Earthworks
Earth System Science for Secondary Teachers

Melynda Thomas (Earthworks 2002; 2003; 2004)
Thomasm@ipa.net

You want me to do what with this Dirt?

Grade Level: 8 th

Content Area: Earth Science - Soils

Time: 2-4 class periods

Standards: Scientific Inquiry

Background Knowledge/Skills:

1. A specific background knowledge about soils
2. Knowledge that soils are not necessarily "dirt" and that not all soils are the same
3. Techniques for taking soil samples
4. Observation skills
5. Proper techniques for testing soil using a soil test kit, ph meter and soil thermometer and review of the use of a GPS
6. Techniques for organizing data and using an Excel spreadsheet to graph the data

Learning Objective: The student will gain an understanding of the characteristics and composition of soil and the variation of soils. The student will be able analyze the chemical properties of soil. The student will be able to determine the ph of soil and temperature differences in soil. The student will use a GPS to collect data about their site. The student will use a spreadsheet to organize and graph data from which they will draw conclusions based on their findings.

Materials: Soil test kits, soil thermometer, ph meter, GPS, auger, computers with Excel, spade or trowel, and collection bags.

Procedure:

1. Students will be taught the background information necessary to have a basic understanding of soil.
2. Students will be taught the techniques for taking soil samples
3. Students will be given guidelines to improve their observational skills
4. Students will be taught the proper techniques for testing soil using a soil test kit, a ph meter, and a soil thermometer
5. Students will be placed into four groups
6. Each group will select a site to take their soil sample from before going out by discussing as a group. (Several sites will be suggested and the students will then choose which site they would like to sample)
7. Students will go to their site and collect their sample using the technique taught in class. Each group will collect one sample and that sample will be shared with the other groups for analysis.
8. Students will take the temperature of the soil at their site and will make note of the different vegetation in the area of the site (trees, grass, flowers, etc; but not too specific)
9. Students will take GPS readings to determine the longitude, latitude and elevation of their site
10. Students will return to the lab to begin soil testing; a quick review of procedures will be given and written instructions will be provided.
11. Each group will perform a nitrogen test, ph test and a phosphorus test on all the soil samples gathered from the different sites. All data will be noted in their journals to be entered into a spreadsheet at the proper time.
12. Students will input their data into a spreadsheet and will prepare graphs from their data.
13. Students will draw conclusions from their data about how the soil type, vegetation in the area, and any human factor might influence the results of their testing. The conclusion will be written into their journal. Students will develop questions to be discussed during the oral presentation; these will be recorded in their journal.
14. Each group will share their findings and questions with the rest of the class throughan oral presentation.

Assessment: Students will be graded using a rubric (standard to my district) based on cooperation within the group, completion of tasks assigned, journal entries (record keeping and conclusion), and the oral presentation. Each student must have their own record of the data and the conclusion in their journal. Each student must participate in the oral presentation.

Enrichment:

1. Share data with and interested parties
2. Research questions posed in presentations
3. Do other testing on the soils (Texture, color, moisture, etc)
4. Compare and contrast the diversity of vegetation at the site
5. Compare and contrast the diversity of organisms at the site (insects, worms, etc)
6. Examine samples under microscopes to observe and identify microscopic features (organisms, etc.)

Resources:

1. One or two soil kits
2. Available sites
3. Excel installed on all computers
4. Possible parental involvement
5. A principal who is very supportive
6. Local college professors who are willing to help
7. The willingness to ask whatever else I need and a superintendent who is receptive to new and improved ways to teach science

Barriers:

1. The inability to begin until the equipment needed is purchased and delivered

Strategies for overcoming barriers:

1. Patience

Weather or Not it Weathers Today. The Stormy Year! (2003)

Grade level: 8

Content Area: Earth Science- Weather

Time: 1 month to 2 semesters

Standards: Inquiry

Background knowledge/skills: Knowledge of weather parameters and weather instruments (use, units, etc), cloud types, spreadsheet

Objectives: The students will gain an understanding of the weather instruments necessary to collect weather data and the appropriate method to collect, record and analyze the data collected. Then, relate this to cloud formation.

Materials: Psychrometer, hydrometer, kestrel 4000, thermometer, barometer, anemometer, wind sock, wind vane, computer with spreadsheet program, weather box (to protect instruments), cloud chart, compass, notebook for recording weather data chart, rain gauge

Procedures:

1. One or two students will go out to the weather station and take measurements of temp., air pressure, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction and cloud observation, amount of precipitation
2. The students will write their data on the Weather data chart in the classroom
3. Each student will be required to record the weather data in their weather journal
4. Each student will be required to write a summary of the weather conditions once a week
5. Students will be grouped into separate groups of 6. On a rotating basis, the students will input the data collected into a spreadsheet and graph the data (Each student will be given one category of data to input. (one student will do temp., one air pressure, etc)

Assessment: Student journal entries will be grades using a rubric (standard to my district) and computer based work and production of the graph assigned to them. Each student in the class will be responsible for data input at least once a semester.

Enrichment/Reflection:

1. Set up local weather forecast on local and public station (give temp, air pressure, and possible weather)
2. Share data collected with other interested parties
3. Use data collect to predict possible weather outcomes or cloud formation
4. Compare/contrast parameters with cloud formation/weather forecast/satellite imagery

Resources: One weather station complete with instruments and 2 kestrels. Perfect location for weather station, fair computer lab

Barriers: None that I know of or can think of.

Responses: Ready, set, GO!!!

Whether or Not it Weathers Today (2002)

Learning Objectives: The student will Gain an understanding of the weather instruments necessary to collect weather data and use that data to plot the local weather conditions in our area over the period of_________.

Where: The plan will be implemented at various sites (yet to be determined) at the Morrilton Junior High School campus in Morrilton, Arkansas.

Who: The plan will be implemented with eight grade Earth Science students at Morrilton Junior High School. Approximately 130 students will participate.

What: I have Option 1 that we will call Pup Weather Flies and Option 2 that we will call Weather Station - Alpha.

When: If I just do it for one month, I think that I will do it in the spring because we have the most weather changes during that time of year or as I previously said, I might have students doing it daily for the whole year.

Potential Barriers: The most important barrier at this time is the lack of equipment. I cannot forsee any other barriers at this time other than mechanical or electrical.

Possible Strategies: I plan to write grants to fund my plan (wish me luck). I also plan to contact a statewide television station who has already set up a Weathernet in some schools across the state about possibly funding my dream. The mechanical (equipment failure) can be addressed by our technology team and the electrical (power failure) will be addressed by the electric company.

Earth System connection: I think that there are obvious connections with the atmosphere, hydrosphere and the water cycle.

Extensions: We could set up a local weather forecast on our local television channel (our school tapes a news program to be shown on a county wide station, we could add a weather segment to their news program). We could also share the data with other interested parties (NWS, statewide TV stations, etc.)

Option 1 - Pup Weather Flies

Students will be paired off into groups. Every day for a period of ______ each student team will go outside and will take weather data for temperature, relative humidity, air pressure, wind speed, wind direction and amount of precipitation and storm patterns (did it storm today or not).

Students will take the data gathered and put it into a spreadsheet so that the day to day changes can be noted.

The purpose of this activity is to teach the students the use of the various instruments necessary to collect data for forecasting weather.

Option 2 - Weather State-Alpha

Weather Station-Alpha is a dream I have to set up a weather station at three locations in my county. One station will be at my school which is almost in the middle of the county, one station will be at my home which is at the northernmost part of the county and the third station will be on Petit Jean Mountain which is at the southwestern corner of the county and is one of the highest points in Arkansas. Each of the weather stations will be online accessible so my students can access the data via the Internet.

Each day for a period of one month to all year the students will be required to go online and collect the weather data for their class period and record it in a journal. I think that I will have one student (a differnet student each day or maybe each week) to retrieve the data each day during their class period and record it on the board for all students to record in their journal. A class journal will also be set up so that students who are absent can go to that journal to retrieve the data they missed during their absence. After a set period of days (yet to be determined) we will go to the computer lab and enter the data into a spreadsheet for comparison. We will also compare the weather data with the storm patterns and try to correlate the data to show the students that certain weather conditions can be predictors of weather.

I know that there are flaws in my plan but no plan is ever perfect and you have to start somewhere.