Mathematics Grade Prototype Curriculum Guide

Follow-up/extension

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  Have students work on other modules of the Web site.
  

Resources

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  4-H Virtual Forest. Virginia Cooperative Extension. http://www.ext.vt.edu/resources/4h/virtualforest/.
  
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  Project Learning Tree. American Forest Foundation. http://www.plt.org/. Provides details on this national environmental education program.
  
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  Virginia Cooperative Extension: Knowledge for the CommonWealth. http://www.ext.vt.edu/.
  
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  Virginia Naturally: Linking Virginians to the Environment. http://www.vanaturally.com/. Offers environmental resources for teachers.
  
  
  

Virginia’s Mineral Resources

Organizing Topic Investigating Natural Resources

Overview Students name mineral resources found in Virginia and list ways they are used.

Related Standards of Learning 4.8c

Objectives

The students should be able to

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  recognize the importance of Virginia’s mineral resources, including coal, limestone, granite, sand, and gravel.
  

Materials needed

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  Sample products made from Virginia’s mineral resources
  
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  K-W-L chart
  
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  Chart paper
  
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  Research materials
  
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  Internet access
  

Instructional activity

Content/Teacher Notes

Coal is mined in the mountains of the southwestern part of the state. Limestone and granite are dug from deep pits called “quarries” and are used as building materials. Sand and gravel are also dug from pits and are used in building and road construction.

Introduction

1. Display products made from mineral resources found in Virginia, and have students name the resources used in the production of each. Write the student-generated list on chart paper, and post it on the wall.

Procedure

1. Give each student a K-W-L chart. Have them fill in the “K” part regarding Virginia’s mineral resources. Then, ask what they would like to learn, and tell them to fill in the “W” part. Tell students they will be researching mineral products that are found in Virginia.

2. Allow students to use trade books, encyclopedias, and computers to conduct research on what mineral resources are mined in Virginia and what uses these minerals have. They should include the following:

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  Coal — energy
  
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  Limestone — foundations, sidewalks, filling for the back of carpet, reservoirs for groundwater and ore deposits, cement, building stone, concrete aggregate, agricultural lime
  
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  Granite — building and ornamental stone, aggregate, countertops
  
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  Sand — aggregate, concrete and masonry uses, glass, septic tanks, riverbeds, mortar, man-made building stone
  
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  Gravel — aggregate, concrete and masonry uses, driveways, roads
  

Observations and Conclusions

1. Once again, display the products made from mineral resources found in Virginia, and have students name the resources used in the production of each. Compare this list to the one produced earlier.

2. Have students complete the “L” part of their chart.

Sample assessment

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  Have students choose one of Virginia’s mineral resources and explain how it is used and why Virginia’s resources are important.
  

Resources

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  Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy. http://www.mme.state.va.us/.
  
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  United States Geological Survey. http://www.usgs.gov/.
  

Sample Released SOL Test Items

Organizing Topic — Investigating the Sun-Earth-Moon System

Standards of Learning

4.1 The student will plan and conduct investigations in which

a) distinctions are made among observations, conclusions, inferences, and predictions;

b) hypotheses are formulated based on cause-and-effect relationships;

c) variables that must be held constant in an experimental situation are defined;

4.7 The student will investigate and understand the relationships among the Earth, moon, and sun. Key concepts include

a) the motions of the Earth, moon, and sun (revolution and rotation);

b) the causes for the Earth’s seasons and phases of the moon;

c) the relative size, position, age, and makeup of the Earth, moon, and sun; and

d) historical contributions in understanding the Earth-moon-sun system.

Essential Understandings, Correlation to Textbooks and

Knowledge, and Skills Other Instructional Materials

The students should be able to

differentiate between rotation and revolution;

describe how the Earth’s axial tilt causes the seasons;

model the formation of the eight moon phases, sequence the phases in order, and describe how the phases occur;

describe the major characteristics of the sun, including its approximate size, color, age, and overall composition;

create and describe a model of the sun-Earth-moon system with approximate scale distances and sizes;

compare and contrast an Earth-centered model of the solar system to the sun-centered one;

analyze the differences in what Aristotle, Ptolemy, Copernicus, and Galileo observed and what influenced their conclusions;

compare and contrast the surface conditions of the Earth, moon, and sun;

describe a contribution of the NASA Apollo missions to our understanding of the moon.

What’s the Difference?

Organizing Topic Investigating the Sun-Earth-Moon System

Overview Students investigate the similarities and differences among the sun, Earth, and moon.

Related Standards of Learning 4.7c