Classify soil types based on color, texture (size of particles), the ability to retain water, and the ability to support the growth of plants.
| Name |
Description |
| So . . . il Pick You! | This is a Project-Based Learning Project, intended for second grade. It can be adapted and changed for other grades. |
| What Soil! | In this activity, students will analyze different kinds of soil. |
| How Does Your Garden Grow? | Within this MEA, the main problem the students will solve is to determine which brand of soil the client will use in their new garden center. The student teams will take on the role of an Agricultural Review Board that is composed of top scientists who will help organizations and companies review information related to plant life. The MEA will explore students reviewing different brands of soil that have been submitted by the Franklin Farming Agency that plans to develop community garden centers within the state of Florida. The students will need to examine the data submitted by the agency and respond in a letter as to what brand of soil they think is best. The students will consider price, composition, and consumer commentary to determine a ranking system. The students may need to reconsider their thought process if they encounter a conflict with any of the data points submitted by the agency. Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom. |
| Jack's Magic Beans | Jack traded the family cow for some magic beans. The woman traded Jack the beans, said that if he planted the beans in the best soil, something magical would happen. Students will examine the properties of different types of soils to recommend the best soil for Jack to use to plant his beans. They will ask and answer questions about informational text on soils from various websites.They will create a procedure for ranking soils and will present their recommendations to the class. Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom. |
| Soil Solutions | In this MEA students will explore the different factors that differentiate soils. They will determine, based on the given characteristics, which type of soil will best grow good produce.
Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem, while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought process. MEAs follow a problem-based, student centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEA’s visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx |
| A Tour of Soils | With teacher guidance students will have an opportunity to discover the makeup of different kinds of soils. |
| Investigating Soil Composition - Soil Soaks Up Water | This activity is a classroom lab where students explore sand, soil, and water in relation to absorption and permeability. |
