Rock Cycle 
SECOND GRADE
6 week unit

1. Students should be able to distinguish the properties of the different states of matter.
2. Students should begin to recognize more elements on the periodic table.
3. Students should increase their observational skills on identifying minerals.
4. Students should begin to understand how minerals grow in a crystalline pattern.
5. Students should begin to sort rocks on characteristics that they have learned.
6. Students should be able to further analyze dinosaur remains.
7. Students should begin to understand that there are many types of fossils from which information can be derived.

CHEMISTRY

WEEK 1.
PRE: Comparing the states of matter.
LAB: Observing the elements on the periodic table.
POST: Exploring the states of matter of the elements.

WEEK 2.
PRE: Observing "things" logically.
LAB: Comparing different minerals.
POST: Discovering rocks and minerals near school.
WEEK 3.
PRE: Observing the structure of crystals.
LAB: Exploring how minerals can grow.
POST: Designing a "mineral person."

WEEK 4.
PRE: Recognizing the three types of rocks.
LAB: Observing the three types of rocks.
POST: Writing a paragraph on rocks.

WEEK 5.
PRE: Comparing present day and fossil organisms.
LAB: Exploring how dinosaur footprints are formed.
POST: Dramatizing how different dinosaurs lived.
WEEK 6.
PRE: Exploring the environment of the Mesozoic.
LAB: Learning how fossils are made.
POST: Comparing how fossils appear in the literature.