Learn about the soil layers

Type of resource: Blog, guidelines, game

Web address https://www.superteacherworksheets.com/blog/edible-science-soil-layers-activity

Language: English

Description

Creating an educational snack. A representation of the different levels of the soil layers is made with ingredients (which can be modified according to the class) and put in a transparent recipient.

Scientific concept introduced

Soil, levels, layers.

Creative and critical thinking

Chosing or changing the materials according to the science lesson.

Mathematical reasoning

To count the ingredients, measure them, and classify them by colour and volume.

Scientific thinking

Asking questions, experimenting.

Learning how to learn

Self-discipline, following guidelines.

Motivation to engage, because afterwards they will eat the experiment.

Additional

Accepting leadership and management, following the safety rules and discipline

Fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, precise movement

Vocabulary

Sharing ideas

Learn about the soil layers

Overall aims

To learn about the soil layers and build and example.
To develop the ability to observe and discover.
To strengthen the research attitude of children.
To improve children’s problem-solving ( take initiative).
To create the learning opportunity for explaining the concepts of the soil layers.
To improve their active listening (explanation of the different layers)

Vocabulary – keywords should be understood

Soil, layers, organic material, topsoil, subsoil, bedrock.

Expected learning outcomes (operational aims)

To build the different types of soil layers.
To explain the concept of the soil layers (organic material, topsoil, subsoil, bedrock)
To measure what each layer occupy.

STEM skills – to which the learning unit is related to

CORE STEM SKILLS

● Asking questions.
● Analyzing and solving problems.
● Designing experiments.
● Motivation to learn and engage.
● Self-discipline and self-regulated learning (cognitive autonomy).
● Measuring and classifying.

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

Sharing ideas
Hand-eye coordination
Patience
Precise and efficient movement
Taking common decisions
Basic literacy- listening with comprehension

Teaching methodologies/activity outline

1- Ask questions such as- How many layers do you think there are? How are
they divided?

2- Make an explanation of the soil layers

3- Give them the materials

4-Create a guide they can easily follow with all the steps remarking the order of the layers.
1. Bottom: A handful of chocolate chips and butterscotch chips, mixed. (This bottom layer represents the bedrock.)
2. Lower-Middle: Chocolate pudding. (This lower-middle layer represents the subsoil layer.)
3. Upper-Middle: Crushed Oreo cookies. (This upper-middle layer represents the topsoil layer.)
4. Top: A couple gummy worms and a handful of green-colored coconut flakes.
(These represent the organic material at the surface level.)

5- Build the design

6- Use nature’s products for doing so (in the website they show us how to do this with chocolate, crushed Oreos… But we could do this with nuts, bread, etc.) Finding a healthier alternative of the ingredients so that we can work on healthy eating habits at the same time.

Assessment of learning

Initial evaluation
– Get to know the previous knowledge they could know about the same theme.

Continued evaluation
– Progressively acquire basic habits of autonomy in everyday actions, to act safely and effectively.
– Think, create, elaborate explanations and start the basic mathematical skills.
– Observe and explore the immediate, natural and physical environment, with an attitude of curiosity and respect and gradually participate in social and cultural activities.
– Participate in the game, through movement, assimilating sensations related to space and to the time and with a progressive understanding of the necessity of some norms.
– Use the oral language, gesture and images to express ideas, desires, feelings and emotions; Listen and participate actively in regular situations.
– Conversation and learning with the use of non-discriminatory language, and with attitude of respect towards other cultures and different languages.
– Apply calculation strategies, compare, and order, classify, recognize patterns and verbalize it.
– Manifesting the necessary abilities to be able to listen, observe, interpret and create in the different languages: verbal, body, plastic, musical, mathematical audiovisual, and incorporate the introduction to technological instruments (ICT).

Final evaluation
– To evaluate the learning objectives, use the previous operational aims.