**A Forest Year: Soils Unit**

**An interdisciplinary unit for 1st grade students by JoAnn Kruzshak\
Thetford Elementary School, Thetford, Vermont**

"If you have walked quietly in one forest, you have walked in all the
forests that have ever been." *Roger Caras*

Within walking distance of our school is the Thetford Hill State Forest.
This wonderfully rich and diverse ecosystem is the site of our year-long
study of the forest. This interdisciplinary study incorporates all
academic areas and involves weekly visits to the forest. Through the
study of their natural environment, the children develop a strong
attachment to and respect for the land. Weekly visits over the course of
a year foster an awareness of the natural rhythms of the seasons.
Empathy for the natural world and a sense of place results from direct
study of the forest. The children become aware of the interdependency of
plants, animals, and people as they learn about the forest ecosystem. As
children observe and study together, they develop communication and
problem-solving skills. A deepening sense of community and trust
develops among the children as a result of their collaboration. Children
make sense of their world through direct experience, which is provided
in abundance through the forest study.\
The Soils Unit will be taught in the spring, after the children have had
extensive experiences in the forest. In this unit the children will
study the characteristics of rocks and soil, how soil can affect plant
growth, erosion, and the role that soil plays in the forest ecosystem.
The unit was developed to meet the requirements of our district science
curriculum.

**A Forest Year: Soils Unit**

**Essential Question: Why is soil important to life in the forest?**

+--------------+--------------+-----------+---------------+----------+
| *            | **Criteria** | *         | **Products    | **Asse   |
| *Standards** |              | *Learning | and           | ssment** |
|              |              | and       | P             |          |
|              |              | Teaching  | erformances** |          |
|              |              | Act       |               |          |
|              |              | ivities** |               |          |
+--------------+--------------+-----------+---------------+----------+
| 4.6          | **What are   | **Lesson  | **Lesson      | journal  |
| U            | the          | One:**\   | One**\        | writing\ |
| nderstanding | cha          | Everybody | \*            | rubric\  |
| Place:\      | racteristics | Needs a   | observations\ | drawing  |
| Students     | of rocks?**\ | Rock\     | \*journal     | rubric\  |
| demonstrate  | \* Some      | \*Pebble  | reflections\  | a        |
| u            | rocks are    | Pass\     | \* KWL chart\ | necdotal |
| nderstanding | made of a    | \*Pebble  | \*discussion  | notes    |
| of the       | single       | Pick Up\  |               |          |
| relationship | substance,   | \*Sharing |               |          |
| between      | but most are | Circle\   |               |          |
| their local  | made of      | \*Rock    | **Lesson      |          |
| environment  | several      | Treasure  | Two**\        |          |
| and          | substances.  | Hunt      | \*data        | journal  |
| community    |              |           | sheets\       | writing\ |
| heritage and | **What is    | **Lesson  | \*            | rubric\  |
| how each     | soil and     | Two:**\   | observations\ | drawing  |
| shapes their | where does   | \*Hidden  | \*in          | rubric   |
| lives. This  | it come      | Colors\   | vestigations\ |          |
| is evident   | from?**\     | \*Hard as | \*journal     |          |
| when         | \*Students   | a Rock\   | reflections\  |          |
| students:\   | demonstrate  | \*Weigh   | \*KWL chart\  | journal  |
| a.           | u            | In\       | \*discussion  | writing\ |
| Demonstrate  | nderstanding | \*Sand    |               | rubric\  |
| knowledge    | that soils   | Makers\   | **Lesson      | drawing  |
| and history  | have         | \*Testing | Three**\      | rubric\  |
| of local     | properties   | Rocks     | \*            | a        |
| environment  | of color and |           | observations\ | necdotal |
| (e.g.,       | texture and  | **Lesson  | \*in          | notes    |
| soils,       | the capacity | Three:**\ | vestigations\ |          |
| forests,     | to retain    | \*What is | \*poems\      |          |
| watershed)   | water.\      | in Soil?\ | \*discussion\ |          |
| and how      | \*Students   | \*In      | \*KWL chart   |          |
| their        | demonstrate  | troducing |               |          |
| community    | u            | Sand,     |               | journal  |
| relies on    | nderstanding | Clay, and |               | writing\ |
| its          | that soils   | Humus\    | **Lesson      | rubric\  |
| environment  | are made of  | \*SoiI    | Four**\       | drawing  |
| to meet its  | many         | Soakers\  | \*puppet      | rubric\  |
| needs (e.g., | different    | \*Soil    | show\         | a        |
| nutritional, | materials    | Recipe\   | \*            | necdotal |
| r            | and may      | \*Soil    | observations\ | notes    |
| ecreational, | include      | Shakes\   | \*in          |          |
| economic,    | sand, humus, | \*Soil in | vestigations\ |          |
| emotional    | clay and     | the       | \*journal     |          |
| well-being). | gravel.\     | Forest\   | reflections\  |          |
|              | \*Students   | \*Soil    | \*mural\      |          |
| 7.1          | demonstrate  | Sampling  | \*KWL chart   |          |
| Scientific   | u            |           |               |          |
| Method\      | nderstanding | **Lesson  |               |          |
| Students use | that soils   | Four:**\  |               |          |
| scientific   | differ from  | \*Lie     |               |          |
| methods to   | place to     | Down and  |               |          |
| describe,    | place in the | Look\     |               |          |
| investigate, | forest and   | \*Forest  |               |          |
| explain      | in other     | Foray\    |               | journal  |
| phenomena,   | places.\     | \*Digging |               | writing\ |
| and raise    | \*Students   | Deeper\   |               | rubric\  |
| questions in | demonstrate  | \*Puppet  |               | drawing  |
| order to:\   | u            | show\     |               | rubric   |
| a. Ask       | nderstanding | \*The     |               |          |
| questions    | that over    | Rotten    | **Lesson      |          |
| about        | time, dead   | Truth\    | Five**\       |          |
| objects,     | plants       | \*Rotting | \*in          |          |
| organisms,   | decompose to | Log Look\ | vestigations\ |          |
| and events   | become a     | \*Bark    | \*            |          |
| in the world | part of the  | Beetle    | observations\ |          |
| around them. | soil.\       | Inves     | \*journal     |          |
|              | \*Students   | tigation\ | reflections\  |          |
| 7.11         | demonstrate  | \*Buried  | \*discussion\ | journal  |
| Analysis:\   | u            | Treasure\ | \*web of life | writing\ |
| Students     | nderstanding | \*Wiggle  | drawings\     | rubric\  |
| analyze and  | of the       | Worms\    | \*KWL chart   | drawing  |
| understand   | int          | \*As the  |               | rubric   |
| living and   | erdependence | Worm      |               |          |
| non-living   | of soil and  | Turns\    |               | **Final  |
| systems      | plants.      | \*The     |               | Ass      |
| (e.g.,       |              | Wonderful |               | essment\ |
| biological,  | **How can    | Worm\     | **Lesson Six\ | *        |
| chemical,    | soil affect  | \*The     | **\*collage\  | *journal |
| electrical,  | plant        | World     | \*puppet      | writing\ |
| mechanical,  | growth?**\   | Beneath   | show\         | rubric\  |
| optical) as  | \*Students   | Your Feet | \             | drawing  |
| collections  | demonstrate  |           | *experiments\ | rubric\  |
| of           | u            | **Lesson  | \*journal     | a        |
| interrelated | nderstanding | Five:**\  | reflections\  | necdotal |
| parts and    | that soil    | \*Growing | \*discussion\ | notes    |
| in           | supports the | Plants in | \*KWL chart   |          |
| terconnected | growth of    | Different |               |          |
| systems.     | many         | Soils\    |               |          |
| This is      | different    | \*Why do  |               |          |
| evident when | kinds of     | Plants    |               |          |
| students:\   | plants and   | Have      |               |          |
| a.           | provides     | Roots in  |               |          |
| Demonstrate  | physical     | Soil?\    |               |          |
| and          | support for  | \*How     |               |          |
| understand   | plants.\     | Plants    |               |          |
| that systems | \*Students   | Grow\     |               |          |
| are made of  | demonstrate  | \         |               |          |
| interrelated | u            | *Uprooted |               |          |
| parts that   | nderstanding | Tree\     |               |          |
| influence    | of how soiI  | \*Soil in |               |          |
| one\         | supports     | the       |               |          |
| another.     | life in a    | Forest\   |               |          |
|              | local        | \*Forest  |               |          |
| 7.13         | forest. What | Web of    |               |          |
| Organisms,   | is erosion   | Life\     |               |          |
| Evolution,   | and how does | \*Web of  |               |          |
| and          | it change    | Life      |               |          |
| Inte         | the land?\   | Mandala   |               |          |
| rdependence\ | \*Students   |           |               |          |
| Students     | demonstrate  | **Lesson  |               |          |
| understand   | u            | Six:**\   |               |          |
| the          | nderstanding | \*Shaping |               |          |
| cha          | that the     | the Land\ |               |          |
| racteristics | earth\'s     | \*Erosion |               |          |
| of           | surface      | Puppet    |               |          |
| organisms,   | changes over | Show\     |               |          |
| see patterns | time due to  | \*Splash\ |               |          |
| of           | erosion and  | \*Rock    |               |          |
| similarity   | weathering.\ | and Roll\ |               |          |
| and          | \*Students   | \*Swept   |               |          |
| differences  | demonstrate  | Away\     |               |          |
| among living | u            | \         |               |          |
| organisms,   | nderstanding | *Slipping |               |          |
| understand   | that trees   | Soil\     |               |          |
| the role of  | prevent      | \*Erosion |               |          |
| evolution,   | erosion.     | Hunt\     |               |          |
| and          |              | \*If I    |               |          |
| recognize    | **What       | were a    |               |          |
| the          | scientific   | Fish      |               |          |
| int          | methods will |           |               |          |
| erdependence | the students |           |               |          |
| of all       | use?\        |           |               |          |
| systems that | **\*Students |           |               |          |
| support      | will make    |           |               |          |
| life. This   | o            |           |               |          |
| is evident   | bservations, |           |               |          |
| when         | and collect  |           |               |          |
| students:\   | and record\  |           |               |          |
| a. Describe  | data.\       |           |               |          |
| and show     | \*Students   |           |               |          |
| examples of  | will ask     |           |               |          |
| the          | questions    |           |               |          |
| int          | about        |           |               |          |
| erdependence | organisms,   |           |               |          |
| of all       | objects, and |           |               |          |
| systems that | events in    |           |               |          |
| support      | the\         |           |               |          |
| life.        | forest.      |           |               |          |
|              |              |           |               |          |
| 7\. 15       |              |           |               |          |
| Theories,    |              |           |               |          |
| Systems, and |              |           |               |          |
| Forces:\     |              |           |               |          |
| Students     |              |           |               |          |
| demonstrate  |              |           |               |          |
| and          |              |           |               |          |
| u            |              |           |               |          |
| nderstanding |              |           |               |          |
| of the earth |              |           |               |          |
| and its      |              |           |               |          |
| environment, |              |           |               |          |
| the solar    |              |           |               |          |
| system and   |              |           |               |          |
| the universe |              |           |               |          |
| in terms of  |              |           |               |          |
| the systems  |              |           |               |          |
| that         |              |           |               |          |
| characterize |              |           |               |          |
| them, the    |              |           |               |          |
| forces that  |              |           |               |          |
| affect and   |              |           |               |          |
| shape them   |              |           |               |          |
| overtime,    |              |           |               |          |
| and the      |              |           |               |          |
| theories     |              |           |               |          |
| that         |              |           |               |          |
| currently    |              |           |               |          |
| explain      |              |           |               |          |
| their        |              |           |               |          |
| evolution.   |              |           |               |          |
| This is      |              |           |               |          |
| evident when |              |           |               |          |
| students:\   |              |           |               |          |
| a. Identify  |              |           |               |          |
| and record   |              |           |               |          |
| evidence of  |              |           |               |          |
| change over  |              |           |               |          |
| time.\       |              |           |               |          |
| b. Identify  |              |           |               |          |
| and record   |              |           |               |          |
| interrelated |              |           |               |          |
| parts of     |              |           |               |          |
| earth        |              |           |               |          |
| systems.     |              |           |               |          |
+--------------+--------------+-----------+---------------+----------+

**LESSON #4: The Forest Floor**

**Focusing Question(s):** What do you observe on the forest floor? What
happens to the dead plants that fall to the forest floor? What is
decomposition?\
\
**Vermont Standards addressed:**

4.6 Understanding Place: Students demonstrate understanding of the
relationship between their local environment and community heritage and
how each shapes their lives.

**7**.11 Analysis: Students analyze and understand living and non-living
systems (e.g., biological, chemical, electrical, mechanical, optical) as
collections of interrelated parts and interconnected systems.

**7**.13 Organisms, Evolution, and Interdependence: Students understand
the characteristics of organisms, see patterns of similarity and
differences among living organisms, understand the role of evolution,
and recognize the interdependence of all systems that support life.

**7**.15 Theories, Systems, and Forces: Students demonstrate and
understanding of the earth and its environment, the solar system and the
universe in terms of the systems that characterize them, the forces that
affect and shape them overtime, and the theories that currently explain
their evolution.

**Length of time needed to complete:** One hour

**Resources/Materials: T**rowels, clipboards, pencils, observation
worksheets, journal paper, *Forest Foray* cards, puppets: Elli Eft, Papa
Newt, Dead Leaf, Wendy Worm, Freddy Fungus, Mildred Millipede, Sammy
Shrew

**Procedure:** 

In the Forest:

1.  See \"Forest Floor,\" pp. 75-79, in *Hands On Nature*. Do the
    following activities from that lesson: \"Puppet Show,\" \"Lie Down
    and Look,\" \"Digging Deeper,\" and \"Forest Foray.\" When the
    students do \"Digging Deeper\" they can record their observations on
    a worksheet.

2.  Magic Spots: Have the students lie on the forest floor. They lie
    there quietly for five minutes and then share what they noticed
    about the forest floor in a sharing circle.

3.  Read \"*Fallen Star\'s Ears*,\" a Native American legend, pp. 75-76,
    in *Keepers of Life*. Discuss the story with the students.
    Discussion questions are on p. 82.

In the Classroom:

4.  Discuss with the students what they learned about the forest floor.
    Write their observations on the KWL chart. The students reflect on
    the focusing question and write and draw what they noticed about the
    forest floor in their science journals.

**Culminating Activity: Gardening Project**

The first grade students will work with a class of older students to
improve the soil in the garden outside of our classroom. The first grade
students will decide what materials are needed to improve the soil and
collect those materials. Working with the older students, they will add
the new materials to the soil and prepare the garden for planting.

The first grade students, with the help of the older students, will
research which flowers would attract butterflies to the garden. The
plants could either be started from seed or purchased. All of the
students will plant flowers in the garden to help beautify the school
grounds.

The first grade students will also look at the erosion and flooding at
one corner of the garden. They will determine the cause of the problem
and see if they can solve it.

The gardening project could be extended to other parts of the school
grounds or to other places in the community.