and Molds: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 19 | Session 1: Lesson 5.3 Fossil Fish Caught Swallowing Fish: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 20 | Session 1: Lesson 5.4 Polystrate Tree Fossils at Joggins, Nova Scotia: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 5 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 21 | Session 1: Lesson 6.1 The Bone Wars: Cope and Marsh: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 22 | Session 1: Lesson 6.2 Sue the T. rex (found 1990): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 23 | Session 1: Lesson 6.3 How a Skeleton Is Mounted: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 24 | Session 1: Lesson 6.4 Soft Tissue in Dinosaur Bone (Mary Schweitzer, 2005): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 6 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 25 | Session 1: Lesson 7.1 Gems of the High Priest’s Breastplate (Exodus 28): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 26 | Session 1: Lesson 7.2 Iron, Copper, Gold: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 27 | Session 1: Lesson 7.3 Panning for “Gold”: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 28 | Session 1: Lesson 7.4 Diamonds and Coal: Both Carbon: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 7 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 29 | Session 1: Lesson 8.1 Labels and a Field Notebook: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 30 | Session 1: Lesson 8.2 A Rock-Shop or Museum Trip: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 31 | Session 1: Lesson 8.3 Sharing the Collection: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 32 | Session 1: Lesson 8.4 Review Game: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 8 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 33 | Session 1: Lesson 9.1 Rock Cycle Scavenger Hunt: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 34 | Session 1: Lesson 9.2 Streak and Scratch Field Kit: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 35 | Session 1: Lesson 9.3 Reading a Road Cut: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 36 | Session 1: Lesson 9.4 Fossil Hunt: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 9 review and unit project |
Grading: Experiments (careful work, safe habits and a clear observation) 35%, Field notebook (dated pages, drawings, measurements and “I noticed” sentences) 20%, Unit reviews (40 points each, 10 items) 25%, Unit projects 20%. Scale: A 90–100, B 80–89, C 70–79, D 60–69. Below 60: redo the experiment or review with help.