UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX

Integrated Lesson Plan

Tammy McCluskey, Courtney Sansom, Shelley Smith, Violet Squires
EED/420
February 10, 2014
Alan Brainerd

Integrated Lesson Plan

EED/420 Version

University of Phoenix Material

5-E Lesson Plan: Earth Science
Title

Whats In Your SANDwich?

(Earth Science: Rocks and Minerals of Georgia Unit)

Grade level

Third Grade

Georgia
Performance
Standards

S3E1 Students will investigate the physical attributes of rocks and

soils.

S3E1.a Explain the difference between a rock and a mineral.

S3E1.b Recognize the physical attributes of rocks and minerals

using observation (shape, color, texture), measurement, and
simple tests (hardness).

S3E1.c Use observation to compare the similarities and

differences of texture, particle size, and color in top soils (such
as clay, loam or potting soil, and sand).

Materials:

Engage

Detective hat

Overcoat

Notepad

Pencil

SANDwich made out of the following layers:

2 pieces of bread (for top and bottom of SANDwich)

Humus

Topsoil

Subsoil

Substratum

Layers of a SANDwich Handout

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Technology Resources:

Smartboard

Computer

1.

To capture the students attention and launch this lesson, the teacher
will come in dressed like Sherlock Holmes (detective hat, coat,
notepad, and pencil). The teacher will address the class as follows,
Hello students my name is Sherlock Holmes, and Im hoping you can
solve a mystery for me today! It would appear that my normal PB&J
sandwich has been replaced with this SANDwich. Im hoping that you
will be able to help me to discover what is in this SANDwich!

2. The teacher will use the following open-ended and information

questions to elicit the students prior knowledge about rocks and
minerals and engage them in wanting to know more.
a. What is going on with this SANDwich?
b. Does anyone know what soil is made of?
c. How do you think a sandwich compares to the soil?
d. What have we learned in our other lessons about Georgias
soil?
3. To make the lesson relevant to the students life, the teacher will ask
the following questions?
a. How many of you know how to make a sandwich?
b. How many layers do we typically have in a sandwich?
c. Are all of these layers important to have in our sandwich?
d. Just like a sandwich has layers, so does the soil. Why do you
think it is important to know about the different layers of soil?
e. How does knowing the different layers of soil impact your life
and does it impact your life?
4. The teacher will hand each student a Layers of a SANDwich Handout
and project a copy onto the Smartboard. The teacher will then discuss
with students how layers of soil are similar to the layers of a sandwich,
pointing out each layer of the sandwich as the layers of soil are
discussed.
Materials:

2 Sheets of white copy paper (one for each group)

Integrated Lesson Plan

EED/420 Version

Explore

Layers of a SANDwich Lab Sheet

Shovel

3 mason jars with lids

2 magnifying glasses

2 spray bottles filled with water

Box of toothpicks

Collaboration: Class will be divided into two groups (a topsoil group and
a subsoil group)

Time Allotment: 40 minutes

1.

The teacher will tell the students, Today we are all going to become
detectives to solve the case of what is in my SANDwich. We are going
to examine the layers of soil and take a closer look at what they consist
of.

2. The teacher will say, I want everyone to take their clipboards along
with their What is in my SANDwich Lab Sheet and quietly line up at
the door. We are going to go outside and take a closer look at the
layers of soil. The teacher should have the mason jars, magnifying
glasses, spray bottles, and toothpicks in a basket for carrying
purposes.
3. Once the students are outside at the designated place (chosen and
prepared by the teacher on the day prior to the lesson), the teacher
will dig a hole to expose the layers of soil.
4. Once the hole has been dug deep enough to expose the first three
layers of soil, the teacher will have students take turns looking at the
layers of soil. Once each student has had the opportunity to look at
the layers, the teacher will discuss the visible layers. It is important
for the teacher to explain to students that the last layer, the
substratum layer is much too deep into the ground to dig with a
regular shovel.
5. The teacher will place the first layer of soil (humus) into a jar and label
the jar (humus). The teacher will ask students to make observations
about what they see. After students have had a few minutes to observe
the jar, the teacher will point out that humus is a result of the
breakdown of plant material and that it is neither silt, sand, or clay.

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6. The teacher will continue to place the other two layers of soil into the
jar and repeat the same observation process for each jar.
7. The teacher will divide the students into two groups. One group will
be the topsoil group and the other will be the subsoil group. The
teacher will say, You will be working in two different groups to
experiment with your jar and determine what the texture of your soil
is. You will make your observations and fill out your Layers of a
SANDwich Lab Sheet.
8. The teacher will ask one student from each group to collect the
required materials for their observation: one magnifying glass, one
spray bottle, one piece of white copy paper, and enough toothpicks for
each student to have one.
9. The teacher will then tell students, I want each group to pour their
soil onto the white paper. You will use your toothpicks to move the
soil around and observe what is in your soil. Take turns using the
magnifying glass to get a closer look at whats in your soil. You will
need to complete your Layers of a SANDwich Lab sheets. Follow the
directions at the top of the sheet correctly to determine what type of
soil you have.
10. Give students roughly 20 minutes to complete their lab sheets and
then have students clean up their materials and return to the
classroom.
11. The information that students collected during their observations will
be used in the classroom to continue to develop their understanding of
the layers of soil.
Materials:

Explain

Computer

Internet Access

Vocabulary word transparency

Technology Resources:

Soil Profile, Structure, Layers youtube video by makemegenius.

This video can be found at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Vho8o_ObrQ

Soil Texture by Feel youtube vide by UCDavisIPO. This video

can be found at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWZwbVJCNec

Time Allotment: 10 minutes

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1.

Once children have returned to their seats, the teacher will display the
vocabulary words on the smartboard and discuss with students the
definition of each vocabulary word (clay, humus, sand, silt, subsoil,
and substratum).

2. The teacher will further develop this vocabulary by asking students to

explain which layers of soil these vocabulary words can be found in.
3. Students will then watch two short videos: Soil, Profile, Structure,
Layers; and Soil Texture by Feel.
4. The teacher will have the student go back into the groups for the next
step (elaborate).
Materials:

Elaborate

2 pieces of chart paper

Colored pencils

1.

The teacher will give each group a piece of chart paper and some
colored pencils to complete the next portion of the activity.

2. The teacher will tell students, I want you to take your piece of chart
paper and colored pencils and draw a picture of what your soil layer
looked like. Draw it to the best of your ability and how you
remembered it looking. You may use your lab sheets to help you
remember what you discovered. I also want you to write a list of what
you found in your soil underneath your drawing.
3. Give students about 10 minutes to complete their drawings. Have
each group come to the front of the class to discuss their drawings and
what they discovered in their layer of soil.
4. The teacher will say, I would like for each of you to look through
some magazines or books at home tonight to see if you can find any
examples of the different layers of soil we observed today. I want you
to make a collage out of the different things you can find. If you dont
have any magazines at home you may use the internet to find pictures
to print out. Cut and paste your images on a piece of paper and label
the pictures with the correct layer of soil where they can be found.
This assignment so that students can demonstrate knowledge transfer
to allow the teacher some insight into what the students are learning
and retaining.
Materials: None

Evaluate

A performance task will be used to evaluate students summative

understanding of the layers of soil. Students will be evaluated on their
collage homework. No questions will be asked on this assessment as

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students must give descriptions of their knowledge of what they observed

based on the pictures they find in magazines or on the internet.
Differentiating
instruction

1. For ESL students who might have difficulty with the lab instructions,
they should be paired with a partner. It would benefit ESL students to
be paired with a more advanced student who might be able to teach
them areas where they are struggling.
2. Advanced students might incorporate a brief paragraph on the back
of the Lab worksheet to discuss their soil texture observations.

NSTA safety
standards that
apply to this
lesson

Because this activity is not performed in a lab and no chemicals or

lab equipment is used there is only one safety standards that applies.
14.1.16 Students should be instructed that it is
unsafe to touch the face, mouth, eyes, and
other parts of the body while they are working
with plants, animals, microorganisms, or
chemical substances and afterwards, until they
have washed their hands and cleaned their
nails (Elementary Science Safety Standards, n.d.).

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References

Clay. (2014). In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved January 24, 2014 from

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clay
Elementary Science Safety Standards (n.d.). Retrieved January 24, 2014 from
http://www.fayette.k12.il.us/isbe/science/pdf/sci_14.pdf
Georgia science performance standards. (2014). Retrieved January 15, 2014 from
http://www.academicbenchmarks.org/search/?standard_id=6566&topic_id=10655
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Humus. (2014). In Meriam-Webster.com. Retrieved January 24, 2014 from
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humus
Makemegenius. (2012, April 21). Soil profile, structure, layers. [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Vho8o_ObrQ
Sand. (2014). In Meriam-Webster.com. Retrieved January 24, 2014 from
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sand
Subsoil. (2014). In Meriam-Webster.com. Retrieved January 24, 2014 from
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subsoil
Substratum. (2014). In Meriam-Webster.com. Retrieved January 24, 2014 from
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/substratum
Silt. (2014). In Meriam-Webster.com. Retrieved January 24, 2014 from http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/silt
UCDavisIPO. (2010, September 1). Soil texture by feel. [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWZwbVJCNec

Integrated Lesson Plan

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Technology

Example 1
Students will use the internet to
research various illustrations of
soils from around the world to
compare them to their native
soil.

Language Arts

Students will be asked to write

sentences using their vocabulary
words, making sure to use at
least one word in each sentence.
This activity will follow the
explore activity.

Mathematics

Students will be asked to

measure the layers of earth using
a yard stick or a centimeter
stick. They will measure the
depth of the entire hole, the
depth of each layer of soil, and
the diameter of the hole.
Students will chose from the
following list of historical
figures to research: Justus Von
Liebig, Hans Jenny, Curtis F.
Marbut, or Vasily V.
Dokuchaev.

Social Studies

Art

Students will create a story

board on a large poster board to
highlight the life of their chosen
historical scientist.
After the Explore activities,
students will use colored pencils
to draw an illustration in their
science journals what the
different layers of soil looked
like when the teacher dug the

Example 2
The teacher will show a brief
movie on soil that is located
on brainpop.com to engage
students in the process of
plants and animals can
decompose to become part of
the layers of soil.
Students will be separated
into groups of three to
practice their vocabulary
words. One student within
the group will say the
vocabulary word, the second
student will give a definition,
and the third student will
give a real world example of
the definition.
While making layers in the
jar the students can do the
same, measure the layers, etc.

Students will research soils

samples of Georgia terrains
throughout history.
Students will record and
analyze the data they
researched.

To start the engage activities

Sherlock Holmes could ask
students to illustrate what
they think a SANDwich
would look like. Each
student would be given a

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hole to expose the top three

layers

sheet of white paper and

asked to use their crayons or
colored pencils to complete
this activity. This activity
will allow the teacher to get
a glimpse of students prior
knowledge.

Strategies to Incorporate

Provide at least one strategy you could use to adapt the materials and equipment in the
lesson to fit the needs of diverse learners.
This lesson does not utilize very many materials or equipment that would need
adapting to fit the needs of diverse learners. One item in this lesson that could be
changed to fit students with dexterity issues are the tooth picks. Popsicle sticks could
be used to replace the tooth picks for easier handling. For ELL students, the vocabulary
words could be displayed in the native tongue of the ELL students. For visually impaired
students, larger print handouts can be used to replace regular print handouts.

Resources:

Brainpop. (2014). Soil. Retrieved from

http://www.brainpop.com/educators/community/bp-jr-topic/soil/

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Layers of a SANDwich

Seeds = O layer
Humus
Top Bun = A layer
Topsoil
Meat and
toppings = B
layer Subsoil

Bottom Bun =
C layer
Substratum

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Layers of a SANDwich Lab Sheet

Follow these instructions to find the texture of your soil.

Take a handful of soil

and moisten it with the
spray bottle. Rub the
soil together to moisten
it.

Try to shape the soil

into a ball. If the soil
does not form a ball it is
considered sandy

Is the ball tight? Is it

sticky? Is it hard to
squeeze? If you roll it
does it make a ribbon?

Is your ball soft and

smooth? Are you
unable to roll it out into
a ribbon? Does it
crumble easy?

No ball = sandy
textured soil

If you answered yes

then your soil texture is
clayey

If you answered yes

then your soil texture is
silty.

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My Soil Group was: ______________________________________________

1. How many layers of soil are there? __________________________________________________
2. What are the names of those layers? ________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
3. What are the names of the layers we observed today? ______________________________

Texture Observation Questions

1. When your soil was sprayed with water, did it form a ball? _________________________
2. If yes, what is the texture of your soil called? _________________________________________
3. If your soil did not form a ball what is the texture called? ____________________________

Soil Descriptions
1. What is the color of your soil? ________________________________________________________
2. Does your soil smell? __________________________________________________________________
3. Are there any objects that were found in your soil such as roots, rocks, bugs, plants,
etc.? ____________________________________________________________________________________

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Vocabulary Words
Clay

a heavy, sticky material from the

earth that is made into different
shapes and that becomes hard
when it is baked or dried

Humus

a brown or black material in soil

that is formed when plants and
animals decay

Sand

the very tiny, loose pieces of rock

that cover beaches, deserts, etc.

Silt

sand, soil, mud, etc., that is carried

by flowing water and that sinks to
the bottom of a river, pond, etc.

Subsoil

the layer of soil that is under the

top layer

Substratum

a layer of something (such as soil or

rock) that is under another layer

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