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Friday, September 10, 2010 |
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Teacher turns geography travels into lesson
Published February 4, 2010
Igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary sound like names of famous cartoon characters.
While they may be well-known names, it is not for talent as animated personalities.
Rissa Springs, a Navarro High School science teacher, learned last summer the difference between these rocking types.
During a geology course through Texas A&M University, Springs got hands-on training about the different types of rocks and how they are formed.
“G-Camp was an in-service opportunity,” she said. “They take the teachers on a 16-day geology field trip.”
Along with 29 other teachers, two graduate students and a couple of professors, Springs ventured through Texas, New Mexico and Colorado to study geological samples.
“We did several places in Texas and from there we went to parts of New Mexico up to Colorado and then back through New Mexico and then home,” she said.
Springs, a high school biology and chemistry teacher, said the two-week course doesn’t fit into her lesson plans on the high school level, but said she can work some of the knowledge in.
“Geology is not part of the TEKS requirement through the state, but I get to incorporate what I learned in both biology and in chemistry because a lot of the processes are the same,” she said.
While the study may not fit the older students’ curriculum, it does work for the younger students.
The lesson geared toward rock formations fit right into this week’s lesson plans, said Leatha Zamzow, second grade teacher.
“Our C-Scope science curriculum has an extensive unit on rocks,” she said. “The students learn about the rock cycle and the types of rocks. Mrs. Springs’ presentation allowed the students to explore the rock cycle. All of the many pictures and rock samples engaged the students to be active learners.”
Fitting nearly 100 students in to the library, Springs gave the second-graders a crash course on the rock cycle.
Zamzow said Springs’ presentation was both educational and involving.
“She was able to explain the rock cycle at a level for second graders to fully understand and grasp the concept,” she said. “She was very successful at engaging the students to begin to see how the rock cycle works.”
For the lecture, Springs grabbed the young learners’ attention by telling them stories, asking them questions, showing them photos and giving them a live lab to see the different types of formations.
“They also asked plenty of questions and they were very interested and they loved the pictures,” Springs said. “They were very into what they were seeing and they were very hands-on. Anything that little kids can touch, feel, pick up and sniff — they like that.”
Of the ways the different rocks form, weather is a deciding factor for some, Springs told the students.
And while on the trip, Springs said she got to see first hand that part of the cycle.
“While we were in Colorado, it was raining and we had to stop in the middle of the road for about 30 minutes until it stopped because the rain was causing runoff that was washing rocks down the side of the mountain,” she said.
Zamzow agreed that the students really got a kick out of seeing the personal photos from Springs’ trip.
“All of the second grade classrooms really enjoyed the cool rock Powerpoint,” Zamzow said. “My students loved the hands-on look at rocks. They liked being able to see and touch the many examples of rocks. They were very excited about being able to identify the types of rocks and how they were formed.”
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