Download What is Soil?

LESSON PLAN
Date: 10/31/2008
.
Type of Lesson:
Whole Class___X__
Small Group
X .
Tutoring _______
Unit: Weather and Water .
Subject:
Earth Science .
Rationale: Students have encountered dirt in their daily lives when playing sports,
walking in the woods, gardening with their parents etc., but they are not likely to
appreciate how complex soil is or how soil effects plants.
NJ Core Curriculum Standards:
5.1, 5.8, 5.10
Objectives:
-Learn the definition of soil
-Learn what the material and size components of soil are
-Learn how soil is important to our everyday lives
-Discuss how peat soil is part of ADP’s research
Materials Needed:
(Per group)
Soil samples
Peat sample
Bowls
Petri dishes - or – sheets of white paper
Magnifying glasses/stereoscope
Scales
(Per class)
Soil samples
Peat sample
Small balls
Large balls
Blocks
2 containers for balls
Engagement/ Anticipatory Set: This activity will be preceded by developing a definition
of soil with the class. The soil samples will be given out to the groups so the students can
touch/investigate it. The class will discuss their ideas about soil. The instructor will
guide the students to categorize the parts of soil as sand, silt, clay and organic.
Vocabulary: groundwater, saturation, particle, surface area, organic
Exploration /Group Work:
This lesson is an investigation to learn the material composition and size of soil particles
and how different soils behave when wet. If time allows, students will also be guided
through abstract thought concerning the surface area of spheres. The procedure is as
follows:
Set up
-Spread a sample of each soil out on a sheet of paper or in a Petri dish.
-Examine each sample with a hand lens and make general notes on what the soils are
composed of (big, medium, small, wet, etc.)
-Feel each soil and record tactile observations
-take similar sized samples of each and weigh them. Why are similar volumes different
weights?
-Wet each soil in a bowl, record observations about how the soil changes.
-Add more water, record which soils can hold water and which can’t.
Class discussion
-Why is the size of the soil particles important?
-What does the amount of water a soil can hold have to do with plants?
-What does the amount of water a soil can hold have to do with pollution?
EXTRA-Surface area
-Ask the students to predict which will have more surface are: a bucket with several large
balls or a bucket of the same size with many small balls.
-Demonstrate surface area with square objects, have students refine prediction
-Demonstrate with different size balls, make the connection that tiny balls (spheres) are a
model of soil
Evaluation/ Assessment: The students will bring in a zip-lock bag with some soil from
home. They will write a description of the soil, including a prediction of how well plants
can grow in it with justification to be handed in for assessment.
Extension/Homework: Choose/predict one of the soils as the best to grow a plant in.
Plant a seed and let it grow in the classroom for the rest of the term.