Ms. Sutton

3^rd Grade Earth Materials Project

DUE Tuesday, March 13th, 2012

Dear Parents,

A major focus of third grade is the integration of research information, word processing skills, the writing process, editing skills, and personal effort. To help your child excel in these areas they will be completing an Earth Materials project. We have begun our studies on Earth Materials in class. You will find all of the requirements for the project below. The project will be a large part of 3^rd quarter Writing and Science grades.

The project will be worth a total of 100 points.

Written report- 50 points

Visual presentation- 25 points

Oral presentation- 25 points

(Possible extra credit if outstanding!)

The Earth Materials topics students will choose from are:

*Pick your top three choices

*See Ms. Sutton for project examples from the list below.

Earthquake Faults

Earthquake Energy Waves

Earthquakes-Moving plates

Tsunamis

Hurricanes

Tornadoes

Volcano Craters

Volcanoes

Volcano Anatomy (inside of a volcano)

Igneous Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Rock Cycle

Minerals

Fossils Timeline (see Ms. Sutton for project)

Fossils (formation types and discovery)

Layers of the Earth (inside the earth)

Weathering of Rocks

The Story of Soil (see Ms. Sutton for project)

Caves

Erosion (landslide, canyons, rock formations, etc)

Students will learn as much as possible about the earth material they have been assigned. Remember this is a research paper, not an opinion paper. Only use facts, not what you think about the earth material. Your child may use mini books or class assignments, our school library, any public library, and the Internet to help with their research.

They MAY NOT copy directly from a website or book, in must be written in their own words.

Part 1: The Written Report

Students will bring home a factsheet outline (attached) to help them gather and organize their information. Below you will find all of the information that needs to be included in their written research report. The report should have a cover page with the name of their earth material and a picture, 5 paragraphs containing the information outlined below, and a work cited page that includes 3-5 sources (books or websites used). Correct spelling, punctuation, and format will be a big part of your grade. The report can be typed on a computer or hand written. It must be VERY neat. Points will be taken off for messy handwriting.

Paragraphs

What should be included in each paragraph: (paragraphs should be 5-7 sentences long).

1^st Paragraph- Introduction of earth material

2^nd Paragraph- Description of the earth material (where they are found,

how they occur)

3^rd Paragraph- How does this earth material affect the Earth

4^th Paragraph- Interesting facts and why it is important to learn about

this topic

5^th Paragraph- Conclusion- Wrap it all up by summarizing what you

have said in your report.

Part 2: Visual- Create your Earth Materials

Your topic has many unique and interesting features. Pick one of the following to create a representation of your exciting Earth Material. This will be displayed for other classes and grade levels to walk through and see later in the week.

Diorama or model +poster or presentation board
Mobile +poster or presentation board
Other idea approved by the teacher

Part

3: Oral Presentation

Each student will be presenting their project orally in front of the class the morning/afternoon of the due date and they will be watched for knowledge of project during our “Geology Museum”. They will need to tell us all about their earth material. They may use note cards to aide in their presentation, but cannot read directly from their report. They will be asked questions from the class and myself to see how much they have learned about their Earth Material! The goal is for them to learn about something fun and interesting and learn how to research! The presentation should be 3-5 minutes in length.

You will have about 5 weeks to complete this research project. Please help your student organize their time and research. Please do NOT turn in the project early as we do not have the space this year to store projects. Please take time over the Rodeo Break to finish working on the project.

Have Fun!!!

Please contact me with any questions or concerns.

Thank you!

Project Due Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Name ________________________________ Date __________________

Earth Materials Report Outline

(This is for you to use to organize your information, it does not need to be turned in

Name of your Earth Material- ____________________________________

Description of Earth Material-

_____________________________________________________________________

3. How does it affect the earth-

_____________________________________________________________________

Interesting facts/Why it is important to learn about-

_____________________________________________________________________

5. Conclusion-

_____________________________________________________________________

Books and Websites used-

1. __________________________________________________________________

2. __________________________________________________________________

3. __________________________________________________________________

4. __________________________________________________________________

5. __________________________________________________________________

Due Tuesday, March 13^th, 2011

Earth Materials Project Grading Sheet

Written Research Paper= 50 points

· Introduction (10 pts)

· Describe/ define topic (10 pts)

· Affects on the Earth (10 pts)

· Interesting facts about the topic (10 pts)

· Conclusion (5 pts)

/45 points

· Internet and book sources cited in a list (5 pts)

/5 points

Visual Project= 25 points

Diorama, collage, scene, AND poster or presentation board

· Accurate (5 pts)

· Creativity (5 pts)

· Neatness (5 pts)

· Completeness (5 pts)

· On Time (5 pts)

/25 points

Oral Presentation= 25 points

· Well prepared

· Knowledge of topic

· Clear voice

· Use of note cards, Power Point or memory of information

· Polite audience member

/25 points

Total Points ____/100

Teacher Comments:

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Ms. Sutton

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