Soil vs. Rocks

Ama Xiong, Ames Elementary School, Saint Paul, MN
Based on an original activity from the FOSS Kit, Pebbles, Sand, & Silt.

Summary

Students will observe and sift through a soil mixture and then a rock mixture to find its contents. As a class, we will complete a Venn diagram of soil and rocks.

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Learning Goals

Students will be able to identify and describe differences and similarities between soil and rocks.

Context for Use

This lesson is very simple and is added onto the FOSS kit entitled, Pebbles, Sand, and Silt. Prior lesson may include a K-W-L chart on rocks and soil.
We will be in a classroom with tables. Students will need to be paired or grouped together to perform the activity.
Materials students will use are science journals, pencils, color pencils/crayons, hand lenses, paper plates, digital camera and the Foss kit materials.
This lesson will probably take about 40-50 minutes a day for about 3 days.

Description and Teaching Materials

After performing the rock sifting activity in the Foss kit, students will do the same with the soil mixture. Students will need to illustrate what the mixture looks like and be able to describe in detail what it is they have.
Then they will use the larger hole screen to sift the soil mixture and use a paper plate to capture what falls through the screen. Students will then observe, illustrate, and describe what is left on the screen.
Students will repeat this 2 more times with a medium hole screen and a small hole screen.
The next day, students will collect their data (science journals) and pictures. As a class we will discuss our findings and observations, while completing a Venn diagram of soil and rocks.

Teaching Notes and Tips

Prepare materials in an orderly manner ahead of time. Give each student in a group a job to perform in the gathering of materials, performing the activity, and cleaning up so to move the activity along.

Assessment

Based on student observation, participation, and journal entries.

Standards

First Grade - Earth Science
Describe similarities and differences between soil and rocks.

References and Resources