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Earthworks
Earth System Science for Secondary Teachers
Impact on Soil Quality of a Disturbed Area (2003)
Grade level: middle school
Content Area: middle school science
Time: 2 weeks
Standards: Scientific literacy, inquiry, analyze, research, investigate, communicate
Background knowledge/skills: Soil sampling, research, lab skills
Objectives: TSWBAT: use scientific tools; test soils for several parameters (pH, N, P, K, soil compaction); provide and gain knowledge on soils; analyze data from sampling; communicate and present findings
Materials: Soil test kit, flags, tape measure, string, soil core sampler, plastic bags, soil sieves, meter sticks, field journal, GPS, stop watch, scale
Procedures:
Scenario: Our community recently bought 40 acres of land with woods, open fields, and wetlands to use as a park. They have cut down trees and bulldozed some areas to make it more useable for more people. Your team has been asked by the soil conservation service to study the possible impacts on the soil.
Assessment: Oral presentation, PPP, KWHL chart, ESS event diagram, poster session
Enrichment/Reflection: Study microorganisms (winogradsky column); study types of vegetation between disturbed and undisturbed sites; study lichens for microlife
Resources: Supportive administration, supportive parents, close study site (5 min. walk), enough equipment
Barriers: Weather - would do in spring so have to be flexible accordingly
Responses: With research and inquiry occurring simultaneously, good days = sampling, yuck days=research
What do Lichens Like? (Earthworks 2002)
Learning Objectives: Students will locate, identify and map lichens as part of our watershed study.
Where: Community Park (5-minute walk from school).
Who: 7th grade general science, 100 students
What: As part of our watershed study, (identifying macroinvertebrates, water quality testing, soil analysis), the students will locate, identify and map lichens in our study area (50 square meter plot).
- Each student will be assigned a 10M plot to study.
- Locate and identify lichens into 4 groups: crust, leaf, club and shrub
- Identify substrate
- Pot info on transparency for mapping purposes
- Make sense out of data
When: Spring, will visit as many times as needed.
Potential Barriers: Weather, maybe.
Extensions: Use GPS to map area.
Soils "R" Us (Earthworks 2001)
Who: 7th &/or 8th Grade
What: Compare Physical & Chemical Differences in Soil Along a Biosequence (3-4 areas)
Why: To explore and collect data for research in our local watershed
To meet numerous state standards
Where: On School Grounds & Community
When: Fall or Spring
Barriers: Weather
Materials: Squirt Bottles of H2O, Munsell Color Book, Ruler/Meter Stick, pH meter, sampling bags, spade, core sampler, notebook, soil texture kit, soil analysis kit
Methods:
- Divide Class into 4 groups
- Collect data according to protocol (handout)
- Texture of soil, water holding capacity, organic content, pH, nitrate/nitrite, phosphorus, color, potassium
- See what story the data is telling us
Connections: Identify micro/macro invertebrates; Collect samples of soil from various parts of the U.S. for comparison(soil exchange with schools)
Comparative Study of Aquatic Insects in a Pond and a Stream (Earthworks 2000)
What: Is there a difference between the number and the type of aquatic insects from a pond and a stream?
When: fall, spring/day, night
Why: TSW:
1. Graph and analyze data
2. Design a better emergence trap
3. Use a key to identify insects
4. Use a field guide
5. Construct their own sensible key
Who: 7th grade classes (groups)
How: After seeing my emergence trap, students will use various materials to design their own traps. They will also decide where to put traps. Collect traps with insects, count, identify, and analyze data.
Where: Local pond and stream
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