Jill Seamster's approach to project assignments with her 5th grade students utilized the exact same list of projects as Mariam Hieber, but she grouped them with a differentiated approach in mind. Some activities were repeated in all groups, but others were not. Here are her three assignments:

Group 1

Do all four projects:

Gather Information on the theory of Pangea.  Present your findings to the class.

Design a survey of ways people use soil, sand, and rocks.  Survey family or family friends.  Graph the ways to show the frequency of each usage.

Use clay, shells, leaves, and twigs to investigate how fossils form.  Identify different types of fossils, imprints, molds and casts.

Compare and contrast the importance of a rock as seen through he eyes of any artist, a geologist, and a gem merchant.

Choose one of the two projects below:

Collect and label 6-10 rocks.  Arrange in a display to share with he class.  Write a brief description of the rocks' characteristics and origin.

Determine how the minerals of the ocean may be divided fairly among the countries of the world.  Make notes for a five minute speech to justify your plans.

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Group 2

Do all four projects:

Research a volcanic eruption such as Vesuvius or Mount Saint Helens.  Write a magazine article about it, as if you were an eyewitness.  Include the location of the volcano, when it erupts and other interesting facts about it.

Label the Earth's major plates.  Explain the concept of plate tectonics.

Explain the different ways the Earth changes and illustrate each.  Include weathering and erosion examples.

Develop a time line to illustrate the earth's geological history.

Choose one of the two projects below:

Collect and label 6-10 rocks.  Arrange in a display to share with he class.  Write a brief description of the rocks' characteristics and origin.

Determine how the minerals of the ocean may be divided fairly among the countries of the world.  Make notes for a five minute speech to justify your plans.

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Group 3

Do all four projects:

Draw a series of three pictures to illustrate commonly used products which are made from rocks and minerals.

Make a list of all the ways you can think of that people change the earth's surface.

Design a cut-away model of the layers of the earth.

Develop a VENN diagram to identify, compare, and contrast the 3 types of rocks:  Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic.  Create a graphic organizer to show the rock cycle.

Choose one of the two projects below:

Collect and label 6-10 rocks.  Arrange in a display to share with he class.  Write a brief description of the rocks' characteristics and origin.

Determine how the minerals of the ocean may be divided fairly among the countries of the world.  Make notes for a five minute speech to justify your plans.