Teacher:MollyMacDougall

School:WindsorHighSchool

Date:Friday2/26/16

Grade:9

ContentArea:EarthSpaceScience

Title:SoilProfilesaroundtheCountry

Lesson#:Day19

Standard:
Science3:EarthSystemsScience
6.TheinteractionofEarthssurfacewithwater,air,gravity,andbiologicalactivitycausesphysicaland
chemicalchanges.
a. Develop,communicate,andjustifyanevidencebasedscientificexplanationaddressingquestions
regardingtheinteractionofEarthssurfacewithwater,air,gravity,andbiologicalactivity
b. Analyzeandinterpretdata,maps,andmodelsconcerningthedirectandindirectevidenceproducedby
physicalandchemicalchangesthatwater,air,gravity,andbiologicalactivitycreate
c. Evaluatenegativeandpositiveconsequencesofphysicalandchemicalchangesonthegeosphere
d. Useremotesensingandgeographicinformationsystemsdatatointerpretlandformsandlandform
impactonhumanactivity

Understanding:
Studentswillunderstandthattherearedifferentsoiltypesaroundtheworldthatwereproducedby
differentphysicalandchemicalchangesthatwater,air,gravity,andbiologicalactivitycreate.
Studentswillunderstandthatdata,maps,andmodelsmappingsoilprofilesshowpatternsoforiginand
usagethatimpactshumanactivity.
Studentswillunderstandhowremotesensingdronesareusedtointerpretlandformstoevaluate
negativeandpositiveconsequencesofphysicalandchemicalchangesonthegeosphere,specificallyon
farms.

EssentialQuestions:
Howcandronesbeusedtohelpagriculture?
Whydowecarewhattheparentmaterialforasoilis?
Whydowecarewhattypeofsoilisfoundincertainareas?
Howdoesasoilprofileaffecthowthesoilcanbeusedforhumanactivity?

LearningTargets:
Icancommunicate,andjustifythatdifferentsoiltypesaroundtheworldwereproducedbyphysicaland
chemicalchangesfromwater,air,gravity,andbiologicalactivity.

ThismeansIcanresearchaspecificsoiltypetoseehowitwascreated,whattheparentmaterialis,andhow
itisappliedandpresentmyfindings.

Icananalyzeandinterpretdata,maps,andmodelsmappingthedifferentsoiltypestofindpatternsbetween
thetypesofsoil,parentmaterial,andusage.
ThismeansthatIcanuseArcGIStofindwhereasoiltypeisfoundintheUSandevaluatehowitslocate
correspondswithlocation,climate,andhumanusage.

Icanevaluatenegativeandpositiveeffectsonthegeosphere.
ThismeansthatIcanreadanarticleandhaveadiscussionaboutmodernfarmingtechniquescompensating
forpositiveandnegativeeffectsonthegeosphere.

Assessments:

GallerywalkforSoilProfileresearch(Learningtarget1and2)

Classdiscussionaboutmodernfarmingtechniquesforpos/negeffects

NameandPurpose:
Name:SoilProfilesaroundtheCountry
Purpose:Tolookatthedifferentsoilprofilesaroundthecountrytodeterminehowtheywerecreated,what
theirusesare,andwhattheirimpactisonhumanactivitybygatheringevidencetobuildandargumentand
ArcGIS.Alsotoexplorehowpositiveandnegativeaffectsonthegeosphereareexposedwhilefarmingand
howdronesareusedtocompensate.
TimeandMaterials:

90minutes

Dronearticle

Soilppt

coloredpencils

posterpaper

USmap

Soilprofileactivityinstructions/rubric

Gallerywalksheet

chromebooks

Anticipation:
Asstudentswalkintheclassroomtheywilleitherhaveanarticleattheirdeskorhaveonegiventothemas
theyentertheclass(differentiationpiece,seebelow).Theywillgrabtheirchromebooksforlateruse,butwill

keepthemshutaspertheinstructionsontheboard.Theywillbeginreadingthearticle.Iwillbestampingtheir
notesastheyrereading
Whenallstudentshavegottenthroughamajorityofthearticle,wewillhaveadiscussion.Itisnotnecessaryto
completelyfinishthearticleinordertoparticipateinthediscussion.Thediscussionisabouthowmodern
farmingusesdronestoaddresswheretheirfarmsareworkingandhowfactorsarehavingapositiveand
negativeimpactonthegeosphereontheirfarmintermsoffertilizing,watererosion,etc.

Activity:
Whentheclassdiscussionisdone,theclasswilltransitiontothesoilpresentationtoprovideenough
backgroundinformationnecessaryfortheactivity.Studentshavecompletedskeltonnotesbeforeclasssothe
purposeofthepresentationaretoconnectthemesandexploreconceptsotherthanjustvocabularyand
definitions.

Afterthepresentationtheactivityforthedaywillbeintroduced.Studentswillwiththeirteampickasoilprofile,
withtheoptionsontheboard..Withthatsoilprofiletheywillbeperformingresearchontheirchromebooks
about:
1. whereitisfoundintheunitedstates,toshadetheirmaptheyhave
2. drawthehorizonsontheprofileandlabelwhattheyare
3. answerquestionsaboutwhatclimate/areasitisfoundin,whatvegetationgrowsinit,whereitcame
from,whatsspecialaboutthesoil,andifitslocaltoColorado.
Afterthegroupshavefinishedtheirposterswewilldoagallerywalk.Studentshaveapieceofpapertofillout
whattheanswerstothequestionsfortheothersoilprofilesareandtolookatwheretheyarefoundthroughout
theUnitedStates.Studentswillprobablygetinterruptedforthepurposeoftime.Itisokiftheygetthroughonly
aportion,themainpurposeistogatherthatthesoilsarecreatedfromavarietyofreasons,andthethemes
thatleadtousage,creation,andimpactonhumans.

Closure:
Whengallerywalkgetsinterrupted,IwilltakeamomenttoexplainhomeworkforMonday(MassMovement
notes).Wewillthenhavethestudentsputtheirchromebooksawayandiftimeisallowedtalkaboutwhatthey
foundwalkingaroundatthegallerywalkwhatisthemaincontributortohavingdifferenttypesofsoildothey
think?Why?

Assessment:
Therearetwomajorformsofassessmentinthislessontheclassdiscussionandthegallerywalk.

Theclassdiscussionisbothassessingreadingcomprehensionandtheabilitytoevaluatepositiveand
negativeeffectsofphysicalandchemicalchangestofarmland(thegeosphere)andhowmoderntechnologyis
usedtobothanalyzeandcompensatefornegativeimpactsandreplicatepositiveimpacts.
Thesecond,thegallerywalk,isbothtoassesstheindividualgroupsunderstandingoftheirsoilprofile,but
alsothestudentsareturningintheirsheetcoveringalltheothergroupssoilprofilestoseecommonthemes
abouthowimportantclimateandparentmaterialare,howvegetationcanonlygrowincertainsoilprofiles,etc.

Differentiation:
Thearticleinthebeginningofclassisdifferentiatedintwoways:thefirstthatthereisaseparatearticlefor
studentswithalowerreadinglevel.Aftermuchdebate,wedecidedtohavethehigherlevelarticleoneach
deskasstudentswalkinandcatchafewstudentsonthewayintogivethemthearticlethattheyneedtoread
insteadoftheWallStreetJournalversion.
Second,thearticlesdonotneedtobecompletelyreadtounderstandthethemes.SowhenIinterruptthekids,
iftheydidnotcompletereadingthearticletheycanstillparticipateinthediscussion.

Laterintheinstruction,Idifferentiatedforstudentsthathaveahardtimecompletingresearchbyprovidingthe
resourcesthattheyneed.ForothergroupsIwillcomearoundandurgethemtouseothersourcesandtofind
outmoreabouttheirsoilprofilethanislisted.Labelingthehorizonsisafluidexpectationthatwillvarybetween
thegroups.