The students:

• with guidance, plan and conduct investigations.

• explain the importance of soil in ecosystems.

• describe the different components of soil.

The students understand:

• investigations lead to an understanding of the natural world.

• 1 Think About It! What is Soil?

• 1 Soil & Seeds Investigation Plan

• 1 Soil & Seeds Procedure Steps

• 1 Soil & Seeds Data Table

For each pair/small group:

• Soil mixture, made of a combination of humus, sand, rock, clay, and/or silt

• 1 Soil Mixture Card

• 1 Milk Carton

• 10 Radish Seeds

• 1 Plastic Spoon

• 1 Graduated Cylinder

Project Slide 7 of the Soils PowerPoint, showing the radish seeds packet. Explain to students that we want to add radishes to our school salad bar and are going to plant radish seeds in different soil mixtures to see which would be best for our school garden.

Ask: what do we need to know to be able to do this?

Explore:

Explain that the students will need to design an investigation that will test how well radish plants can grow from seeds in several different soil mixtures.

*Students fill out the investigation plant worksheet*

Assign students groups to align with the soil mixture cards. Have the groups create the assigned mixtures, plant the radish seeds, water the seeds, and place them in the designated place in the classroom.

Explain:

Ask: Which combinations of soil do you think will grow a radish best? Why? Why do you think we are using different combinations of soil instead of all using the same combination?

Students then record daily observations of how many radish seeds are growing for 10 days.

The overall assessment for the lesson comes at the end of the unit, when all 10 days of radish seed growth data has been taken. The groups share their mixture findings with the class and then each student create a bar graph with the data. Finally, they answer a few questions about which soil mixture is best for radish seed growth.

The students:

• use appropriate methods and/or tools for collecting data.

• use evidence (measurements, observations, patterns) to construct or support an explanation.

• describe the different components of soil.

The students understand:

• soil varies from location to location due to a variety of factors.

• student science notebook

• 1 Soil Sample Sorting Mat

• 1 Soil Test Results

• 2 paper plates

• 1 hand lens

For each pair/small group:

• 1 soil sample from home

Project Slides 8-9 of the Soils PowerPoint showing pictures of different types of soil from around the world/different areas.

Ask: What do you see? What do you think it's made up of? Why do you think the different types of soil look so different?

Explore:

Distribute a Soil Sample Sorting Mat to each student. Have the students pour their soil sample from home on a paper plate and then sort the components onto the sorting mat. The have the students use a Soil Test Results sheet to do each of the tests on their soil sample and record their results.

Explain:

Have students share what they observed in their soil samples and the results of their soil tests.

The students are expected to be able to compare and contrast soil components, and discuss why they may be different depending on where the soil samples were taken from.

• Demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices.

• Investigate and understand that soil is important in ecosystems.

• Investigate and understand that natural events and humans influence ecosystems.

• Soils play an essential role in ecosystems.

• Conservation practices can lessen the effects of human activity and natural disasters upon the environment.

• use evidence to construct or support an explanation.

• generate and/or compare multiple solutions to a problem.

• explain the importance of soil in an ecosystem.

The students:

• use evidence to construct or support an explanation.

• generate and/or compare multiple solutions to a problem. explain the importance of soil in an ecosystem.

The students understand:

• soil is important to animals because it provides support, nutrients, and a habitat. 

• natural occurrences (e.g., floods and erosion) can harm the organisms in an environment.

• Student science notebook

• Think About It! Soil Conservation (Lesson 2)

For each group

• 1 set, Animals Using Soil Cards

Ask, "What impact might this water erosion have on our schoolyard habitat and the animals that live there?"

Explore:

Either distribute one set of Animals Using Soil Cards to each small group or display slides 4-6 of Soils PowerPoint.

As students observe the images, have them use a thinking routine such as See-Think-Wonder:

1. Students first make observations of the animals using soil. Encourage students to describe only what they see happening in the images.

2. Students then make inferences of what they think might be going on. Encourage students to back up their inferences with evidence from the images and prior knowledge they have about animals and soil.

3. Finally, students describe what the images make them wonder about in regards to how animals use soil.

Explain:

• Have students share their observations, inferences, and wonderings about the images of animals using soil.

• Show a video clip about the importance of soil for animals