Understanding by Design
Identify Desired Results (Stage 1)
Content Standards
Earth and Space Science – Exploring Soils (ES)
ES3.2 Analyze the interdependence between soil and living things, including the importance of soil for individuals, society, and all components of the
environment.
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings
Open-ended questions that stimulate thought and inquiry linked to the
content of the enduring understanding.
In what ways can we analyze the interdependence between soil and living
things?
How is soil important for individuals, society, and all components of the
environment?
What do you want students to understand & be able to use several
years from now?
Students will understand that . . .
There is an interdependence between soil and living things.
Soil is important for individuals, society, and all components of the
environment.
Knowledge
Skills
Students will know…
Students will be able to…
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Values of soil
Uses of soil
Definition of interdependence
Characteristics of soil
Collaborative strategies
Safety procedures
Scientific procedures
Types of soils
Definition of erosion
Sustainable practices
Compaction of soils
Contamination of soils
Research strategies
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Suggest ways individuals and communities value and use soil
Examine interdependence between animals and soils
Examine interdependence between plants and soils
Relate characteristics of soils to their uses
Observe effects of moving water on soils in different environments
Collaboratively design and safely carry out procedures to determine
the effects of moving water on different types of soils
Propose practices individuals and communities can take to reduce
the effects of erosion on a small scale and a large scale
Suggest sustainable practices that can affect soils positively
Suggest sustainable practices that can reduce or prevent harmful
effects (i.e. compaction and contamination of soils)
Research careers that involve an understanding of soil