Current Projects

If Rocks Could Talk...
What Would They Tell Us?

English version - GLOBAL LEARNING PROJECT
ORILLAS - I * EARN y  PR-SSI  1999-2000-2001

Title:  If rocks could talk... what would they tell us?

The project "If rocks could talk...what would they tell us?" is the result 
of a collaborative initiative between the Orilla-I*EARN Center and the 
Project PR-SSI.  The Orillas-I*EARN Center is a collaborative network 
dealing with culture and equity in language integration research, culture 
and equity using technology as a means for exchanging at a distance.  The 
PR-SSI Project (Puerto Rico Statewide Systemic Initiative) has as its 
primary goal the transformation of science and mathematics education in 
Puerto Rico's School system, according to the national, as well as the local 
standards of excellence.

This collaboration emerged from the great enthusiasm generated by the 6th Annual I*EARN Conference held July 11 to 17, 1999 in Puerto Rico.

Project Description:
  
In several areas of Puerto Rico land has been exploited in the name of 
progress through the construction of housing complex, commercial centers, 
and other types of building structures.  The project "If rocks could 
talk...what would they tell us?" would promote in the participating classes 
the analysis and study of their environment so as to share their experiences with students from other geographical regions.  It would also promote 
creativity and social actions in the participating students.
  
Activities have been been organized according to the theoretical triangle 
of Orilla, which was developed by Alma Flor Ada.  By passing through the 
different cognitives phases (Descriptive, Interpretative-Personal, Critical 
Analysis, Creative Action/Social) the student would stimulate his/her 
creativity and commitment with his/her social environment.
  
The students will collect, classify and analyze different types of rocks 
found in rock quarries and other areas in his/her community, they will 
describe the rock's formation and will appreciate their surrounding in its 
natural state.  Through the process the students will create visual products (rocks), literary, and mathematics (graphs) around the theme "rocks."

Activity 1:  Presentation of the groups
(October-November)
   Each participating teacher will write a message in which s/he will 
describe his/her group.  It is advisable to include the name of the school, 
its location, the teacher's name, number of students, grade and ages of the 
students, the purposes of the group and the activities they expect to 
realize.  You can include pertinent and specifict information about the 
school and its community and their surroundings, as well as specific 
characteristics that distinguish them.  In this presentation the area 
selected to be studied should be identified and the reasons for its 
selection should also be given.

Activity 2:  Fieldtrip to a locality in my town/city
(November-December)
   The teacher and his/her group should select a location around the 
community to be visited.  Some of these places can be rock quarries, 
mountains, and/or caves among others.  Schools should organize the fieldtrip to an area that is nearby or within their region.  In this area/location, 
they will collect rock samples using the scientific processes of identifying 
the sample, the place where it was collected, formulating hypothesis, and 
making predictions about the findings.  This activity provides for using 
measurements, fractions and percentages.

Activity 3:  Describing and grouping my samples
(December-January)
   Using the samples collected in Activity 2 the students will observe and 
describe in writing these rocks.  Their descriptions should be presented in 
creative forms.  Then the students using the descriptions previously written will form three groups of rocks:  igneous, metamorphoses and sedimentary rocks.  The students can compare the predictions made during the fieldtrip with the data obtained during the description and classification of rocks in the classroom.  The teacher can take the opportunity to promote cooperative 
working groups among her students.

Activity 4:  Making my rock
(January-/february)
   To conduct this activity we must part from the formulation of the 
following question:  How are rocks form?  The discussion of this question 
will be done using the individual discussion techniques in pairs, groups 
and/or through interviews.  Students can consult information sources such as the library, Internet, written and oral reports.  Once this question has 
been discussed the students will create his/her own rock using creative low 
cost materials.

Expected Products
1.  (March-April)  One of the products from this project is the creation of 
a home page with the participating students' contributions.  This page will 
include the creation of a digital collection of rocks.  For this reason, it 
is required that the teachers and students take photos and describe the 
properties of the rocks they collected.  The following information should be 
included with the photos: rock classification, place found and description 
of the rock.

2.  (April-May) A hard copy document will be developed with the 
contributions of participating classes.

3.  The production of literary products such as poems, games, stories,and 
even jokes that are about rocks.

Participants:

This project has been designed by groups of teachers and educators 
interested in the development of the teaching of science and the integration of other school subjects, as well as, the integration of technology.
   The group is composed of:
   -The Secondary Elementary Unit in Sumidero, Aguas Buenas
     Teachers:  Maria M. Nieves (visual Arts)
                Aileen Velazquez (mathematics)
                Laura Cotto (science)
                Carmen Reyes (coordinator)
   -Ramon E. Rodriguez Intermediate School in Hormiguero
    Teachers:  Yasmin Cedeno (science4)
               Maria Munoz (mathematics)
               Daisy Sanchez (coordinator)
   -Pablo Colon Verdecia High School in Barranquita
    Teachers:  Ana J. Figueroa (mathematics)
               Diana S. Gonzalez (science, chemestry)
               Amarilys Rodriguez (technology)
               Raul E. Marrero (mathematics, coordinator)
   -PR-SSI Project:  Betty Vega
                     Sonia Suazo
                     Elba Velazquez
                     Pablo rivera
                     Luis de Jesus
   -Orillas-I*EARN Project:  Enid Figueroa
                             Kristin Brown

Announcement:
  
The participating teachers would like to identify three schools that 
would like to share and exchange the activities that have been described. 
The schools should represent the three levels:  elementary, intermediate and high school.
   Besides the activities that have been described in this convocatory the 
pair of schools from each level will exchange, through regular mail, a 
package entitled "My rock."  This package could include among other things: 
a map in which the location of the school has been identified and the area 
where rock samples were gathered, a flag og the city, state country, 
pictures of the participants, letters and messages from the students, art 
craft from the region...  This package should be mailed by the middle of 
February as part of the St. Valentine's celebration.

To participate, please write to Enid Figueroa efigueroa@orillas.org