Retention

of Water In Soil
Standards
4.4.4.C Use scientific inquiry to investigate the composition of various soils
Essential Question:
o How much water will four types of soil be able to retain?
Objectives:
o The students will be able to make a hypothesis and then test their hypothesis to
determine which type of soil will retain the most water.
Materials and Equipment
o 4 soil samples
o gravel
o sand
o soil form the ground
o potting soil
o 4 graduated cylinders
o 4 funnels
o 4 paper coffee filters
o water and graduated cylinder
o 4 small plates
o hand held lenses
Procedures
o Introduction
o Introduce the question: “Today we are going to do an experiment to try to
determine which type of soil will best retain water?”
o Talk about what it means to retain: Ask the class what do you think it means to
retain water?
§ Explain that soil retains water when it holds the water. Today we are
going to test what soil retains water by measuring how much water is
able to pass through a water sample.
o Anticipatory Set
o Introduce each soil sample
§ Show an example of gravel, sand, potting soil, and the soil from the
ground.
§ Brainstorm as a class which soil we think will hold the most water and
why?
• Does particle size affect the soils ability to retain water?
• Do the spaces between each particle affect the ability to hold
water?
o Sequence of lesson
DAY 1à
o Talk about how we are going to make a hypothesis from what we just talked
about.
o Write the hypothesis on the board: I think that ___________ soil sample will
retain the most water.
 o Have students make their hypothesis independently
o Have one graduated cylinder set up in the front of the classroom to do as a
class.
o The graduated cylinder will have a funnel, coffee filter, and 50 ml of soil.
o We will put 50 ml of water in the sample and watch for 2 minutes.
§ While water is draining explain how we will record our data. Have
students look at the table. In the first row we will put our soil sample.
Next we will put how much water is added. In each graduated cylinder
we will add 50 ml of water so it will be the same for that while row.
§ To determine the water in the graduated cylinder after you waited for 2
minutes you will look at the water in the graduated cylinder. Record the
number of ml.
§ To find the water retained by soil you will subtract 50 ml- Water in the
graduated cylinder.
o Model this with the example
o Model how to use a hand held microscope to make observations about the soil
samples
o Split students into 3 groups.
o Have the first group of students pour the 50 ml of water into the sample.
§ As students are waiting they are using the handhelds to help them look
at the soil and make observations.
o Give students about 5 minutes at each station and have them rotate.
o At each station students should record their data.
o Student put papers in their cubbies and clean up each station.
DAY 2->
o Have students come to the rug- with a pencil
o Talk about some findings
o Ask
o Which soil sample retained the most water?
o Which soil sample retained the least water?
o Why?
o Why is water retention in soil important?
o How does gravity help with this process?
o Summary
o Fill out the left part of the worksheet is a class.
o Our claim is going to be which soil sample best retained water.
o So we will say “________ best retains water compared to all the other samples tested.
o Then we will fill out evidence
o Ask students: What evidence do we have to prove this?
o Have students look in their table
§ When we added 50 ml of soil to each water sample we measured the
______retained the most water. It retained_______ml which was the
most any sample retained.
o Then have students move to the reasoning
 o This soil sample holds more because
§ Listen to student’s answers
§ As a class come up with an answer and write it in the lines provided.
o Assessment/ Evaluation
o Collect student’s worksheet for a grade
Assignment
o No additional assignments