Earth Sciences/Soils- lesson plan: 2 out of 5

2014 2015

Title
Same Soils?
Teacher
E-mail
School
Lesson Title
Grade Level
Concept Targeted

Earth Sciences Unit

Leslie Geiger
Leslie.Geiger@cobbk12.org
Teasley Elementary
Same Soils?
Kindergarten

There are different kinds of soil. We can

describe soil by attributes, including but
not limited to..smell, texture, color and
particle size.
Lesson Objective: Students will understand that there are different kinds of
soil. Students explore clay by using senses of sight, smell, and touch. Students
will explain their findings by verbalizing: smell, color, texture, and particle size of
clay. Students will draw and label clay in journals.
Lesson Essential Questions: Are all soils the same?
Vocabulary: soil, particle size, texture, clay, senses, different, magnifying glass
Assessment: formative observation and questions about physical attributes of
clay during journal writing activity (teacher keeps checklist)
Georgia Performance Standards:
SKE2b. Use senses to observe soils by physical attributes such as smell, texture,
color, particle/grain size
W.K.2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating and writing to compose
informative/explanatory texts
In which they name what they are writing about and supply some information
about the topic.
Safety Considerations:
Students will need to understand not to put clay in their mouth and to wash their
hands after examining artifact
ESOL: Act out vocabulary words, visuals, artifact of clay
Differentiation: Think of a question that you have about soils; Extension 1.
During journal writing activity write a describing word for clay for example red
2. What makes soils different? Remediation review are all soils the same?
Review what sound makes the /c/ sound after writing the word clay in journals.
Various learning styles addressed - verbal, written, kinesthetic, tactile.
Method:
Engage: Talk about lunch..Did you eat food for lunch? Were all the foods the
same? Student volunteers give examples of what they ate for lunch
So there are different kinds of food. Do you think there might be different kinds of

soil? Probe for understanding: Raise your hand if you think that all soils are
the same. Raise your hand if you think there might be different kinds of soil.
Show pictures of 3 kinds of soil from science big book. Explain that all of the
pictures are pictures of soil. Ask: Do all of these soils look the same? What is
different about them? Explain that In science this week you have a big job to do.
Your job is to learn about soils and be able to talk about the soils. Here are the
things we are going to think about as we learn about soils. Show rubric. Today
we are going to explore clay and find out about the texture, particle size and
smell of clay by using our senses of smell, touch and sight. Show vocabulary
words particle, texture - learn by acting out. Emphasize that we are not using
our sense of taste - because scientists do not explore things by tasting. Model use
of magnifying glass to examine soil.

Explore: Students use sense of smell, touch and sight to explore clay in table
groups. Students will use magnifying glasses. Students pair and share findings,
students come back up to circle.
Explain: Table groups share findings about texture, smell and particle size with
group. Ask: How did the clay feel? What was its texture? Was it smooth or
bumpy? Does it have big pieces or little pieces? Why do you think soils are
different? Review what soil is made of. Explain that soil looks and feels different
because of the different amounts of rock, plant and animal material in it. Teacher
models journal activity (turn to first blank page, write the date, draw clay and
label the clay).
Summarize: Ask: Are all soils the same? What makes soil different? What did
you learn about soil today? How would you describe clay? Record responses on
KWL chart. Share read KWL chart. Ask: What is a question that you have about
sand?

Materials: KWL chart; Science series Big Book; clay for each table, student
journals, rubric, magnifying glass for each student

Soils Rubric

Reach for the Stars

Meets

Not yet

I can point to the

objects that are
soil
I can tell someone
the color, texture
OR particle size of
each soil

I can point to 3
different kinds of
soil
I can tell someone
the color, particle
size AND texture of
each soil

Exceeds

I can point to 3
different kinds of
soil
I can name each
kind of soil
I can tell someone
the color, particle
size and texture of
each soil
I can tell someone
one way that one
soil is different
from another soil
I can tell someone
one way that one
soil is the same as
another soil