Flipped Classroom: Rock Cycle Lesson
Learning Objectives:
Standards:
National Science Education Standards Content Standard D: Some changes in the solid earth can be described as the "rock cycle." Old rocks at the earth's surface weather, forming sediments that are buried, then compacted, heated, and often recrystallized into new rock. Eventually, those new rocks may be brought to the surface by the forces that drive plate motions, and the rock cycle continues.
Soil consists of weathered rocks and decomposed organic material from dead plants, animals, and bacteria. Soils are often found in layers, with each having a different chemical composition and texture.
Lesson Description:
This two day lesson will be presented as a flipped classroom lesson. This means that sometime before class, students will watch a 10-15 minute video lecture that features videos and simulations with the teacher's voice lecturing in the background. At a various points throughout the video students will be asked comprehension check questions that they will answer and bring to class the next day. Then, the teacher will go over the answers to the comprehension check questions the next day in class. The students will then have an opportunity to ask questions about the online lecture they watched the night before. After answering questions, the teacher will pass out the in class activities the students will be working on for the duration of the class. The in class activities will consist of a series of short answer questions, essay questions, and matching questions. Both days of this two day lesson will be presented in this manner.
About the flipped classroom approach:
In a traditional classroom setting, the in class activities the students are working on in this lesson would have been assigned as homework. The advantage of having the students work on the "homework" in class is that they can ask questions and get immediate feedback and instruction from the teacher. People often use the cliche "practice makes perfect." However, this is not exactly the case. Practice does not make perfect. Instead, perfect practice makes perfect. Since homework is designed to give students practice working with the content, the flipped classroom model allows teachers to make sure students are practicing the right way. By implementing flipped classroom lessons into the curriculum, teacher can be sure the students are doing their homework right and not practicing the wrong way.
- Students will be able to explain the rock cycle
- Students will be able to explain what causes rocks to change form
- students will be able to relate the rock cycle to previous aspects of the unit
Standards:
National Science Education Standards Content Standard D: Some changes in the solid earth can be described as the "rock cycle." Old rocks at the earth's surface weather, forming sediments that are buried, then compacted, heated, and often recrystallized into new rock. Eventually, those new rocks may be brought to the surface by the forces that drive plate motions, and the rock cycle continues.
Soil consists of weathered rocks and decomposed organic material from dead plants, animals, and bacteria. Soils are often found in layers, with each having a different chemical composition and texture.
Lesson Description:
This two day lesson will be presented as a flipped classroom lesson. This means that sometime before class, students will watch a 10-15 minute video lecture that features videos and simulations with the teacher's voice lecturing in the background. At a various points throughout the video students will be asked comprehension check questions that they will answer and bring to class the next day. Then, the teacher will go over the answers to the comprehension check questions the next day in class. The students will then have an opportunity to ask questions about the online lecture they watched the night before. After answering questions, the teacher will pass out the in class activities the students will be working on for the duration of the class. The in class activities will consist of a series of short answer questions, essay questions, and matching questions. Both days of this two day lesson will be presented in this manner.
About the flipped classroom approach:
In a traditional classroom setting, the in class activities the students are working on in this lesson would have been assigned as homework. The advantage of having the students work on the "homework" in class is that they can ask questions and get immediate feedback and instruction from the teacher. People often use the cliche "practice makes perfect." However, this is not exactly the case. Practice does not make perfect. Instead, perfect practice makes perfect. Since homework is designed to give students practice working with the content, the flipped classroom model allows teachers to make sure students are practicing the right way. By implementing flipped classroom lessons into the curriculum, teacher can be sure the students are doing their homework right and not practicing the wrong way.