Lesson materials:
One type of candy per cooperative group. (Recommended: Three Musketeers Bars, Peanut Brittle, Brownies [with chocolate chips], Hershey' s chocolate bars, Rice Krispies Treats), hand lenses, paper towels, any books, newspaper/magazine articles, or information from the Internet about meteorites, “Field notes” paper (see additional information below for an example), unlined drawing paper, Science Journals (optional).
*Note: Before the lesson, group students in teams of 4 - 5 for optimal participation/interaction. Although students ultimately will record individual responses, group interaction is beneficial. Also be sure to have enough candy so that each child can choose two samples to eat at the end of the lesson.
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Ask students to name ways we learn information about objects in the solar system.
- Show students any information about meteorites. Discuss use of magnification systems and how they help scientists describe the physical characteristics of items in the solar system.
- Have students create scientific logs. (See additional info section for an example.)
- List the following vocabulary on the board (including words in parenthesis): matrix - the outer coating,
exterior - outside, interior - inside, inclusions - bumps (peanuts), angular blebs - sharper edged bumps (chips),
solid dense mass - nothing extra in it, homogeneous interior - the same color inside,
two-phased - two different colors. Encourage the students to use their own terms, however, they may not use any “food” words. (An example would be
ridges to describe the outside of the Three Musketeers Bar.) Have students use hand lenses to help magnify the sample, and to help write a good description.
- Demonstrate how to write “field notes” for one of the candies. Example: “Sample is a thin layer. It has a dark brown matrix, with no inclusions or angular blebs. It is a solid dense mass.” Or “Sample has an matrix of light tan. It has many inclusions.”
- Encourage students to work in teams to write the best descriptions possible. After writing a description in their own “field notes”, they must also make a sketch of their “meteorite”.
- Inform them that they must do their best to write an accurate description and sketch of their meteorite as one of their classmates will try to identify what type of “meteorite” they had, and if successful, both will get to choose a sample of a “meteorite” to eat. (They will classify the rocks later.)
- Have students complete the activity. While they are working, and while monitoring the groups, set out a selection of the remaining samples of candy.
- When finished, collect and redistribute papers ensuring group members do not get one from their own group.
- List the types of “meteorites” on the board (include
words in parenthesis) - chondrites (Peanut Brittle), achondrite
with fusion crust (Three Musketeers Bar), meteorite regolith
breccia (Rice Krispie Treats), carbonaceous chondrites (brownies),
iron without fusion crust (Hershey's chocolate bar).
- Instruct the students to read the descriptions and look at the sketches before drawing a conclusion as to which “meteorite” it could be. Have them write the name of the “meteorite” on the back of the lined field notes paper. Hand the papers back to the original “scientist”. Call them individually to where the samples are displayed. Ask if the concluding scientist was correct - if so, both the describing and concluding scientist get to choose a sample. If the concluding scientist was incorrect, ask the class to help deduct what type of “meteorite” was being described (add a few extra details if necessary), so the describing scientist will have a chance to earn a sample. When all students have had a chance to present their papers, ask if any (concluding) scientists did not have a chance to choose a second sample. Give them a chance to earn a second treat by asking them to identify a sample based on a description you give. (When finished, all students should have been able to earn a second sample.)
- After the presentations, have the students correctly label the classification of their meteorite (see #10 above) on their “Field notes” paper. Then, in their Science journals, have students draw their “meteorite” then answer the following questions: What were some characteristics of your “meteorite”?, How does using magnifying equipment help in observing objects?, Why is it important to use detailed descriptions when identifying objects?
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