Soils
Lesson 7
More Settling a Few Days Later
Student observing settling in a test tube. |
Students will observe the settling tubes after a few days to observe and note properties of the soil now. They also observe the compost bags from Lesson 2.
3. Lesson set up and Management
SYSTEMS 1.1-Properties: Understand how properties are used to identify, describe, and categorize substances, materials, and objects and how characteristics are used to categorize living things
GLE 1.1.1 Understand simple properties of common natural and manufactured materials and objects: Sort common materials and objects using a simple property and Identify and describe the differences between common natural and manufactured materials and objects using properties.
GLE 1.1.5 Understand physical properties of Earth materials: Sort rocks based on size, shape, and other physical properties and Explain how some Earth materials are used by living things
SYSTEMS 1.2-Structures: Understand how components, structures, organizations, and interconnections describe systems
GLE 1.2.1 Identify the parts of objects, organisms, and materials and Describe how the parts of objects, organisms and materials go together and Construct simple devised to do common tasks using common materials and explain how the parts depend on each other.
GLE 1.2.3 Know that common materials are made of smaller parts: Sort objects based on component parts and Show that people use magnifiers to observe things they cannot see with their eyes.
INQUIRY 2.1-Investigating Systems: Develop the knowledge and skills necessary to do scientific inquiry.
INQUIRY 2.2-Nature of Science: Understand the nature of scientific inquiry
- Soil contains particles of different sizes.
- Soil may contain animals, plants and their remains.
- Sand, clay and humus are three of the basic components in soil.
- Every soil component has unique properties that can be identified using simple tests.
3. Lesson set up and Management
Materials:
Although teachers may choose to run copies of Record Sheet 6-A "After I Shake the Tubes," it is very simple to have students draw and label the tubes in their notebooks. Take a minute to teach students how to draw the tubes so they have reasonable diagrams: 1) draw a short horizontal line for the tube bottom, 2) draw two parallel vertical lines up from the horizontal line, 3) draw a cap on the top.
Student Management:
Students are encouraged to re-shake the tubes after observing and recording results. Be sure they place their thumbs over the red cap as they shake to prevent the cap popping off and making a mess.
The worms love moistened, unbleached school paper towel, paper egg carton, lettuce and oatmeal. These should be added in moderate quantities occasionally. They will eat other plant matter as well, but these items will not become smelly like some other materials will.
Image of a student notebook entry describing three test tubes. |
Writing Support:
Students should write about their observations of both the tubes and compost bags/bins in their science notebooks.
Reading Support:
There are several good non-fiction books about worms and composting. Among them are Worm by Jill Bailey, Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin, Wonderful Worms by Linda Glaser, An Earthworm's Life by John Himmelman, Earthworms, Underground Farmers by Patricia Lauber, Compost Critters by Bianca Lavies, Earthworms by Claire Llewellyn and Wiggling Worms at Work by Wendy Pfeffer.
These books give insight into the anatomy and life cycle of worms, and the way worms help to make soil.