A First Look At Soil
Teacher Name(s): Kim Collazo
Date: Spring 2007
Grade level(s): 3
Content Areas: Science, Technology
Description/Abstract: Students will conduct and share a hands-on look at a
soil sample.
Timeline: 40 minutes
Goals/Content and Cognitive:
Through hands on learning, students will realize that soil is made up of many
different components. They will begin to understand that these components
can be grouped into categories. This will prepare them for a coming lesson
when they will learn the terms organic and inorganic. Students will also
develop skills in sharing "data" and information.
Links to Curriculum Standards:
Grade 3 Science 2.04 - Identify the basic components of soil. Computer
Technology Skills 2.02 - Discuss and select appropriate technology tools to
collect, analyze, and display data.
Guiding Questions:
Big Question: "What is in Soil?"
Assessment:
Students will be evaluated on task completion. At the end of the lesson each
child should have several categories of soil particles with a name for each.
This will be displayed on their graphic organizer page. A completion check
list will be used (a spreadsheet with students and tasks to be completed by
end of the unit). The teacher will also use informal assessment during the
discussion/sharing phase of the lesson. Students will be given a "Thought
Question" at the end of the lesson to assess understanding.
Learning Connections:
This is a discovery lesson. Since no vocabulary has been taught for the unit,
at this point, students may have trouble developing a label for each of their
soil particle categories. Unique and creative labels will be encouraged.
Learning Activites or Tasks:
Students will explore, separate, and evaluate the various particles that make
up soil. The teacher may wish to use the interactive sorting and classifying
activity (see teacher resources for this lesson) so students will better
understand this concept when they sort and classify their soil sample.
After covering the work areas with newspaper, the teacher should provide a
cup of soil and a spoon for each group. The teacher should make sure the soil
has been collected from a place that will maximize the amount of different
particles in the sample.
Students will be given a graphic organizer (make copies of the first
PowerPoint slide for this lesson - see teacher materials), a hand lens, a Qtip, and a toothpick.
Students will be instructed to place two spoonfuls of the soil into the middle
of the graphic organizer. They will be asked to separate the soil into groups
(using the graphic organizer) according to the different particles they see in
the sample.
Upon completion of the separation task, students will be asked to develop a
label for each of the groups, and write it on the organizer.
Students will share their findings with the class as the teacher records the
information on a class graphic organizer (see PowerPoint for this lesson)
using an interactive whiteboard.
Prior to clean-up procedures a digital picture will be taken of each of the
students' graphic organizers. This picture will be added to their individual
wiki pages.
Following clean-up procedures, students will be given a "Thought Question"
to answer in writing.
Teaching Strategies:
Students will be involved in inquiry-based science in this lesson. Creativity
and unique answers will be praised during the labeling task. Sharing will be
encouraged during the group discussion. Students will be the scientific
explorers. The use of the interactive whiteboard will allow student
responses to be recorded and saved for later use. Digital pictures and their
import onto student wikis will promote collaborative collecting and sharing of
information and data.
Management:
Students will work independently at their desks, but be encouraged to share
ideas throughout the lesson.
Materials and Resources:
Soil sample chosen for the diversity of the particles it contains.
Newspapers (to cover the work area)
Cups (to contain the soil for each group)
Spoons, Q-tips, and toothpicks
Hand lenses
Soil Sample graphic organizer (see teacher materials for this lesson)
pencils
Interactive whiteboard (optional)
Digital camera
Teacher-created wiki pages for each student (see appendix for wiki
instructions)
"Thought Question" for this lesson (see teacher materials for this lesson)
Lesson Evaluation and Teacher Reflection:
Questions:
Was this lesson worth doing?
In what ways was this lesson effective?
What evidence do you have for your conclusion?
How would you change this lesson for teaching it again?
What did you observe your students doing and learning?
Did your students find the lesson meaningful and worth completing?