Rock Cycle 
FOURTH GRADE
6 week unit

1. Students should be able to use the periodic table to retrieve information on various elements.
2. Students should be able to understand that elements found in different ways to form compounds.
3. Students should be able to know the importance of salt.
4. Students should be able to distinguish between characteristics that identify a mineral compared with those characteristics that help describe it.
5. Students should be able to compare different shapes that minerals can take.
6. Students should be able to distinguish between gems and minerals.
7. Students should be able to compare and contrast how different rocks are formed.
8. Students should be able to distinguish the different components of the rock cycle.
9. Students should be able to interpret shapes of sand particles and understand how sand originated.
10. Students should be able to logically reconstruct ancient organisms.

WEEK 1.
PRE: Analyzing the structure of the elements.
LAB: Investigating the chemical bonding of salt.
POST: Exploring the historical uses of salt.

WEEK 2.
PRE: Observing and describing key characteristics.
LAB: Exploring the characteristics of minerals.
POST: Comparing and contrasting mineral properties.
WEEK 3.
PRE: Exploring the different shapes of minerals.
LAB: Analyzing mineral shapes.
POST: Examining minerals that are gemstones.

WEEK 4.
PRE: Developing criteria to distinguish rocks.
LAB: Analyzing how different types of rocks are formed.
POST: Exploring the uses of rocks in the Indian culture.
WEEK 5.
PRE: Exploring parts of the rock cycle.
LAB: Analyzing and interpreting the shape of sand particles.
POST: Developing a story about rocks.

WEEK 6.
PRE: Reconstructing fossil organisms.
LAB: Discovering that "the present is the key to the past."
POST: Recognizing fossil bones.