Lesson Plan: Soil Day 2 Anna Smith, Kara Streppa, Sarah Weinstein Grade: 3rd Subject Areas: Science

Approximate Time Frame: 50-60 minutes Pre/Post Knowledge/Skills This lesson is designed to further the students knowledge of soil. This specific lesson is allowing students to collect a soil sample and examine it. Previous knowledge includes what they learned in day 1 of this lesson. After this lesson, students will be able to better identify what soil is composed of and how different types of soil compare with each other. Student Objectives - Students will collect a soil sample from the outside around the school. - Students will be able to identify properties of soil and the components of soil. - Students will expand their knowledge on different types of soil and understand how they compare and contrast. ELL Objectives - For the English Language Learners in our classroom, we will have a pre-made note cards that have a property (smooth, rough, color, etc) on one side and a picture/description of that property on the other. Some ELL students might not know what is asked of them when the teacher says, describe the properties of your soil. These cards will help them to expand their scientific vocabulary related to soil and all scientific observations. - English learners can: o Match information from oral descriptions to objects (their soil model). They will use their note cards to match the property on the cards to their soil model. o Make lists Compare and contrast soil Illinois State Standards: 11A. Know and apply the concepts, principles, and processes of scientific inquiry 11.A.1f: Compare observations of individual and group results 11.A.2b: Collect data for investigations using scientific process skills including observing, estimating and measuring Materials Small shovels Plastic Baggies Plastic Gloves Paper Plates

Paper Pen/Pencils Lesson Implementation

Time

10 minutes

Opening of lesson: Remind students of the introduction soil lesson that was done previously. Explain that soil is made up of a variety of components, and today we are going to explore some of these properties. Explain to the students that today we are going to collect soil samples. Pass out one small shovel and one plastic baggie to each student. Explain that a sample can be taken from anywhere outside. Encourage students to spread out and collect soil from a variety of areas. Instruct students to collect enough soil (fill their bag) in order to fully observe the make-up of the soil.

25 minutes

Procedures: Once students are outside, again remind them to spread out and collect soil from a variety of areas around the school. Allow students about 10 minutes to collect their soil sample. Instruct them once more to use their shovel to scoop it up and place it in their baggy to seal and bring inside. Once students have all collected a soil sample, return to the classroom. Tell students to open their Science Journals to a fresh page. Instruct students to begin writing down all of the properties of their soil sample. Tell them to include as many details as possible. Give them examples of properties such as: color, texture, smell, any visual components you can see (matter in soil), and any other details that stand out. Also, be sure that each student writes down where they collected their soil sample. Once students have described their soil thoroughly in their science journal, pass out two cups to each student. They will divide their soil into roughly two equal parts (in the cups). The cups will be pre-marked with a W or a D to distinguish between the two samples. Explain to students that the W cup will be their wet sample and the D cup will be their dry sample. Walk around and help students add 1/3 of a cup of water to their W sample. After all students have a wet and dry sample of soil, have them write down the differences in the two samples. Tell them they can smell the soil, touch the soil, and study the soil however they choose. Students will develop their own inquiry-based questions to compare the two soils. Prior to the lesson, the teacher will go out and get about six soil samples, different to the ones the students have collected. For example, potting soil, soil containing clay, soil from a desert (online), soil near a body of water, soil from a garden, sand, etc. Say to students, Each table has a sample of soil that I brought in. I want you to observe and compare the samples with each of your own soil samples. Record ideas in your journal and we will discuss it as a class. Once students have had 7 minutes to compare and record their findings in their journal, the teacher will rotate the bags to different tables until each group has looked at all the bags. Gather the class on the carpet to record ideas about the similarities and differences between the different samples.

10 minutes

Closing of lesson: Ask students if they have any ideas of why the soil had the characteristics based upon where they were found. For example, explain that soil taken near water has different characteristics than very dry soil taken far from water. Accept any and all ideas that the students provide. To conclude the lesson, explain once again that soil has characteristics based upon where it is located. Tell students that tomorrow we will do an experiment to see which of the soil

How is this modeling? Students are engaged in scientific modeling by creating their own soil models to investigate and examine. The students go outside to collect soil and create their own soil samples, which are models of soil for them to examine. They will use their models that they create to record observations of their own soil as well as compare it to their classmates soil models and the soil that was provided by the teacher. Furthermore, they will add water to some of the samples to have another model to compare their original model to. This gives the students multiple types of soil to observe and notice the similarities and differences in an attempt to discover how and why soil is used.