Image of heart-shaped geodes
Courtesy of Uruguay Minerals (All Images)
Picture This,

Hearts of Stone

From the February 2025 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will get information about heart-shaped geodes through text and images.

Lexiles: 390L
Featured Skill: Key Details,
Topic: Science,
Common Core Standards
  • RF.1.3 Decoding RI.1.1 Key details RI.1.3 Connecting information RI.1.4 Vocabulary RI.1.5 Text features RI.1.6 Distinguish between information from words and images RI.1.7 Use visuals SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative discussions with peers and adults SL.1.2 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read-aloud
TEKS Standards
  • Science
    (6) Matter and its properties. The student knows that objects have physical properties that determine how they are described and classified. The student is expected to: (A) classify objects by observable physical properties, including, shape, color, and texture, and attributes such as larger and smaller and heavier and lighter.

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Would you want hearts like these for Valentine’s Day?
They are heart-shaped geodes. Geodes are rocks with sparkly gems inside.

  • The outside of the rock is dull.
  • The inside has sparkly crystals.
  • The name of the purple gems is amethyst [am-eh-thist].

They were found by two miners. It was their job to find gems. They used axes to break open the rocks. But they never thought they would find pretty purple hearts!

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Slideshows (1)
Activities (2)
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
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Slideshows (1)
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Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)

About the Article

English Language Arts Focus

Nonfiction Text Features: Photographs & Labels

Science Focus

Earth Science; Rocks and Minerals

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

Implementation

  • Whole group
  • Small group

Pairings and Text Connections

  • From the Storyworks 1 archive: “Picture This!: Me Want Cookie Monster Rock” (February 2023); “Picture This!: The Tallest Sandcastle” (May/June 2023)
  • Suggested books: National Geographic Little Kids: First Big Book of Rocks, Minerals & Shells by Moira Rose Donohue; What Can You Do with a Rock? by Pat Zietlow Miller

Before-Reading Resources

  • Vocabulary Slideshow (5 minutes) geodes, gems, miners, amethyst
  • Video: Rocks and Minerals (5 minutes) Build background knowledge on this fascinating topic

Suggested Reading Focus

Getting information from text and images/labels (20 minutes)

  • Begin by reminding children that we get information from pictures. Take a close look at the photos of the rocks. Ask children to share what they notice about them. Have they ever seen rocks like that before?
  • Read the mini article and photo caption aloud for information about the rocks. What is the special name for a rock with sparkly gems inside? (geode) Who found these geodes?
  • Put your finger on a label, and have children do the same. Ask children what labels do. (They point to a part of the picture and tell us more about it.) Have children follow the arrows with their fingers. Then read the labels together.
  • Finally, discuss what children learned from both the picture and the words in the article. What can they recall? What was most interesting?

After-Reading Skills Practice

Skills: Identify topic sentences; vocabulary (15 minutes each)

Text-to-Speech