**Soils, Insects and Forests**

**A science unit for 3rd grade students by Sarah Woodhead\
The Pomfret School, Pomfret, Vermont**

 

This unit is a collection of three subunits: soil, insects and forests.
Ultimately the children will develop an appreciation and understanding
of place through learning about two pieces or components of the forests,
soil and insects. While studying soil they will learn about the
components and properties of soil, erosion, and decomposition. While
studying insects they will learn about the characteristics of insects,
the classification system, their role in the forest, how to find them in
the forest, and ways to find and identify evidence that the forest is
filled with insects. In the forest study they will explore the pieces,
patterns, and processes of a forest ecosystem. In addition to continuing
to look at insects and soil in the forest, students will look for other
parts of a forest, look for signs of change, discuss the purpose of
forests and observe patterns of vegetation, use, growth, etc. The
students will participate in a range of activities from sitting alone
and observing the forest to working in groups and solving problems to
deepen understanding of the concepts. They will complete projects to
present to audiences including the whole school community, their
classmates, and the school board addressing the patterns, pieces and
processes of the forest and stewardship of the forest ecosystem,
including future uses. Forests, insects, and soil are all critical to
life on earth and are key elements of each and everyone\'s place. The
overall goal of this unit is for children to develop a conceptual
understanding of forests, soil, and insects as well as develop a sense
of awe and wonder of their place which includes the soil, insects, and
the forest.

**Soils Unit**

**Essential Question: What is soil and how does it support life in the
forest?**

+--------------+--------------+-----------+---------------+----------+
| *            | **Criteria** | *         | **Products    | **Asse   |
| *Standards** |              | *Learning | and           | ssment** |
|              |              | and       | P             |          |
|              |              | Teaching  | erformances** |          |
|              |              | Act       |               |          |
|              |              | ivities** |               |          |
+--------------+--------------+-----------+---------------+----------+
| 1.20         | Observe and  | Lesson 1: | Two journal   | C        |
| Students use | identify     | What is   | entries (list | hecklist |
| graphs,      | components   | in soil?\ | of soil       |          |
| charts, and  | of soil\     | \         | ingredients   |          |
| other visual | \            | Lesson 2: | with two      |          |
| p            | Compare and  | How are   | words from    |          |
| resentations | contrast     | soils     | each of the   |          |
| to           | soil from    | from      | five senses   | C        |
| communicate  | different    | different | to describe   | hecklist |
| data         | locations\   | locations | soil and what |          |
| accurately   | \            | the same  | you know      |          |
| and          | Identify and | and       | about\        |          |
| ap           | observe      | di        | soil)         |          |
| propriately. | forces and   | fferent?\ |               |          |
|              | patterns     | \         | Paragraph or  | Ch       |
| 2.1 Students | that shape   | Lesson 3: | group poster  | ecklist, |
| ask a        | earth\       | What are  | responding to | a        |
| variety of   | \            | the major | the           | necdotal |
| questions.\  | Observe      | c         | statement,    | notes    |
| \            | properties   | omponents | \"Soil is     |          |
| 2.2 Students | of soil and  | of soil?  | considered a  |          |
| use          | connect to   | How does  | basic         |          |
| reasoning    | ability to   | soil      | necessity to  | C        |
| strategies,  | grow plants\ | co        | life on       | hecklist |
| knowledge,   | \            | mposition | land.\"       | for      |
| and common   | Compare and  | determine | Prediction to | content, |
| sense to     | explain      | soil      | soil shakes   | unders   |
| solve        | w            | quality?\ |               | tanding, |
| complex      | ater-holding | \         | Labeled       | and      |
| problems     | capacities   | Lesson 4: | drawing of    | colla    |
| related to   | of different | What are  | soil shakes   | borative |
| all fields   | soils\       | the       | after it\'s   | skills   |
| of           | \            | wate      | settled 3     |          |
| knowledge.   | Use evidence | r-holding | sentences     |          |
|              | to construct | and       | written in    |          |
| 7.1 Students | an           | drainage  | journals      | C        |
| use          | explanation  | c         | about what    | hecklist |
| scientific   |              | apacities | was learned   |          |
| methods to   | Use          | of soil?  | about the     |          |
| describe,    | deductive    |           | components of |          |
| investigate  | reasoning to | [Lesson   | soil          | Task-    |
| and explain  | explain      | 5](http:/ |               | specific |
| phenomena.\  | observations | /www.nps. | Poem or song\ | rubric   |
| \            |              | gov/archi | Prediction\   |          |
| 7.3 Students | Describe and | ve/mabi/m | Chart\        |          |
| understand   | show         | abi/educa | Written       |          |
| the nature   | examples of  | tion/fore | response      |          |
| of           | the          | stclassro |               |          |
| scientific   | int          | om/woodhe | Hypothesis    |          |
| theory.\     | erdependence | ad5.htm): | for reducing  |          |
| \            | of soil in a | What is   | erosion\      |          |
| 7. 13        | forest       | erosion   | Response to   |          |
| Students     | ecosystem    | and how   | erosion       |          |
| understand   |              | can it be | questions in  |          |
| the          | Identify and | con       | journal       |          |
| cha          | explain the  | trolled?\ |               |          |
| racteristics | role of      | \         | Sketches\     |          |
| of           | d            | Lesson 6: | Poem, song,   |          |
| organisms,   | ecomposition | How does  | or rap        |          |
| see patterns | in a forest  | Nature    |               |          |
| of           | ecosystem    | recycle?  |               |          |
| similarity   |              |           |               |          |
| and          | Analyze and  |           |               |          |
| differences  | explain      |           |               |          |
| among living | natural      |           |               |          |
| organisms    | resource     |           |               |          |
| and          | management   |           |               |          |
| recognize    |              |           |               |          |
| the          |              |           |               |          |
| int          |              |           |               |          |
| erdependence |              |           |               |          |
| of all       |              |           |               |          |
| systems that |              |           |               |          |
| support      |              |           |               |          |
| life.\       |              |           |               |          |
| \            |              |           |               |          |
| 7. 15        |              |           |               |          |
| Students     |              |           |               |          |
| demonstrate  |              |           |               |          |
| u            |              |           |               |          |
| nderstanding |              |           |               |          |
| of the earth |              |           |               |          |
| and its      |              |           |               |          |
| environment  |              |           |               |          |
| in terms of  |              |           |               |          |
| the systems  |              |           |               |          |
| that         |              |           |               |          |
| characterize |              |           |               |          |
| them and the |              |           |               |          |
| forces that  |              |           |               |          |
| affect and   |              |           |               |          |
| shape them   |              |           |               |          |
| over time    |              |           |               |          |
+--------------+--------------+-----------+---------------+----------+

**Insects Unit**

**Essential Question: What are insects and what role do they play in the
forest?**

+--------------+--------------+-----------+---------------+----------+
| *            | **Criteria** | *         | **Products    | **Asse   |
| *Standards** |              | *Learning | and           | ssment** |
|              |              | and       | P             |          |
|              |              | Teaching  | erformances** |          |
|              |              | Act       |               |          |
|              |              | ivities** |               |          |
+--------------+--------------+-----------+---------------+----------+
| 7.13         | Compare and  | Lesson 1: | Chart         | C        |
| Students     | contrast     | What is   | comparing     | hecklist |
| understand   | human and    | an        | humans to     |          |
| the          | insect body  | insect?\  | insects       |          |
| cha          | parts.       | \         |               |          |
| racteristics |              | Lesson 2: | Two-column    | C        |
| of           | Comprehend   | What are  | notes labeled | hecklist |
| organisms,   | non-fiction  | the parts | drawing or    |          |
| see patterns | text, using  | of an     | list of 3     |          |
| of           | two column   | insect?   | main body     |          |
| similarity   | notes.       |           | parts of an   | C        |
| and          |              | Lesson 3: | insect and    | hecklist |
| differences  | Identify     | What is   | their         |          |
| among living | three main   | the life  | component     | Test     |
| organisms    | body parts   | cycle of  | parts         |          |
| and          | of an insect | an        |               | Scoring  |
| recognize    | and          | insect?   | Poem, poster, | guide    |
| the          | component    |           | skit,         |          |
| int          | parts.       | Lesson 4: | paragraph or  |          |
| erdependence |              | How do    | two-column    |          |
| of all       | List stages  | insects   | notes         | A        |
| systems that | in the life  | survive   | illustrating  | necdotal |
| support.     | cycle of an  | using     | life cycle of | notes\   |
|              | insect.      | their     | an insect     | Obse     |
| 7.11         |              | senses?   |               | rvations |
| Students     | Use          |           | 3 questions   |          |
| analyze and  | cooperative  | Lesson 5: | about chosen  | C        |
| understand   | skills to    | How do    | topic (seeing | hecklist |
| living and   | work         | s         | and hearing,  |          |
| non-living   | effectively  | cientists | tasting and   | Scoring  |
| systems as   | as a team.   | classify  | smelling and  | guide    |
| collections  |              | animals?\ | feeding)      |          |
| of           | Identify     | \         |               |          |
| interrelated | cha          | Lesson 6: | Poster        |          |
| parts and    | racteristics | Where can |               | A        |
| in           | of insects   | we find   |               | necdotal |
| terconnected | that help    | insects,  |               | notes    |
| systems.\    | them         | what are  | Journal entry |          |
| \            | survive,     | they      |               |          |
| 7.9 Students | including    | doing and |               |          |
| collect,     | seeing,      | what do   |               |  A       |
| order and    | hearing,     | they look | Following the | necdotal |
| analyze data | tasting,     | like?     | Trail Sheet   | notes    |
| to answer a  | smelling,    |           | journal entry |          |
| question.    | and feeding. | Lesson 7: |               |          |
|              |              | What      | Journal entry |          |
| 3.10         | Identify     | evidence  |               | Rubric   |
| Students     | patterns of  | can we    |               |          |
| work         | similarity   | find that |               |          |
| effectively  | and          | insects   | List          |          |
| on teams     | differences  | were      |               |          |
| that conduct | used to      | here?     |               |          |
| in           | classify     |           |               |          |
| vestigations | animals.     | Lesson 8: | Feeding group |          |
| and solve    |              | How do we | tally sheet   |          |
| problems.    | Observe and  | find more | journal entry |          |
|              | record       | insects:  |               |          |
| 2.2 Students | examples of  |           |               |          |
| use          | int          | Lesson 9: |               |          |
| reasoning    | erdependence | How are   | Report        |          |
| strategies,  | between      | insects   |               |          |
| knowledge,   | forests and  | alike and |               |          |
| and common   | insects.     | d         |               |          |
| sense to     |              | ifferent? |               |          |
| solve        | Use evidence |           |               |          |
| complex      | to construct | Lesson    |               |          |
| problems     | an           | 10: What  |               |          |
| related to   | explanation. | is the    |               |          |
| all fields   |              | rel       |               |          |
| of           | Explain a    | ationship |               |          |
| knowledge.\  | variety of   | between   |               |          |
| \            | o            | b         |               |          |
| 1.8 Students | bservations. | iological |               |          |
| organize and |              | diversity |               |          |
| convey       | Analyze      | and       |               |          |
| information  | living       | forest    |               |          |
| accurately   | systems as   | type?     |               |          |
| and          | collections  |           |               |          |
| e            | of           | Cu        |               |          |
| ffectively.\ | interrelated | lminating |               |          |
| \            | parts.       | Activity: |               |          |
| 1.3 Students |              | Write a   |               |          |
| read for     | Describe,    | report    |               |          |
| meaning,     | investigate  | about an  |               |          |
| d            | and explain  | insect    |               |          |
| emonstrating | phenomena.   | and its   |               |          |
| both initial |              | role in   |               |          |
| u            | Use          | the       |               |          |
| nderstanding | magnifying   | forest.   |               |          |
| and personal | lenses to    |           |               |          |
| response to  | see patterns |           |               |          |
| what is      | of           |           |               |          |
| read.        | similarity   |           |               |          |
|              | and          |           |               |          |
| 1.1 Students | differences  |           |               |          |
| use a        | among living |           |               |          |
| variety of   | organisms.   |           |               |          |
| strategies   |              |           |               |          |
| to read.     | Use          |           |               |          |
|              | reasoning    |           |               |          |
| 2.1          | strategies   |           |               |          |
| Questioning: | to solve     |           |               |          |
| Ask a        | problems.    |           |               |          |
| variety of   |              |           |               |          |
| questions.   |              |           |               |          |
+--------------+--------------+-----------+---------------+----------+

**Forests Unit**

**Essential Question: What are the pieces, patterns and processes of a
forest ecosystem?**

+--------------+--------------+-----------+---------------+----------+
| *            | **Criteria** | *         | **Products    | **Asse   |
| *Standards** |              | *Learning | and           | ssment** |
|              |              | and       | P             |          |
|              |              | Teaching  | erformances** |          |
|              |              | Act       |               |          |
|              |              | ivities** |               |          |
+--------------+--------------+-----------+---------------+----------+
| 2.1 Students | Demonstrate  | [Lesson   | Responses to  | A        |
| ask a        | knowledge    | 1](http:/ | 4 questions   | necdotal |
| variety of   | and make     | /www.nps. | on charts     | notes    |
| questions.   | inquiries    | gov/archi | (What do we   |          |
|              | about        | ve/mabi/m | know about    |          |
| 7.13d        | forests      | abi/educa | forests? Why  |          |
| Organisms,   |              | tion/fore | do we need    |          |
| evolution    | Observe      | stclassro | forests? What |          |
| and          | patterns in  | om/woodhe | is a forest?  |          |
| inte         | forest       | ad1.htm): | What words    |          |
| rdependence: |              | What is a | describe your | Ch       |
| describe and | Identify     | forest?   | feelings when | ecklist, |
| show         | elements in  |           | in a forest?  | a        |
| examples of  | a forest and |           | free-focus    | necdotal |
| the          | recognize    |           | write on      | notes    |
| int          | how each one |           | forests,      |          |
| erdependence | contributes  |           | questions     | C        |
| of all       | to the       | Lesson 2: | about forests | hecklist |
| systems that | health of    | What      |               | for      |
| support life | the          | lives in  | Journal entry | teamwork |
|              | community    | a forest? |               | and for  |
| 7.7f Measure | (plants,     | What are  |               | p        |
| as exactly   | animals,     | the       |               | aragraph |
| as possible, | soil)        | pieces in | Plot studies\ |          |
| round off,   |              | a         | written       |          |
| as           | Measure and  | forest?\  | paragraph     |          |
| appropriate\ | record       | \         | addressing    | C        |
| \            | c            | Lesson 3: | \"Is the      | hecklist |
| 7.1          | ircumference | How is    | forest        |          |
| Scientific   | of trees     | the       | changing?\"\  |          |
| Method:      |              | forest    | mural or      |          |
| Students use | Compare data | changing? | diorama of    | C        |
| scientific   | from three   |           | forest        | hecklist |
| methods to   | plots        | Lesson 4: |               |          |
| describe,    |              | Why do we | Letter        | C        |
| investigate  | Observe and  | need      |               | hecklist |
| and explain  | describe     | forests?  |               | for      |
| phenomena.   | signs of the |           |               | content  |
|              | forest       | Lesson 5: | Skit, drawing | and      |
| 3.10         | changing     | What does | or story      | focus of |
| Teamwork     |              | a         | explaining    | verse    |
|              | Work as a    | forester  | forester\'s   |          |
| 1.5 Writing  | team to      | do?\      | jobs to       |          |
| Dimensions,  | accomplish   | \         | manage        |          |
| including    | tasks        | Lesson 6: | forests       |          |
| purpose,     |              | What are  |               |          |
| o            | Organize     | the       | Verse and     |          |
| rganization, | details in a | patterns, | class quest   |          |
| details and  | letter,      | pieces    |               |          |
| tone         | stating a    | and       |               |          |
|              | clear need   | processes |               |          |
| 4.1 Service: | for the      | of a      |               |          |
| Students     | forest and   | forest?   |               |          |
| take an      | possible     |           |               |          |
| active role  | future uses  |           |               |          |
| in their     |              |           |               |          |
| community    | Explain role |           |               |          |
|              | of a         |           |               |          |
| 7.15e        | forester in  |           |               |          |
| Analyze and  | managing a   |           |               |          |
| explain      | sustainable  |           |               |          |
| natural      | forest       |           |               |          |
| resource     | ecosystem    |           |               |          |
| management   |              |           |               |          |
|              | Identify and |           |               |          |
|              | describe     |           |               |          |
|              | pieces,      |           |               |          |
|              | patterns and |           |               |          |
|              | processes of |           |               |          |
|              | a forest     |           |               |          |
|              | ecosystem    |           |               |          |
+--------------+--------------+-----------+---------------+----------+

 

**LESSON #5: Soil**

**Focus Question:** What is erosion and how can it be controlled?\
\
**Vermont Standards addressed:**

2.2 Problem Solving: Students use reasoning strategies, knowledge, and
common sense to solve complex problems related to alI fields of
knowledge.

3.10 Students perform effectively on teams that set and achieve goals,
conduct investigations, solve problems, and create solutions.

7.15 Students demonstrate understanding of the earth and its environment
in terms of the systems that characterize them and the forces that
affect and shape them over time.

7.15e Analyze and explain natural resource management.

**Length of time needed to complete:** 60 minutes for initial
demonstration, walk around school yard and brainstorming within groups,
15 minutes to communicate plan, 45-60 minutes to conduct experiment and
write in journal, 60 minutes for speaker or trip to park

**Resources/Materials:\
***Project Seasons* (Soil on the Run), 9x13 baking trays, soil, watering
can or jars to pour water, collecting basins, items to control erosion
(hay, grass sod, sticks)

**Procedure:**

1\. Gather students together for a demonstration. Explain that you are a
hill farmer and you just finished harvesting and tilling your fields.
Show the students a tray full of soil which is propped up on one side,
creating a slope. Place beneath the tray a collecting basin which runs
the width of the tray. Tell the students it has been a rainy fall and
another storm is brewing. Ask them what will happen to the soil in this
field after a rainstorm. In your journal, sketch this tray as it looks
now and another sketch of what it will look like after the storm. Label
your drawing.

2\. Let it rain for 1-2 minutes by pouring two cups of water onto the
tray.

3\. Observe and discuss. What happened to the soil in the tray? What do
you notice about the run-off? (Put the water into a clear jar to
examine.) What happened to the top-soil? How does this affect the
farmer\'s ability to grow crops? Record amount and clarity of water in
run-off.

4\. Explain that this process of soil washing away is called erosion.
\"Soil erosion is a serious problem that is affecting farmers throughout
the world. Every year 3 billion tons of topsoil is lost and it is the
topsoil that is responsible for soil fertility. Remember, it takes 100
years to make an inch of new topsoil.\"

5\. Walk around school and to the woods to see signs of erosion. Discuss
why erosion is occurring in some areas and not others.

6\. Tell students: Your challenge is to reduce the amount of erosion in
your own sloping hill farm. In your group, discuss ways to reduce the
amount of water that leaves your tray as well as reduce the amount of
soil in the runoff.

7\. Groups meet and decide how they wish to control erosion. (It may be
necessary to have a class discussion, reviewing what we observed, to
facilitate finding options to explore.) Possible options include
terracing, contour plowing, adding organic material to absorb water,
cover cropping, adding mulch. Have available items such as hay, grass
seed, sticks, compost, and sod to help them brainstorm ideas. Allow
students time to research options by discussing it at home, looking in
books, etc. Set deadline, such as next day, to meet again and choose a
plan.

8\. Draw a sketch of plan in book for reducing erosion, titling page,
\"Erosion Control.\"

9\. On the day of the experiment set up trays and have the students
present methods for erosion control. Have all the groups pour the same
amount from a set height onto a sloping field. Examine the runoff of
each field, noting clarity, color and amount collected. Which methods
were the most effective at controlling erosion? On \"Erosion Control\"
page in journal, write the results of your experiment. Draw a conclusion
by comparing your field and the results to the first demonstration.

10\. In your journal answer these questions: What is erosion? Why is
erosion a problem? What did you learn from doing this experiment?

11\. Have a soil conservation specialist visit the classroom and discuss
soil and issues about erosion. Or, take a field trip to
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park to learn about
George Perkins Marsh and his observations about the effects of the loss
of trees on Mount Tom to the river.

**Assessment:**

Students will: Observe the effects of water on bare soil

Use knowledge and reasoning to create a way to reduce erosion

Develop understanding of soil as a precious, essential resource that
needs to be protected

Work cooperatively to solve the problem of erosion

Teacher will: Check for clarity of understanding of erosion and how to
control it in their writing

> Write anecdotal notes and give feedback to students about their
> efforts as a group to find a solution and participate cooperatively
>
> Encourage, support, redirect, and facilitate groups in finding ways to
> reduce erosion

**LESSON #1: Forests**

**Focus Question:** What is a forest?\
\
**Vermont Standards addressed:**

2.1 Students ask a variety of questions.

**Length of time needed to complete:** 60-90 minutes

**Resources/Materials:** Clipboards, paper, pencils, chart paper, nature
journals

**Procedure:**

1\. Before the lesson, write each of the following questions on separate
pieces of 8x10 paper: (a) What do we know about forests? (b) Why do we
need forests? (c) What is in a forest? (d) What words describe how you
feel when you visit a forest?

2\. In the classroom, pass out paper to complete a pre-assessment. Tell
students: describe a forest in writing or draw and label a picture of a
forest. Include what you would find in a forest. Collect pre-assessment
with names and dates.

3\. Walk out into woods, taking four clipboards with paper and
questions, pencils and nature journals. Place clipboards in different
spots in a wooded area close enough to rotate to different spots easily.

4\. Put students into four groups. Tell them: brainstorm answers to the
question on the clipboard. Take turns recording answers with a different
person recording for each question. Accept all answers. Assign each
group to a question and begin. Allow two to four minutes per question
depending on focus.

5\. When they have responded to all the questions, heave each group
share the responses on the paper they responded to last.

6\. As a group, brainstorm questions about what we want to know about
forests. (This can be typed and copied for each student and reflected
upon occasionally throughout the study of forests.)

7\. Tell students: In nature journal, do a free-focus write on forest.
Write whatever comes into your mind about forests, including thoughts,
feelings, facts and questions. This can be the beginning of entries
throughout the study and perhaps year, made when visiting the forest.

8\. In groups, write a definition of forest and share. If time, write a
class definition drawn from all the groups.

9\. Read aloud *Your Best Place* by Byrd Baylor. 

**Assessment:**

Students will: Complete a pre-assessment about knowledge of forests

Participate in the carousel (cooperative) activity, answering questions
about the forest

Ask questions about the forest

Make a journal entry

Write a definition of a forest

Teacher will: Anecdotal notes written on the students\' engagement in
the activities, level of understanding, depth of questions (what level
of Bloom\'s taxonomy are the questions-knowledge, analysis, synthesis)
and on what level does each student demonstrate a knowledge of the
forest, communicate a response/inquiry to learning about it an a sense
of wonder about the forest.