Sheila Brune

Topic

: Soil Types:

Inquiry Based Lesson

Grade Level

: 4

Objective:

1. Given different soil samples, the students will be able to
observe and record the different characteristics and make logical
guesses of where each soil is taken from. (Either a field, construction
site, a lake, woods, and a driveway.)

2. The students will use the observations and information about
the soil samples, which was collected from their group discussion,
and the picture of Jack Hanson’s boot, to make an inference
as to where Joe Frisbee’s body is located.

Teacher Materials

:

Joe Frisbee’s drawn body outline on butcher paper

Joe Frisbee’s estate drawn on butcher paper

Jack Hansons’ boot and worksheet

overhead projector

overhead transparencies

Student Materials

:

notebooks

5 soil samples for each group

Soil A-taken from lake

Soil B-taken from driveway

Soil C-taken from woods

Soil D-taken from field

Soil E-taken from construction site

Teacher Background Information

:

This lesson should be introduced after the students have had the
opportunity to observe sand, clay, and loam, and have done a soil
profile.

Management Strategies

:

Students work in groups of 3or 4

They present their findings individually or as a group

Work area- students remain at their assigned tables

Special needs students may need extra attention with the instructions
which may be given individually if needed

This activity may lead to a great deal of debate therefore, the
teacher should address the issue of how to disagree with a student
politely.

Students also need to be reminded that not everyone may get the
opportunity to express their ideas due to the lack of time.

Students need to be reminded to be patient.

Introduction:

This lesson is a follow-up lesson from the soil profile lesson
in which the students observed and recorded the three different
types of soil. The students will use this previous knowledge
to make logical guesses about where each soil sample was taken
from.

Explain to the children that there is a problem and the students
have to be detectives to help solve the problem. Tell them that
there has been a murder! Joe Frisbee, a rich millionaire inventor
of the frisbee has been killed and it is the students job to collect
data. Show them the drawing of the estate and explain to them
that the police found Jack Hanson’s shoe on the estate with several
soil samples on it. Somehow the samples have been wiped clean
from the shoe. The police took soil samples from around the estate
but forgot to label them.

Exploration Phase

:

It is the students job to actively observe the five different
types of soil and decide which soil goes to what part of the estate.
The students work together in their groups, discussing possible
solutions and stating their evidence for their findings. In this
phase, the students will record their findings on the worksheet
labeled detective notes.

Concept Introduction

:

Using the overhead projector, the transparencies and the estate
map, the teacher records the students ideas about each soil. Possible
questions the teacher could ask:

1. Who has a guess about where soil A is taken from? Where do
   you think?
2. What characteristics have you found about soil A that makes
   you guess that is where it is taken from?
3. Could the soil have been taken from somewhere else? Anyone
   have any other possible ideas?
4. What do we notice that is similar about Soil C and D? (both
   are dark soil) What are different about the two soils? (one
   has leaves, twigs, acorns etc. other doesn’t) What can this tell
   us?
5. Soil E is rather different than any other soil. Who can tell
   me what type of soil this is? Hint: We looked at this soil in
   class.

If the students disagree with an answer the teacher tells them,
they have to find information to prove their findings. If a student
gives an answer without appropriate evidence, the teacher tells
the student that it will be thrown out of court and the students
ideas will not be able to help solve the case.

Concept Application Phase

:

Once the students have identified the soil types, the teacher
poses a new problem for the students to solve. They look at the
picture of the boot and decide which soil sample goes with which
layer on Jack Hanson’s boot. The teacher gives a description of
each layer of soil because the drawing is hard to read.

She asks them for example:

1. The first layer on the boot has medium size rocks and parts
   of plastic in it. What possible soil sample could this be? Why
   do you think so?
2. The next layer has big chunks of a light brown material so
   where could this sample be from and why?

The teacher does this for each layer.

Then they look at the footprints the teacher has drawn onto the
map and discuss possible solutions to where Joe Frisbee’s body
is buried. The students can take turns coming up to the enlarged
picture of the estate and discussing possible solutions in their
groups. After the discussion, each group should agree on one
possible solution. This means that there will be a great deal
of problem solving and debating skills used.

Conclusion

:

The class will most likely run out of time but the key to the
whole activity is to keep the students thinking and guessing.
Do not give them the answer at the end of the class but wait
until the next class period. The kids will be talking about the
murder in the halls, on the playground, and may even bring the
idea home with them.

Extension/Integration

:

The students could record their findings and ideas about the murder
in narration form.

The estate could be given accurate measurements in which the students
would have to manipulate to solve various math problems.

Assessment

:

Teacher observations- Are students participating in discussion?
Are they making logical guesses based on information found?

Detective Notes sheet- Are the students responses logical and
sufficient evidence given for their findings? Did the students
discover the correct soil samples?

Source: Laura Zinser, Science Specialist