Edible Soil

Mackenzie Davis
3rd Grade Science

TEKS: 112.14. Science, Grade 3

(7) Earth and space. The student knows that Earth consists of natural resources and its
surface is constantly changing. The student is expected to:
(A) explore and record how soils are formed by weathering of rock and the
decomposition of plant and animal remains;
1.Plastic CLEAR cups
2.Oreo Cookies
3.Spoons
4.Cool Whip
5.Chocolate Jello Pudding
6.Gummy Worm
7.Milk
8.Measuring Cup
9.Mixing Bowl
Steps
1.
The first order of business when making worms in dirt is, of course, to make
the dirt.
2.
Place the chocolate sandwich cookies in a large zip-top plastic bag, and use a
rolling pin to crush them into small pieces. Dont worry about removing the cream filling
before putting the cookies in the bagat first they will clump together, but as you
continue to crush them, the cream will blend with the cookies and you wont even notice
it.
3.
Continue to crush the cookies in the bag until they are in fine crumbs. A few
larger pieces are okay, tooafter all, dirt comes in different sizes!

4.
Next, make the pudding. Pour the dry pudding mix into a large bowl, then add
the cold milk. Whisk everything together until all of the dry pudding dissolves and its
smooth and free of lumps.
5.
Let the pudding sit for about 5 minutes, until it thickens and is no longer
liquid. If it has the delightfully gloppy texture of pudding, youre ready to go on.
6.
Add the whipped topping and approximately half of the cookie crumbs. You
dont have to measure, just eyeball half the bag and pour it in.
7.
Gently stir everything together until the streaks of whipped topping disappear,
and the cookies are well-mixed into the pudding.
8.
Divide the pudding mixture evenly between eight cupseach should hold a
little over -cup of pudding. You can fill them however youd likeI prefer to use a large
ice cream scoop because I think its a little neater and faster that way.
9.
Tap the cups on the countertop a few times to level the pudding, then insert 3
gummy worms into the pudding and press them down a little so that theyre embedded.
10.
Pour the cookie crumbs over the pudding and gummy worms so that the entire
top is covered with dirt. Smooth it into an even layer with your hands.

Activity:
To get them more into soil we are going to make edible soil.Each student will get their
own clear cup.The teacher will pass out the pudding already made and the crushed up
oreos the students will put some crushed up oreos on the bottom then in the
middle you put the pudding and back to the crushed up oreos and add
worms to the top.After that they will be split up in groups and be sent to a
station where one group will go to brainpop jr. and watch the video and do
the quiz over it. Another group will do a foldable over soil.The last group will
do a matching game where you have to match up the definition to the word
and picture.
Assessment
Students will be given a week to work on a projects.The projects is the students will
have to make up their song to soil they have to use vocabulary word in the song, and at
the end of the week they will present the song in front of the class.
Vocabulary:
soil
material in the top layer of the surface of the earth in which plants can grow
topsoil
top layer of soil
humus
dark, organic material formed in soil from the decayed remains of plants and animals
clay
the smallest type of soil particles that have the capacity to absorb and hold water

loam
a rich soil consisting of a mixture of sand and clay and decaying organic materials
resource
a material that is found in nature and that is used by living things
conservation
careful use of resources so they are not wasted
strip cropping
a type of planting that uses strips of thick grass or clover between strips of crops
contour planting
plowing/planting across a slight slope rather than up and down