They brainstorm words to describe their rocks. In small groups, students decide on a classification and sort their rocks. The teacher sets up the following experiments for the students so they can observe the effects of water and wind on soil. The teacher fills a cookie sheet with soil, places it on a newspaper, and fans the dry soil. The teacher fills one end of a cake pan with soil, tilts the pan, and pours water into the raised end.
Students observe the water picking up the soil and carrying it to the low end of the pan.
Students observe how much soil is lost. In small groups, students go outside with a trowel and a plastic sheet. They dig a small hole and put the soil on the plastic sheet. When the groups return to class, they compare their charts and through class discussion reach a consensus on what the living and non-living components of soil are. They demonstrate their scientific skills and processes when they classify collections of rocks, and when they record procedures and observations from the demonstrations they watch.