20386_Science_with_STEM_Year_4_Earth_and_Space_Sciences_Surface_changes

Earth and space sciences
SURFACE CHANGES
Lesson 2
Lesson plan
Introduction:
1. Go to the map of Australia from the Australian Soil Resource Information System at . Click on ‘Layers’ on the right-hand side panel to add National soil grids and then
click on the map to activate the layer. Display to the class. Zoom in on your local area or state. Ask
students what they are looking at. Why are there different colours all over the land? What might it
mean? What is this a map of? QP
Development:
2. Reveal to students that this is a soil map. What is in soil? Is soil the same all over Australia? Why
would there be different soils? Students use a digital application such as Popplet to create a
concept map of ideas about what they think soil is and its components. Students share one idea
from their concept map. QP PA
3. Display the pie chart at which shows the components of soil—
minerals (sand, silt and clay), organic matter, air and water. Students compare their ideas of what is
in soil to the information in the pie chart. PC PA
4. Display a selection of different soil types at stations around the classroom. In pairs, students
observe using a magnifying glass and record information about each soil type using page 86.
Students look at characteristics such as size, texture, colour and absorption. Limit students to five
minutes at each station. What does the soil feel like? What is different about each type of soil?
PC PA
5. Watch a video about the three soil types at to see if students
recognise any similar characteristics to the soils they observed during Step 4.
6. Students act as soil scientists by collecting a soil sample from the schoolyard and analysing it to
see if they can identify whether it is made up of sand, silt or clay. Instruct students to dig a narrow
but relatively deep hole and place the sample into a jar or plastic bottle (use a funnel if necessary).
Alternatively, lengths of PVC pipe can be placed in the soil and removed to collect soil samples.
Students add water to the soil sample in the bottle, shake it and then leave it to settle, observing
the changes regulary. This may take a couple of hours, so you may wish to conduct the rest of the
lesson in the afternoon or even the next day. Students should be able to see layers form, with larger
particles at the bottom and finer particles at the top. Results can be recorded using page 87. Can
you tell if your soil sample has more sand, silt or clay? PC PA
7. Students work out a rough fraction for each of the different layers of soil (if any), and add it to their
diagram on page 87. PA
Differentiation
• Less capable students can pair up and work with the teacher to conduct the soil sample
collection and analysis.
• More capable students can obtain another sample from a different location to analyse, or obtain
a sample from deeper below the surface. Students may also wish to collect samples from home
and use them for comparison.
Reflection:
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8. As a class, discuss the resulting layer formations and any differences between groups/pairs or any
problems encountered with the soil collection. If you dug deeper, would the soil be different? What
would you change about the investigation? Did everyone collect a soil sample from the same place?
Why did the layers form? E C
9. Refer back to the map from Step 1, showing different soils around Australia. How does knowing
what type of soil is on the land help farmers? QP
R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricpublications.com.au YEAR Science:
4 A STEM APPROACH 85