GETTING DIRTY WITH PLANTS AND SOIL

OBJECTIVES

As students actively participate and are involved with scientific processes, they will be excited to learn and inquire – regardless of the topic! We will focus on using this process in a

soil investigation, then we will adapt this same process to fit a new investigation about plants and their environments, and for other

topics in science.

STANDARDS TO BE COVERED Standard 1, Objective 1: Process of Science: Using the processes of scientific investigation (i.e. framing questions, designing investigations, conducting investigations, collecting data, drawing conclusions)

Standard 1, Objective 2: Communication of Science: Communicating effectively using science language and reasoning

Standard 1, Objective 3: Knowing in Science: Understanding the nature of science

STANDARDS TO BE COVERED Standard 2, Objective 1a: Observe, compare, describe, and sort components of soil by size, texture, and color

Standard 4, Objective 2a: Make observations about living things and their environment using the five senses

Standard 4, Objective 2b: Identify how natural earth materials (e.g., food, water, air, light, and space), help to sustain plant and animal life

QUESTION AND HYPOTHESIS

Framing questions: Observe using senses, create a hypothesis, and focus on a question that can lead to an investigation

What is in soil?

What is soil made from?

Where does soil come from?

What is soil?

Is soil just like dirt?

What is soil made from?

EXPERIMENT

Conducting investigations: Observe, manipulate, measure, describe

oObserveoFive Senses: Touch, smell, see, hear, tasteoDon’t taste!

Observe

EXPERIMENT

In what ways can you sort your soil? (size, texture, color, etc.)

Sort

CONCLUSION

Drawing conclusions: Analyzing data, making conclusions connected to the data or the evidence gathered, identifying limitations or conclusions, identifying future questions to investigate.

oWhat did you learn?oHow do you know?

oWhat else do you want to know?

PLANTS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT Standard 4, Objective 2b: Identify how natural earth materials (e.g., food, water, air, light, and space), help to sustain plant and animal life

Framing questions: Observe using senses, create a hypothesis, and focus a question that can lead to an investigation

What does a plant need to survive?

PLANTS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT Framing questions: Observe using senses, create a hypothesis, and focus on a question that can lead to an investigation

???What does a plant need to

survive?

Hypothesis

PLANTS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT Designing investigations: Consider reasons that support ideas, identify ways to gather information that could test ideas, design fair tests, share designs with peers for input and refinement.

oCreate different environments for the bean plantsoDifferent materials instead of soiloDifferent types of wateroDifferent amounts of sunlight

PLANTS

Drawing conclusions: Analyzing data, making conclusions connected to the data or the evidence gathered, identifying limitations or conclusions, identifying future questions to investigate.

oShare in groups or as a class

oWhat other questions do you still have? oSticky Notes!

oHow would we find the answers?

STUDENT SCIENTISTS

How can you create a guided setting for students to design their own experiment? Use the standards for your own grade level or try it with this standard for Second Grade:

Second Grade: Standard 2, Objective 3b: Analyze and interpret data such as temperatures in different locations and different times