Wildlife Conservation Center New York Aquarium: 7th grade
Grade
Level:
7th Grade
Subject:
Earth Science
Learning
Standards:
New York State MST Standard 4 – Science, Physical
Setting
NYS MST Standard 6 – Interconnectedness, Patterns
of Change
NYS MST Standard 7 – Interdisciplinary Problem
Solving
Time
Requirements:
Pre-Visit Lesson = 45 minutes
Visit = 120 minutes
Topics
Covered by This Lesson:
Weathering
Chemical
Mechanical
The Composition of Sand
Granite, Shells, Quartz, Slate, Feldspar, Magnetite,
Mica, Hornblende
New York Aquarium
Purpose:
To understand what weathering is
To learn how weathering creates sand
To have the students become acquainted with the
layout of the New York Aquarium (including the Coney Island shore) and what
they will be doing there.
Objectives:
Students will learn what weathering is.
Students will brainstorm and list examples of weathering
(both mechanical and chemical).
Students will learn how sand is created through
weathering.
Students will become familiar with the layout of
the New York Aquarium.
Students will understand what they will be required
to do during their visit of the New York Aquarium (hand out the task requirements
for their visit: information they will be gathering and questions they will
be answering).
Materials Required:
Sand
Student Learning Prerequisites:
Students must have gone over some of the basic rocks
before (such as granite, quartz, feldspar, slate, etc.)
Students will investigate the sand on the beach
and explain how weathering caused it.
Students will try and figure out what the sand is
mostly made up of on the Coney Island shore.
Students will try to find evidence of granite, quartz,
feldspar, shells, slate, magnetite, hornblende, and mica in the sand.
Students will explain how the sand composition differs
on varying parts of the beach and try to explain why.
Students will also determine if the sand contains
iron by using magnets.
When they are done, students can visit any of the
displays within the museum at their own leisure.
Assessment:
Verbally ask the students and review with them:
What is weathering?
What are some examples of weathering?
How is sand created?
What is sand made up of?
Make sure their answers are correct. If not, review
it with them.
Also, go over their visit investigations and conclusions.
Extensions and Suggested Homework Assignments:
Give the students a piece of granite and have them
try to use different weathering techniques (mechanical and chemical) to break
down the rock.
Give the students sand from different beaches (black,
pink, yellow, and white) and have them try to figure out what basic rocks
or substances make up the sand.
Possible
Questions:
Why do certain beaches have pink or black sand?
What is pink sand made up of mostly?
What is black sand made up of mostly?
What color sand do you think a beach near a volcano
will have?
What type of sand has been “weathered”
longer – coarse or fine sand?
What does a marine biologist do? How do you become
a marine biologist?
MSTEP
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