a learning activity for the scoop on soils soil treasure huntthe globe program soil treasure hunt -...

Purpose•Tolearnaboutnaturalthingscommonlyfoundinsoilandhowthesethings

impacthowthesoillooksandfeels.•Tointroducestudentstotheconceptofdecomposition.

OverviewStudentswillmakepredictionsaboutwhattheythinktheywillfindinasampleofsoil.Theywillinvestigatethesampleandsortoutthevariousitemstheyfind.Nexttheywillspendtimeoutsideobservingoneormoresitestoseewhattheyfindinthesoil.Afterrecordingandsharingtheirobservationstheywillcreatetheirownstoriesaboutthethingstheyfoundinthesoil.

Student OutcomesAftercompletingthisactivity,studentswillknowaboutvariousthingsfoundinsoilincludingrocks,critters,roots,andotherorganicmaterial.Theywillalsounderstandthatanimalsandmicroorganismsaidinthedecompositionprocessthatcontributesorganicmaterialstosoil.

Science Content Standard A: Science as Inquiry•Abilitiesnecessarytodoscientificinquiry

Science Content Standard B: Physical Science•Propertiesofobjectsandmaterials

Science Content Standard C: Life Science•Thecharacteristicsoforganisms•Organismsandtheirenvironments

Science Content Standard D: Earth and Space Science•Propertiesofearthmaterials

Time•Part1:One30minuteclassperiod•Part2:One30-45minuteclassperiod

LevelPrimary(mostappropriateforgradesK-4)

Materials

Part 1:•ElementaryGLOBE

book:TheScooponSoils

Foreachstudentgroup:

•Asoilsamplefromasitenearyourschool

•Meshwirestrainers

•Tweezers,toothpicks,eyedroppers,magnifyinglenses,rulers

•Pencils

•Markers,coloredpencils,orcrayons

•CopiesoftheSoilTreasureHuntStudentActivitySheet1(oneperstudent)

Part 2: •Shovelsortrowels

•Meshwirestrainers

•Tweezers,toothpicks,eyedroppers,magnifyinglenses,rulers

•Pencils

•Markers,coloredpencils,orcrayons

•CopiesoftheSoilTreasureHuntStudentActivitySheet2(oneperstudent)

TheGLOBEProgram SoilTreasureHunt-Page1 TheScooponSoils

Soil Treasure Hunt

ALearningActivityforThe Scoop on Soils

©2006UniversityCorporationforAtmosphericResearchAllRightsReserved

Preparation

•Read the Elementary GLOBE book The Scoop onSoils–eitherreadittotheclassorhavestudentsreadittothemselves.Thebookcanbedownloadedfromwww.globe.gov/elementaryglobe.

•Readaboutdiggingsoilprofilesinthesoilchapterof the GLOBE Teacher’s Guide (www.globe.gov)to learn more about site selection and safetyprocedures.

•Collectsoilsamplesnearyourschool.Thesamplesmaycontainsomeofthesematerials:rocks,sticks,leaves,seeds, roots, insects,worms, treeneedlesorleaves,andsand,silt,orclay.Studentscanalsobring in samples from theirhomes, takingsoil atthesurfaceordeepertodemonstratedifferencesinsoilproperties.Note:cautionstudentsnottodigaholewithoutadultsupervision.

•Covertheclassroomworkspaceswithnewspaper.

•MakecopiesofSoilTreasureHuntStudentActivitySheets.

Teacher’s Notes

Soil CompositionSoilsarecomposedoffourmaincomponents:•Mineralsofdifferentsizes•Organicmaterialsfromtheremainsofdeadplants

andanimals•Waterthatfillsopenporespaces•Airthatfillsopenporespaces

Five Soil Forming FactorsSeveralfactorscontolsoilformation;theyare:

1.ParentMaterial:Thisisthematerialfromwhichthesoilisformed.Soilparentmaterialcanbebedrock,organic material, loose soil deposited by wind,water, glaciers, volcanoes, or material movingdownaslope.

2.Climate:Heat,rain,ice,snow,wind,sunshine,andotherenvironmentalforcesbreakdowntheparentmaterialandaffecthowfastorslowsoilprocessesgo.

3.Organisms:Thisincludesallplantsoranimalslivingin or on the soil (including micro-organisms andhumans!).Theamountofwaterandnutrientsplantsneedaffects thewaysoil forms.Animals living inthe soil affect decomposition of waste materialsandhowsoilmaterialswillbemovedaroundinthesoilprofile.Theremainsofdeadplantsandanimalsbecomeorganicmatterthatenrichesthesoil.Theway humans use soils affect soil formation (i.e.agriculture,development,etc.).

4.Topography:Thelocationofsoilonalandscapecanaffecthowclimateprocessesimpactit.Soilsatthebottomofahillwillgetmorewaterthansoilsontheslopes,andsoilsontheslopesthatdirectlyfacethesunwillbedrierthansoilsonslopesthatareshaded.

5.Time:Alloftheabovefactorsassertthemselvesover time, often hundreds or thousands ofyears.

Soil Profiles and Soil HorizonsThewaythefivesoil-formingfactorsinteractisalwaysdifferent from one place to another, so soils differgreatly from each other. Each section of soil on alandscape has its own unique characteristics. Thefaceofsoil,orthewayitlooksifyoucutasectionofitoutoftheground,iscalledasoil profile.Everysoilprofileismadeupoflayerscalledsoil horizons.Soilhorizonscanbeasthinasafewmillimetersorthickerthanameter.

Soilprofilesandtheirhorizonschangeasyoumoveacross a landscape, and also change as you movedownward deeper into the soil at one location. Infact, soil samples taken at the surface may haveentirely different characteristics and appearancesfromsoildugdeeperinthesoilprofile.Soilhorizonsare different as you dig deeper, mainly due to themixing of organic material in the upper horizonsandweatheringandleachinginthelowerhorizons.Erosionordepositionmightalsoaffectthewayasoilprofilelooksataparticularlocation.

SeethesoilchapteroftheGLOBETeacher’sGuideformoreinformationonsoil(www.globe.gov).

TheGLOBEProgram SoilTreasureHunt-Page2 TheScooponSoils©2006UniversityCorporationforAtmosphericResearchAllRightsReserved

TheGLOBEProgram SoilTreasureHunt-Page3 TheScooponSoils

What To Do and How To Do It

Part 1:1.Holdupabagofsoil,tellthestudentswhereyou

collecteditandhowdeepyoudugtocollectthesoil.Askthestudentswhattheythinktheymightfindinthesoilsampleiftheyweretostudyitcarefully.Tellthestudentsthatthissoilisdifferentfromthesand/silt/claysamplesyouinvestigatedintheGettingtoKnow Soils learning activity, emphasizing that itcame from a natural place rather than a lab thatseparatedthesoiltypefromanaturalsample.

2.After developing a list of predictions on theboard, distribute a bag of soil and various tools(strainer,magnifying lenses,etc.) tosmallgroupsofstudents.

3.Have each student write a prediction and aquestionaboutsoilonhisorherSoilTreasureHuntStudentActivitySheet1.Youngerstudentswillneedassistancewiththisstep.

4.Giveeachgroupofstudentsabagofsoil.Explainto the students that this sample has lots of theingredients in it that make up soil. Have thestudentsuse their fingers andother tools to sortoutthedifferentthingstheyfindinthesoil.Theycan put them in piles based on their categories(rocks, plant parts, animals, other things). HaveeachstudentrecordhisorherobservationsontheSoilTreasureHuntActivitySheet1.

5.Ifthestudentsfindlivingthingsinthesoilsuchasinsectsandearthworms,havethemdrawwhattheyfound and then release them outside where thesoilsamplewascollected.

6.Havethestudentssharetheirobservationswiththeclass.Usechartpapertorecordtheirobservations.Theycanshareverballyandtheteachercanrecordthe observations, or students can write theirobservationsonstickynotesandputthemonthechartpaper.

Part 2:1.Takestudentsoutsideanddigintothetoplayerof

thesoil.Thismaybethelayerthathasplantrootsand critters in it or it may just be mineral soil ifthereisnovegetationgrowingonit.

2.Havethestudentstaketimeinvestigatingwhattheyseeinthesoil.Askthemtolookfor“treasures”likerocks,critters,andplants.

3.GiveeachstudentacopyoftheSoilTreasureHuntStudent Activity Sheet 2 and have each studentrecord his or her observations. They can rub thesoilonthepapertoshowitscolor.

4.Take a digital photograph of the soil pit that thestudentscanreferbacktolater.

5.Returntotheclassroomanddiscussasaclasswhateachstudentorgroupfoundoutsideinthesoil.

6.Haveeachstudentwriteandillustrateastoryfromtheperspectiveofoneof thecrittersseen in thesoil outside. Ask the students to include detailsaboutwhat tasks thecritterhas todo to survive,findahome,eat,etc.Theyshouldincludedetailsaboutwhatthesoilislike,whatthingstheyfindinthesoil,etc.Ifnocritterswerefoundinthesoilthestudentscanwritestoriesaboutrocksorplants.

7.Thestudentscansharethestorieswiththeclass.Youcanalsodisplaytheminaclassroomgalleryorputthemtogetherinabook.

Adaptations for Youngerand Older Students

YoungerstudentscandrawtheillustrationsanddictatetheirstoriestoanadultforPart2ofthisactivity.Thencompilethestoriesintoabookfortheclass.

Further Investigations

•Soil Word Wall:Generatealistofwordsstudentsmightusetodescribesoil.Thislistshouldincludewaystodescribesoil’scolor,texture,andstructure.Also include words that apply to the differentsenses.Yourstudentscanhelpyougeneratethelist.KeepthelistuponthewallwhileyouaredoingtheElementaryGLOBEsoilactivitiessostudentscan

©2006UniversityCorporationforAtmosphericResearchAllRightsReserved

TheGLOBEProgram SoilTreasureHunt-Page4 TheScooponSoils

refertoit;itwillhelpthemthinkofwordstouseontheirstudentactivitysheets.

•Soil Profile: Extend the time you spend outsidelookingatasoilprofilebydiggingholesindifferentareas and comparing what the soil is like andwhatyoufindinthesoilinthedifferentlocations.Examplelocationscouldbeatthetoporbottomofahill,underatree,inanopenlawn,nearastream,inanareadisturbedbyconstruction,onatroddenpath, inawetspot,etc.UsetheGLOBETeacher’sGuideformoreinformation(www.globe.gov).

•Soil Collage:Gooutanddig inacertainarea tofindtreasures inthesoil.Sort the itemsandgluethemonapieceofcardboard.Alsogluedifferenttypesofsoilonthecollage.Ifthestudentsfindliveanimalsinthesoil,havethemdrawthemonpaperandgluethepapertothecollage.Thenhavethemreturn the critters to the spot where they werefound.

• Soil: The Great Decomposer Learning Activity:ThiscanbefoundinthesoilchapteroftheGLOBETeacher’sGuide(www.globe.gov).

• Earthworms:Fillaclearplasticorglasscontainerwith sand, potting soil, and dead leaves. Putearthwormsinthecontainerandcovertheoutsideofthecontainerwithblackconstructionpaper.Waterthecontainersoitismoistbutnotsoggyevery2-3days.After3days,takethepaperofftheoutsideofthecontainerandobservethedifferencesinhowthe soil looks. Notice what the earthworms havedonetochangethesoil.Coverthecontaineragainandkeepcheckingevery2-3daysforchanges.

•Seeds: Plant fast growing seeds in clear plasticcups.Use soilswithdifferent properties (such asdifferentcolors,textures,structure,organicmatter,rocks,etc.).Water theseedsandplacetheminasunnywindow.As theplantsgrow,observewhathappens in thesoil.Canyouseetheroots?Doesthepresenceofrootschangehowthesoillooks?

•Field Guide to “Soil Critters”: Create a fieldguidetoillustratethecrittersyourstudentsmightfindinyourlocalsoil. Somecommoncrittersareearthworms, insects, spiders, centipedes, andmillipedes. Youcaneitherput informationaboutthecrittersonabulletinboardintheclassroomor

printupsmallguidesthestudentscantakeoutsidetouseasa referencewhen theyareexploring inthesoil.

©2006UniversityCorporationforAtmosphericResearchAllRightsReserved

Soil Treasure Hunt Student Activity Sheet 1

The Scoop on Soils

NAME:____________________________

©2006UniversityCorporationforAtmosphericResearchAllRightsReserved

Soil Treasure Hunt Student Activity Sheet 2

The Scoop on Soils

NAME:____________________________

©2006UniversityCorporationforAtmosphericResearchAllRightsReserved