PRESENTED BY:
LESSON PLAN FOR SEDIMENT JAR
Episode Two 202 – Forces That Shaped Indiana (Earth Science)
Dig down deep enough in Indiana and you'll find the elements that make our world rock-solid, from simple
gypsum to the sedimentary rocks that makes the Hoosier state famous around the world. Where does it all
come from, what is the force behind it all, and just as importantly, where does it all go? Science teacher and
host Rick Crosslin takes you around the state to show you how Indiana has been sculpted by natural forces
over thousands of years. No matter how you cut it, Indiana rocks!
Funded by:
Dr. Laura Hare Charitable Trust
Indiana Department of Education – Center for School Improvement and Performance
Veolia Water Indianapolis
Overview
Students will gain an understanding of creating a sediment jar.
Background information
Every time it rains sediments are washed into our streams, rivers and lakes. The faster the water moves the
larger the sediments are that are pulled down the into the water stream. This process is in result of gravity.
Gravity moves the water and the water mixes with soil and sediments. The sediment is composed of both
living and non-living material: soil, sand, gravel, dirt and organic material. As the speed of the water decreases
the heaviest sediments drop out first. This process causes erosion of riverbanks and creates deposits of
sediment called sand bars and deltas.
It is a continual process of eroding and depositing, riverbanks and are cut and sandbars are deposited.
Sediment jars are models of this process. Sediments are suspended in a solution and as the water slows they
are deposited. As the solution spins more energy is added and as it slows the materials drop out in layers,
causing the definition of the sedimentary layers.
Connections to the Indiana Academic Standards for Science, Grades 4 - 7
4.1.3, 4.2.4, 4.3.5, 4.3.6, 4.3.7, 4.6.3
5.1.3, 5.2.7, 5.3.6
6.1.2, 6.2.7, 6.3.15, 6.7.2
7.3.8, 7.3.10, 7.7.2
Science Process Skills
 Classifying
 Communicating
 Hypothesizing and predicting
 Inferring
 Observing
 Posing questions
Estimated Time Requirement
One 30- minute session
Materials for building the Sediment Bottle
 Recycled clear plastic bottle with a cap – small or large (16 – 24 oz)
 Water
 Gravel: from yard, aquarium or pet store
 Sand: from hardware store, pet store or garden center
 Organic dirt: from a field or outside
 Fine Sand: from hardware store, pet store or garden center
 Organic Material: parts of flowers and leave
Objectives
Students will be able to
1. identify some of the sediment that composes Indiana,
2. create a sediment jar
3. observe and identify the process of heavier materials sinking to the bottom
Procedure
Anticipatory set:
 Visit the website: www.IndianaExpeditions.org
 View the Forces That Shaped Indiana Indiana Expeditions segment
 View the video lesson from the this episode
Preparation prior to the lesson: Obtain Materials
 Collect and rinse a clear plastic bottle
 Remove the label by running it in hot water, or by using a hair dryer – careful not to burn your hands
Lesson sequence:
 Inform the students that today they are all going to create a sediment jar. Elicit from the students
some of the things they will need in order to do this. For example, what are the sedimentary
layers in Indiana?
 Fill the bottle almost to the top with water, leave enough room to add the sediments
(approximately 3-4 inches)
 Add gravel to the bottle of water creating a gravel layer about 1.5-2.0 inches thick
 Add sand to the bottle of water and gravel, approximately three handfulls of sand
 Add organic dirt to the bottle of water, gravel and sand, approximately six pinches
 Add fine sand to the bottle of water, gravel, sand and dirt, approximately one handfull






Add organic material to the bottle of water, gravel, sand, dirt and fine sand, add two or three
pieces
Place the cap on the bottle
Shake and twist the bottle to simulate a rain storm
Place the bottle back on the table observe
Leave the bottle alone for at least ten minutes
Observe the layers within the sediment jar, the heaviest materials will sink to the bottom
Closure:
 Place the sediment jar in a location where it will not be disturbed
 Observe how the layers define over time
 Discuss, as a class and then ask the students how this relates to real-world sediment.
Suggested Student Assessment
Objectives:
Ask students to write and/or illustrate what they did during this activity and what
they learned from their participation in the activity.
Extending the Lesson
 Ask students to create other sediment jars with different materials.
 Encourage students to do some research on the different layers of sediment found in Indiana.
Source of Lesson
Rick Crosslin
To learn more, visit the website at www.IndianaExpeditions.org