Science is Dirty Work

My students got dirty today while learning about different types of soil.

I gave them a homework assignment to bring in 3 baggies of soil that was gathered from 3 different places.  We then used our soil samples to complete a soil observation book.

In their books, students had to observe different properties of all three soil samples.

They had to describe the color and texture of the soil, and they added water to the soil to determine if the soil held its shape when it was wet.  Students listened to to the soil as they rubbed it between their fingers, and they looked for broken pieces of rocks and other items in the soil.

During the lesson, we had several surprising discoveries!  We found 5 worms and 2 Roly Polies.  I absolutely loved watching my students get so engaged and excited about learning, and I think they will remember this lesson for a while.  I'm sorry that I can't share any of the forms we used, but they are something I bought from AIMS.