The Nature of the Land Around Us
Summary
This inquiry investigation will allow students to drive their learning by creating questions about the land around them. From those questions, students will collect varied data to analyze the nature of the land. From this, student discussion should lead to evaluation of erosion and weathering in the nearby area, types of plants and grass that may be fit for our climate, and overall what our land is made up of and how it affects us and how we affect it.
Collapse
Learning Goals
Students will learn how to: make investigable questions, collect sharable data, follow the scientific method, make observations, create hypotheses, graph, work in collaborative groups, and analyze data.
Context for Use
This lesson is being planned for approximately 30-35 students per class period, in a middle school setting, over several days.
Description and Teaching Materials
Activity Description: Students will work in teams of 2-3 throughout this investigation. Day 1: Students will make 40 observations of the landscape and area around the southwest corner of the school. Students will take time to do a careful sketch of the area. Students will be prompted to start thinking of questions they have. Day 2: Large group discussion of observations, students will share their 3 favorite observations (whole class may narrow in to investigation areas). Small groups begin to generate questions they would like to investigate. Teacher and small group discussion occurs to form investigable questions. Students begin to design a study, writing down an idea of their procedure. During this time, students should be looking at their procedure and generating a clear hypothesis. Students finish up writing their procedure today. (One class may have several or just a few hypothesis to investigate.) Day 3: Students collect data. Each group will find information to inform us of the nature of the land around us. Materials available are: soil test materials, water testing materials, compasses, sketch book paper, graph paper, and other supplies students' request. With these items students will be able to collect data on the soil, water, incline of the hill, possible effects of erosion in the area and much more. As students work on their data collection, the teacher will help redirect student questions if needed and help with any questions that come up. Day 4: Students will take their data and put it in a cleaner form. (ex. final draft of drawing or redrawn table) Students will have a class set up laptops and a variety of books to support their last effort in gathering and researching their data. As students reevaluate their data they start analyzing their results. Class discussion of all data collected occurs. All student groups contribute to the discussion. Students look back at data and notes. Class discusses and generates hypothesis. Day 5: Students will present their findings sharing from their observations, notes, drawings, data and also formal lab write up. Each student will turn in a formal lab write up to show their findings. The lab write up will be a great way to assess what each student has learned. Overall, as a class we should have a better understanding of the nature of the land around us. With this knowledge, we should be able to choose some plants and grasses to plant in our bare soil. In the end, I will use our findings to purchase some plants for outside our window.
Teaching Notes and Tips
Assessment
Students will write a detailed lab write up explaining their scientific process. Students will also write a reflection on their learning from this investigation.
Standards
I. History and Nature of Science B. Scientific Inquiry—The student will understand that scientific inquiry is used by scientists to investigate the natural world in systematic ways. The student will use multiple skills to design and conduct scientific investigations.
III. Earth and Space Science A. Earth Structure and Processes - The student will identify Earth's composition, structure, and processes.