Soil composition: Then and now

Students will identify the location of the school from the 1926 digitized Soil Sample map using landforms that remain the same and distance scale, determine the type of soil identified during that time, and compare with the types of soil currently found near the school. The comparison should allow the children to determine if the soil content has changed extensively. This plan was developed for use in Nash County, but it is expandable to any county.

A lesson plan for grade 3 Science and Social Studies

By Nancy Bruner

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Related topics

• Learn more about science and social studies.

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• Locate the approximate address of their school a current city map and on the digitized 1926 Soil Sample map using a distance scale.
• Identify the type of soil found in the approximate area in 1926. Soil from the school yard will be examined to determine if clay, sand, or humus are present, and then compared to the type of soil from the 1926 map.
• Discuss the possible reasons for any changes.

Additional testing, if available, could be done to determine percentages of various soil contents.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

2 hours

Materials/resources

• Plastic test tubes for soil samples
• Water (for soil water test)

Technology resources

Digitized 1926 Nash County Soil Sample site: http://150.216.68.29/digital/tei/index_files/counties/Nash.html

Current map of Rocky Mount: http://www.ci.rocky-mount.nc.us/gis/newgui04/gisportal.html

Pre-activities

Students will need to have developed map skills using distance scale. From maps, they will need to be able to identify landforms, especially rivers, and man-made items, such as railroads, which will be used to help establish the school’s location on the current map when compared to the 1926 map. Previous practice with a water test for soil is necessary for students to be able to determine the qualities of the soil types that constitute their samples.

Activities

1. Introduce topic by asking students if the soil stays the same in an area for decades, or does the soil content change. Students should hypothesize whether they think the soil near the school has changed in the last 75–80 years.
2. Working with partners, students will locate the school on current maps in relationship to items such as railroads and the Tar River, using a distance scale to be specific.
3. Students will locate the same railroads and section of the Tar River on the 1926 digitized Soil Sample map; using a distance scale the students will determine the location of the school on that map, and identify the types of soil present at that time. They will refer to the legend of soil types on the side of the Soil Sample map.
4. Students will take soil samples near the school. Using plastic water test tubes, students will mix the soil sample with water, shake to mix, then observe to identify the rate and amount of settling.
5. Students will “draw what they see” to record the settling, color coding red for any clay, yellow for sand, and brown for humus.
6. Discuss the results. Students will describe the amounts and levels of types of soil reperesented in their drawings. They can then compare and contrast their results with the data from the 1926 map, and determine similarities and differences. They can draw conclusions and discuss why there may be any differences (discussion may include development of the area, materials used in building, flood effects, etc.).
7. A good follow-up activity could include contacting the local Extension Service for a more detailed breakdown of soil content from a sample.

Assessment

Students will draw the results of the settling in the test tube and write a modified “lab report” indicating hypothesis, materials, procedure, results, and conclusion.

Supplemental information

Local Extension Services information should be available through the local county, or a local nursery might be able to provide the name of a Master Gardener who might be available as a guest speaker.

This lesson works well in conjunction with the lessons taught in the Teachers and Scientists Collaborating (TASC) program. The wet soil/water test is covered in those lessons, and this is a worthwhile local extension.

Related websites

For soil maps of other coastal NC counties:
http://150.216.68.29/digital/tei/index.html

North Carolina Soils Explorer: an online mapping application providing soil related information for the state of North Carolina:
http://arcims.soil.ncsu.edu:8080/Website/CtyMaps/index.htm

To have students develop their own soil map:
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/case2/c2a.html

To learn more about soil contents:
http://www.fmnh.org/ua/default.htm

To learn more about soil formation (and links to other .gov sites about soil):
http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/globe/soilform/parmat.htm

To create your own rubric:
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php

Comments

You may want to bookmark and preset the current map site - some of the “gis” sites may take a while or be temperamental.

While this plan is geared toward Nash county, many other counties are represented on the website. For other counties/areas, you may need to contact your local library or Extension Service.