Grade III/Elementary Science
Earth
Module 2 - Soil: Not Just A Dirt
Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao (BEAM) project. Prior approval must be
given by the author(s) or the BEAM Project Management Unit and the source must
be clearly acknowledged.
Mind Map
The Mind Map displays the organization and relationship between the concepts and activities in this Learning Guide in a visual form. It is included to provide visual clues on the structure of the guide and to provide an opportunity for you, the teacher, to reorganize the guide to suit your particular context.
Stages of Learning
The following stages have been identified as optimal in this unit. It should be noted that the stages do not represent individual lessons. Rather, they are a series of stages over one or more lessons and indicate the suggested steps in the development of the targeted competencies and in the achievement of the stated objectives.
1. Activating Prior Learning
This stage aims to engage or focus the learners by asking them to call to mind what they know about the topic and connect it with their past learning. Activities could involve making personal connections.
Background or purpose
Soil is one of the most important resources on earth. The aim of this unit is to increase students' awareness on its importance to human, plants and animals and share
responsibility in taking care and protecting it.
To asses students' understanding about soil, they will be asked what they know and wanted to know about it using the KWL Chart. They will be working individually first and then in groups to talk about their initial understanding on soil.
Strategies for activity 1
After you and the students decide what you want to learn in the topic or unit you may post the list on a wall to refer to it as you cover the information. Keep it up for the entire course or unit and mark the class progress.
Source: http://www.jhu.edu/gifted/teaching/strategies/brainstorm/kwl.htm
2. Brainstorming is a process used in generating many ideas. Rules:
• quantity not quality
• be free-wheeling, anything goes
• hitch-hiking on other's ideas is to be encouraged. • No criticism is allowed
• writer must write as said – no paraphrasing
3. Card Clusters is a strategy in collecting information/ideas in an organized visual form. The students will write their responses to a question in a card (one idea per card). As a teacher, cluster the cards according to responses. Do not over cluster cards and be clear on the meaning of each cluster.
Activity 1: Digging Up
Option 11. Organize students into groups.
2. Show letters I O L S and ask each group to form a word using all the letters. You may provide them with clue/clues to form the word soil.
3. After the groups had formed the word SOIL, ask them what they know and wanted to know about it.
4. Show and explain a KWL Chart on Soil. Inform them that they are going to fill up the first two columns on what they Know and Wanted to know about soil.
5. Distribute KWL Chart on Soil to every member of the group and let them fill up the “What I Know” and “What I Want To Know” columns individually for 8 minutes. Please see activity 1 on page 14.
6. As a group, have them talk about what each of them wrote on their individual KWL Chart on Soil and choose the top five ideas which most of them know and wanted to know. Let them write their responses on idea cards (one idea per card) and ask them to paste on the Class KWL Chart on Soil posted on the wall (Please see Activity 2 page 16.
Prepare the Class KWL Chart ahead of time.
7. Group the cards which contain the same ideas and highlight those which will link to the topic to be discussed.
Option 2
1. Organize students into groups.
2. Show letters I O L S and ask each group to form a word using all the letters. You may provide them with clue/clues to form the word soil.
3. After the groups had formed the word SOIL, ask them what they think SOIL is? 4. Have each group discuss about the question and write their responses onto cards and
5. Group the cards according to responses. The same ideas will be clustered. Keep these ideas on the board and revisit these responses after the lesson.
Formative Assessment
Move around while the pupils are recording their responses on K and W column for KWL Chart on Soil and during the group discussion. Check and assist students who might have difficulty in expressing their ideas. Make sure that each students write at least two ideas on KW columns.
For option 2, move around from one group to the other while they are discussing on what they think soil is. In clustering the idea cards, you may do it or ask some students to group the idea cards and come up with an organized thought of what they think soil is.
Roundup
The pupils should be able to:
• record and share their initial understanding about soil; • ask questions about soil.
2. Setting the Context
This stage introduces the students to what will happen in the lessons. The teacher sets the objectives/expectations for the learning experience and an overview how the learning experience will fit into the larger scheme.
Background or purpose
The students will be shown a mind map of the topic with blank boxes for them fill in after every lesson. Questions will be posted on the board to keep their focus on the topic. This activity is given to provide clear direction while they perform various activities.
Strategy for Activity 3
Goal Setting – Setting goals in a classroom situation occurs where students and/or teachers set targets, objectives or outcomes for students to work towards achieving over a period of time. It can be very meaningful where a student sets his/her own realistic goal. To be effective, goals need to be both achievable and challenging.
Activity 3 - Soiled Map
1. Show a partially filled mind map to the class ( Please see Teacher Resource Sheet 1 page 18) and explain to them that it is a map of the lessons that they are going to explore. Tell them that they will complete the map as the lesson progresses. 2. Tell the students that they will be performing several activities to help them
understand the topics.
3. You may post the following questions on the board so that students will be guided as they perform the activities:
• What is soil made of?
• Are all soil samples the same in all places? • How can we use each kind of soil?
• How does pollution affects soil productivity? • How can we take care/protect the soil?
Roundup
The pupils should be able to see the big picture of the topic and are now ready for the activities which will help them answer the questions above.
3. Learning Activity Sequence
This stage provides the information about the topic and the activities for the students. Students should be encouraged to discover their own information.
Background or purpose
This stage provides several hands-on activities which may help students develop an understanding on: the basic components of soil (minerals and organic materials), kinds of soil, ways people use soil, practices that cause soil pollution, how pollution affects soil productivity and ways in taking care or protecting the soil. These topics aim to answer the skills needed in BEC Competencies VI. 2.1 – 2.5.
The students will be using their observation skills while conducting investigations on soil. They will make predictions, inferences, answer questions and draw conclusion from the gathered information.
Strategies for Activity 4
1. Note making Framework is used to assist students organize their research. Once they get some information, students fill it in the framework.
2. Guided Design encourages interaction in small groups. Here the focus is on developing learner's decision making skills as well as on teaching specific concepts and principles. Students work to solve open-ended problems which require outside class work to gather information. This format encourages learners to think logically, communicate ideas and apply steps in a decision-making process. Learners are also required to apply the information they have learned, exchange ideas, and reflect on suggested solutions. The teacher's role is to act as a consultant to the groups.
Source:
http://www.ion.illinois.edu/resources/tutorials/pedagogy/instructionalstrategies.asp#SMALL%20GROUP%20WORK
Activity 4 - Home Under My Feet
Advance Preparation
1. Choose several locations in your school campus where the students can dig and take soil samples. These locations should be safe for them. In case circumstances will not permit the students to dig soil from your school campus, you may provide them with soil samples from different locations.
2. Prepare materials for every group like hand lens , shoe box or any available container for the soil, rubberized gloves/cellophane, puller, trowel/shovel, transparent glass jar with cover, water, table covered with newspaper or any used pieces of paper, and activity sheets.
During the session
2. Set safety measures before letting the students perform the activity. Below are some points to consider:
• Wearing of rubberized gloves/cellophane when taking and examining soil samples • Washing of hands after the activity
• Handling magnifying lens and sharp objects with care. 3. Build the vocabulary of the words rough, smooth and gritty.
4. Distribute the materials they need in taking soil sample and lead them to the location you have chosen before the lesson started. Each group should put the soil sample in a container.
5. After the activity, bring them back to the classroom and let them examine the soil sample carefully using magnifying glass and and their bare hands to feel it.
6. Distribute Student Activity 4. Please see page 20 - 20.
7. After the activity, ask a representative from each group to share his/her group's output. Have enough time to process their answers by asking follow up questions that lead to the development of concept on the basic components of soil
8. Provide lecturette on the two basic components of soil (organic matter and minerals) which the students had seen .You may also tell the students that there are two other important components of soil, the air and water . Introduce the word Humus.
Strategy for Activity 5: Guided design
Activity 5: A Closer Look at Soil
Advance preparation:
1. Collect soil samples of sand, silt, clay and loam. Put each kind in small separate packs. Each group should be provided with the four kinds of soil.
2. Label each container with the following code: A. for sand, B for Silt, C for Clay and D for Loam
3. Prepare an area where the students can work/perform the activity.
During the session
1. Using the same group, ask students with this question: Are all soil samples the same in all places? Publish their answers on the board and revisit it after the lesson.
2. Introduce the activity. Explain to them that they are going to examine soil samples to see if they are the same in all areas.
3. Build the vocabulary of the word texture by letting them feel and differentiate sandpaper and cotton or any surface with different textures. You may ask them to cite words which describe texture.
4. Show them the materials they need in performing the activity. Remind them to handle the hand lens carefully, wear rubberized gloves/cellophane when examining the soil, take extra care not to mix the soil from other packs and wash their hands after the activity.
5. Assign a place for each group to examine the soil samples.
7. Let the students share their output to the the class. Have enough time to process their answers.
8. Help them develop a working definition of sand, silt, clay and loam.
9. Provide lecturette on the different kinds of soil. Show the Soil Shake, their output made in Activity 4 “Home Under My Feet” and explain what each layer mean. You may also include the importance of knowing the texture and color of the soil.
Strategy:
Small Group Discussion is a strategy used to generate ideas on a certain topic from all students in a limited time. This is done to increase the student -student interaction and to encourage participation of every student especially in expressing his/her ideas.
Activity 6 – Hidden Treasures
1. Start the session by asking the students to close their eyes and imagine a world without soil. Then ask, “How will it look like without soil?” “What do you think will happen to people, plants and animals?”
2. After a minute, ask them to open their eyes and let them answer the questions. Publish their answers on the board.
3. Organize the students into 4 groups. Tell them that they are going to color a drawing according to its number code. This will show how people use soil.
4. Distribute Activity Sheet 6 (Please see page 24) and a picture for each group ( pages 25 – 28). Allow 20 minutes for them to work on this activity.
5. After the activity, have them post their output on the board and ask representatives to report their output. Each group will take turns in reporting their output.
6. Provide lecturette on different ways people use soil.
Strategy: Small Group Discussion
Activity 7 – Things I Use: Friend or Foe?
Advance preparation
1. Gather the following materials:
a. healthy potted plant, and unhealthy potted plant
b. cellophane or boxes which you can put small containers and other objects(number depends on the groups you will organize)
c. old battery/dry cell, empty containers of cooking oil, motor oil, bleach,
d. any empty boxes or containers which you can label for other harmful substances like muriatic acid, kerosene, gasoline, pesticide, herbicide and the like.
2. Put at least 3 objects in the cellophane or box that you prepared and give it to the group during the activity.
During the lesson
1. Show the two potted plants to the class. Have them describe and compare the
condition of the plants and the soil where the plants grow. Ask the following questions to lead the discussion on soil pollution:
c. If you were a plant, in which pot would you like to live? Why?
d. What do you think makes the soil healthy? What makes them unhealthy? 2. Publish students answers on the board.
3. Build the vocabulary of the following words pollution,polluted soil
pesticides/herbicides, inorganic fertilizer, poisonous and harmful. Explain to the pupils that these words will help them understand their lesson on practices that cause soil pollution.
4. Organize students into groups for an activity.
5. Distribute activity sheet 7, ( page 29 ) and a pack of garbage to every group. Have them discuss among themselves the answers to the questions given in the activity sheet. 6. After the discussion, have each group report their output.
7. Process students answers by asking them follow up questions that will lead to the concept you want to develop.
8. Provide lecturette on practices that lead to soil pollution, reasons why these practices lead to soil pollution and how it affect soil productivity. Show pictures which illustrate different activities and substances that cause soil pollution.
Formative Assessment
Check and assist students while performing the activities. You may ask them questions which will lead to their understanding on the concept.
Roundup
At the end of every activity, the students should be able to: • identify two main components of soil;
• compare the different kinds of soil and identify ways which each can be used; • identify ways people use soil;
• infer causes of soil pollution;
• compare polluted and non polluted soil as to its productivity; • suggest ways of protecting the soil.
4. Check for Understanding of the topic or skill
This stage is for teachers to find out how much students have understood before they apply it to other learning experiences.
Background or purpose
In this stage, the students will perform activities to assess their understanding on the topics about soil. As a teacher, you may choose activity/ies which fit to the needs of your students. You can use some of these activities for formative evaluation by letting them work in groups but answer questions in activity sheet individually. Rubrics are provided for you to mark your students.
Strategy: Game
sustain their interest because of the challenges it pose, provide opportunity for the students to interact and communicate and increase respect and cooperation.
Activity 8 – Let's Play and Learn
Option 1. - Pass the Ball and HankyThis is an activity where the students have an opportunity to play and at the same time learn.
The students will be seated in a circle facing the center. A ball and a handkerchief will be passed around while the music is playing or while the students are singing. When the music/singing stops,whoever gets hold of the ball will be the one to ask question about the lesson and whoever gets hold of the handkerchief will be the one to answer the question.
Option 2. - Cabbage Pass
This is an activity where students answer questions about the topic. The teacher will prepare questions in sheets of paper (one question/sheet). Form these sheets into one cabbage – like ball.
During this activity, the teacher may call a student to throw the cabbage to a pair/group. The pair/group then will peel off a sheet and answer the question written in the sheet while other pairs/groups listen. After they had given their answer, they will pass the cabbage to other pair/group. The group who gets hold of it will do the same, until all the groups have answered the questions.
Strategy for Activity 9: Small Group Discussion
Activity 9 – Soil Shake Madness
This is a group activity where students examine the soil shake they made during Activity 4, “Home Under My Feet”and identify the kinds of mineral . See Activity 9 page 30.
Strategy for Activity 10: Small Group Discussion
Activity 10 – Comparing Soil
This is a group activity where students examine and identify the soil in their school. They will be looking into its color, texture,and organic materials. See Activity Sheet 10, pages 31-32.
Strategy for Activity 11: Small Group Discussion
Activity 11 – Clean Up Day
This is an activity where students work in groups and collect all the litters they can find on the school ground and classify them into biodegradable and non biodegradable. See Activity Sheet 11, page 34.
Formative Assessment
Keep everyone on task and make sure that they understand their task by moving around from one group to the other, listen to their discussion, give support by encouraging them and asking questions to help them understand concepts.
Roundup
The students should be able to show their understanding about the topic by: • Asking and answering questions about the topics;
• answering the “Soiled Map” shown to them. • identifying practices that lead to soil pollution;
• classifying litters/garbage into biodegradable and non biodegradable; • suggesting ways to conserve soil.
5. Practice and Application
In this stage, students consolidate their learning through independent or guided practice and transfer their learning to new or different situations.
Background or purpose
The activities in this stage aim to help the students use their learning about soil in different situations.
Activity 12 Cinquain Poem
The students will be working in groups of three to make Cinquain Poem About Soil. A Cinquain ("cin-kain")is a 5 line poem. It comes from the French word “Cinq” which means five. Itfollows the pattern below:
1st line - one word - title
2nd line - two describing words about the subject
3rd line - three action words that describe something the subject of the poem does 4th line - four feeling words or phrase that indicates a feeling related to the poem 5th line - synonym for title/ a noun that sums what the poem is about.
Source:http://www.edu.pe.ca/bloomfield/grassroots/Poetry/Cinquain.htm
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=43
1. Start by introducing a cinquain poem and showing a sample like the one given below. Let the students read through it. Then ask them the details of the poem.
Grass
green, useful
growing, crawling, covering protecting the soil
Bermuda
2. You may ask the following questions: • What is the poem about?
• How many lines does this poem have?
• How many word/s are there in the first line? Second? third? fourth? fifth? • What kind of words are written in the first line? Second? third? fourth? fifth? 3. After the discussion, guide the class in making a poem.
Activity 13 – Soil's Plea
The students will imagine themselves as soil. As soil, they will write a letter to people who throw/dump garbage on them about their feeling or things that they would like to tell to people. The letter should include the complete parts of the letter.
Activity 14 – Graph the Shake
Using the same soil shake they made from Activity 4 “Home Under My Feet”, the students will measure the layers of soil using a ruler and make a pictograph. See Activity Sheet 14, page 38.
Give a brief discussion on how to use foot ruler in measuring things.
Activity 15 – Soil Collage
This is a group activity where pupils cut pictures and make a collage on a.)how people use soil,b. activities which pollute the soil and c. substances which can pollute the soil. Prior to this activity, organize the students into groups of three. Have each group draw a topic listed above. Assign them to bring paste/glue, pairs of scissors and pictures which they can use in making collage for the topic assigned to them.
Formative Assessment
Move around and check students' output. Have a quick talk in every group, asking them about the things they do.
Roundup
The students should be able to apply what they learned from the lessons they have via the activities above.
6. Closure
This stage brings the series of lessons to a formal conclusion. Teachers may refocus the objectives and summarize the learning gained. Teachers can also foreshadow the next set of learning experiences and make the relevant links.
Strategy KWL (What I Learned)
Activity
The pupils will be working individually first. Each of them will be working on their individual KWL Chart and fill in the “What I Learned” column. Ask them to share this learning with their group mates. Together, they will fill up the “What We Learned column of the group KWL Chart. They will also match the first column that they previously filled in ( What I Know) with the third column that they just filled in (What I Learned) and make necessary adjustments if what they previously know did not match with what they learned.
At this stage, the blank Soiled Map previously shown and posted on the wall should have been completed by them.
Formative Assessment
Keep everyone involved and make sure that everyone is filling in the individual KWL Chart and involve themselves in group discussion.
Roundup
• the two components of soil;
• kinds of soil and how each kind can be used by people; • ways people use soil;
• practices that cause soil pollution and how it affect its productivity , and; • ways of protecting or keeping the soil safe.
Teacher Evaluation
(To be completed by the teacher using this Teacher’s Guide) The ways I will evaluate the success of my teaching this unit are: 7.
Activity 1
Digging Up 1
Name: _______________________________________
What I
K
now About Soil
What I
W
ant To Know
Teacher Resource Sheet for Activity 1
Assessment Checklist for Individual Task
Directions: Fill in the columns with a rating for the behavior demonstrated by a student
in an activity with 5 as the best/excellent and 1, poor/needs improvement.
Activity 2
Digging Up 2
Group Name: _______________________________________
What We
K
now About
Soil
What We
W
ant To
Know About Soil
Assessment Checklist for a Small Group Activity
Group's name/number: ________________________ Activity : _________________________________
Directions: Fill in the columns with a rating for the behavior demonstrated by a student in an activity with 5 as the best and 1,
poor/needs improvement.
Name
Shows
Leadership PerseveranceShows steadily and Works
systematic-ally
Reflects on
results constructive-Participates ly
Listens to
others cooperativelyWorks Manages time Total points earne
d
Activity 3
Activity 4
Home Under My Feet
Objectives:
Examine and identify the different materials that make up the soil.
Materials:
soil sample, magnifying glass, rubber gloves, puller, water,
transparent glass jar with lid.
Procedure:
1. Examine the soil well using a magnifying glass.
2. Pick the things with puller and group them into three: Living things, non
living things and things that were living things before but which are now
dead.
3. Get a small amount of soil, wet it with small amount of water and rub it on
your hand. Feel it.
4. After examining the soil, make a Soil Shake. Fill half of the transparent
glass jar with soil. Then fill it with water, cover it with its lid and shake it
vigorously.
5. Put it on a place undisturbed. This will be used on the next lesson.
6. Answer guide questions.
Guide questions:
1. What are the things that you find in the soil? Write them in the table
below.
Living Things
Things that were once
2. How does it feel when you rub the soil with your fingers? Is it rough, or
smooth? Why do you think so?
Activity 5
A Closer Look At Soil
Objectives:
1. Describe the soil according to color and texture.
2. Explain how soil samples differ.
Materials:
Every group will be provided with four kinds of soil samples, rubber gloves
(optional), water
Procedure:
1. Examine the soil samples thoroughly. Take note of its color.
2. Get a small amount of soil and put it in your palm , add two drops of
water and rub it with your fingers. How does it feel?
3. Record your observation on the table below.
Soil
Color
Texture
(rough, smooth, gritty)
A
B
C
D
Guide Questions/task:
1. Describe the soil samples that you observed.
3. In what ways are these soil samples similar?
4. In what ways are they different?
5. Where do you think can you find the following kinds of soil?
Soil A - _______________________________________________________
Soil B - _______________________________________________________
Soil C - _______________________________________________________
Soil D - _______________________________________________________
6. What other things have you found or observed in each soil sample aside
from color and texture?
ACTIVITY 6
Hidden Treasures
Objectives:
1. Identify how people use soil.
2. Explain the importance of soil.
Materials:
pencil, activity sheets
Procedure:
1. Attached to this sheet is a drawing. Color it according to its number
code and you will find out the ways on how people use soil.
2. Answer guide questions.
Guide Questions:
1. What are the things you formed after coloring the drawing?
2. In this picture, how do people use soil?
3. How do people use soil in your community aside from those illustrated in
the picture/drawing?
4. What are some other ways in which people can make use of soil?
5. What do you think will happen if there is no soil?
Directions: Color the spaces according to its number code below. Then,
answer Activity Sheet 6.
1. Pink
4. Brown
7. Sky Blue
10. Maroon
Directions: Color the spaces according to its number code below. Then,
answer Activity Sheet 6.
1. Yellow
3. Green
Directions: Color the spaces according to its number code below. Then,
answer Activity Sheet 6.
Directions: Color the spaces according to its number code below. Then,
answer Activity Sheet 6.
1. Sky Blue
4. Pink
7. Yellow
2. Orange
4. Blue
8. Violet
ACTIVITY 7
Things I Use: Friend or Foe?
Objectives:
1. Name garbage or substances that can pollute the soil.
2. Name at least two practices or ways in which people pollute the soil.
3. Suggest ways to prevent / minimize soil pollution.
Materials:
small pack of trash for every group, rubberized gloves/cellophane to be
used as gloves
Directions:
1. Bring out the things in the pack.
2. Identify and list them in the space below.
Guide questions:
1. What are the things that you find in the pack?
Things in the pack
1. 2. 3. 4.
2. In what ways are they helpful?
3. If we will throw these materials or their content into the soil, what do you
think will happen? Why do you think so? Name at least two practices in
which people pollute soil.
Activity 9
Soil Shake Madness
Materials:
Soil shake from Activity 4
Procedure:
1. Use the soil shake from Activity 4 and carefully bring it on a table or in
your workplace.
2. Look at the particles that settled down and the things that float.
3. Answer guide questions.
Guide Questions:
1. Describe the soil shake.
2. What do you think are those things that settled and those that floated?
3. Why do you think did your soil shake settled in layers?
Activity 10
Comparing Soil
Materials:
tools for digging, three containers for soil samples, magnifying lens,
rubberized gloves/cellophane to be used as gloves
Procedure:
1. With your group, get soil samples from three different areas in your
school. Put each sample in separate containers, label each with the
name of the place where you get them.
2. Examine each sample with magnifying lens and carefully look into its
color, texture organic materials and the plants/grasses that grow in it
(if there are).
3. To describe the texture, get a small amount of soil from each sample,
wet it with water and rub it with your fingers.
4. Record your observation on the table below.
Area where soil sample
was taken
Color of soil
Texture of soil
a.
b.
c.
Guide Questions:
1. What are the things that you find in the three soil samples?
3. How about its texture? Which soil sample is the coarsest? the finest?
4. What can you say on plants/grasses that grow on it? Are they healthy or
not? Why do you think so? (Do not answer this question if there are no
plants/grasses on the soil that you examined)
5. What kind of soil do you think were you able to examine? Where did you get
them?
Soil A:
Soil B:
Soil C:
Rubric in Assessing Constructed Responses
Criteria Level of Understanding Use of Scientific
Terminology
Use of Supporting Details Synthesis of Information Application of Information
4
The response shows that the student/s has a full and complete understanding on the topic
The use of scientific terminology is very appropriate and accurate and it enhances the responses
Pertinent and complete supporting details demonstrate an integration of ideas.
The response reflects a complete synthesis of information.
An effective application of the concept to a practical problem or real world situation reveals an insight into scientific principles.
3
The response shows that the student/s has a good
understanding on the topic.
The use of scientific terminology is generally appropriate with minor inaccuracies.
The supporting details are
generally complete. The response reflects some synthesis of information
The concept has been applied to a practical problem or real-world situation
2
The response shows that the student/s has basic
understanding on the topic
The use of scientific terminology is just appropriate
The supporting details are adequate.
The response provides little or no synthesis of information
The application of the concept to a practical problem or real world situation is inadequate
1
The response shows that the student/s has some
understanding on the topic
The use of scientific
terminology is not present in the response
The supporting details are
only minimally effective The response does not address the question. The application, if attempted, is irrelevant.
0 The student has NO Understanding of the question or problem. The response is completely incorrect or irrelevant.
Source: http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/curriculum/science/forms.rubrictable.pdf
Activity 11
Clean Up Day
Materials:
containers for litters
Procedure:
1. In groups, collect litters on the ground.
2. Classify them according to your own basis of classification and put in
containers.
3. Answer guide questions.
Guide questions:
1. How did you classify the litters?
2. What are you going to do with these litters? Why?
Activity 12
Cinquain Poem
Directions: Make a Cinquain Poem about Soil using the format below:
1 _______________________________________________________________
(a noun for your title)
2 _______________________________________________________________
( two words that describe the title)
3 _______________________________________________________________
( three words that describe what you're writing about can do/action words)
4 _____________________________________________________________
( a phrase that tells more about what you are writing)
Teacher Resource Sheet for Activity 12
Rubric in Assessing Cinquain Poem
3 2 1
Format/Elements Each in five lines is complete with proper
format.
Three to four lines are complete in proper
format.
Two lines are complete with proper format.
Spelling / Punctuation No errors in spelling. Punctuation mark used
were appropriate.
One to two errors in spelling with one to two
inappropriate punctuation marks
Three or more errors in spelling and punctuation
marks.
Content The poem reflects that the student has a full
understanding of the topic.
The poem reflects that the student has basic understanding of the
topic
The poem reflects that the student has some
understanding of the topic
Rubric in Assessing A Letter to the People
Category 4 3 2 1
Content Accuracy The letter contains at least 5 accurate facts about the topic.
The letter contains 3-4 accurate facts about the topic.
The letter contains at 1-2 accurate facts about the topic.
The letter contains no accurate facts about the topic.
[image:37.842.57.791.101.440.2]Ideas Ideas are expressed in a clear and organized fashion. Easy to figure out what the letter is about.
Ideas expressed in a pretty clear manner, but the organization could have been better.
Ideas were somewhat organized but were not very clear. It took more than one reading to figure out what the letter is about.
Seemed to be collection of unrelated sentences. It was very difficult to figure out what the letter was about.
Sentences and Paragraphs Sentences and paragraphs are complete and well
constructed.
Sentences are complete and well constructed; paragraphs are generally done well.
Most sentences are complete and well constructed. Paragraphing needs some work.
Many sentence fragments. Sentences or paragraphing needs a lot of work
Format Complies with all the requirements for a friendly letter.
Complies with almost all the requirements for a friendly letter.
Complies with several of the requirements for a friendly letter.
Complies with less than 75% of the requirements for a friendly letter.
Capitalization and
Punctuation The letter contains no errors in capitalization and punctuation.
The letter has 1-2 errors in capitalization and
punctuation.
The letter has 3-4 errors in capitalization and
punctuation.
The letter has more than 4 errors in capitalization and punctuation.
Activity 14
Graph the Shake
Materials: Soil shake from Activity 4, ruler, pencil, crayon, bond paper
Procedure:
1. Bring the soil shake on your table and measure each layer using a ruler.
2. Make a bar graph of the soil shake showing the measurement of each layer
using the format below.
3. Choose a title of your graph.
__________________________
Title
Layer 1
Layer 2
Layer 3
= 1 cm
Guide questions:
1. What is the title of your graph?
2. What is the graph about?
3. Which layer measured less? Which layer measured the most?
Background Information for Teachers
Soil
Soil is the uppermost covering of the earth. It is made up of mineral particles, and decayed plants and animals.
Soil forms very slowly from rocks by weathering. This process takes hundred or even thousands of years. However it can be destroyed easily in seconds.
Soil is different in many ways. They can be different in color and texture.
The color of soil tells how fertile it is. It ranges from black or dark brown to white. A black or dark brown colored soil is best for growing plants because it contains much humus (see metadata for the definition).
Soil's texture can be rough, smooth or gritty. It tells the size of mineral particles and identify how water run through it.
The most common type of soil are the sand, silt, clay and loam. The sand has the largest particle. Its grains can be seen and felt. It does not hold water. Some of the places where we can find sand is on beaches, rivers and desserts. The medium – sized particle is the silt soil. Its particles are large enough to be seen. Its texture can be likened to a flour ( smooth). Clay, on the other hand, has the finest particle. Its grains can not be seen by our eyes. It holds much water because they are packed tightly. It is sticky when wet but very hard when dry. It is difficult to cultivate clay soil since it prevents the growth of plants and the circulation of air around the roots. However, a certain amount of clay is a desirable constituent of soil because it binds other kinds of particles together making it retentive of water. Loam soil is a mixture of sand, clay and silt soil. This kind of soil is best in growing crops because it contains humus which is essential to plants.
Soil is used in various ways by people. They use it: 1. as foundation of homes, schools and buildings 2. as materials for building construction
3. to grow plants and crops 4. to build roads
5. to make jars/pots and decorations Soil is also used as home to organisms (plants and animals) and it filters water.
Soil pollution is the degradation of soil's quality
making it less useful. Soil may be polluted when chemicals or any harmful substances are mixed with it. They kill organisms that live in the soil. These organisms are responsible in breaking down waste and make the soil fertile.
Human activities contributed much to the pollution of soil. Some of these activities are: 1. Improper disposal of wastes/garbage which contain heavy metals, chemicals, oil and other harmful substances. Some of these wastes come from homes. Examples are battery/dry cell, kerosene, oil, oil based paints, stain remover, etc.
4. Burning/Kaingin system of farming - This damages soil. It kills microorganisms which are responsible in renewing soil fertility.
5. Demolition and construction – Non biodegradable debris settle in soil. 6. Wastes from factories – These wastes contain harmful substances.
7. Over Farming – it drains the soil so that it becomes difficult for plants to grow in it.
Pollutants remain in the soil for several years affecting its productivity and fertility. This is the reason why polluted soil can no longer grow healthy plants/reduced yields and may not be able to support people for food.
Soil forms thousands of years. Since most life depend upon it, there is a need for us to conserve soil. Conservation means maintaining the quality of soil. We can do this by:
1. disposing our garbage properly. Segregate those which can be decomposed, recycled and those that are hazardous.
2. planting trees
3. rotating crops we plant 4. avoiding kaingin farming
5. putting dried leaves/grasses in a compost pit instead of burning
Stage
1.
Activating Prior
Learning
2.
Setting the
Context
3.
Learning
Activity Sequence
4.
Check for
Understanding
5.
Practice and
Application
6.
Closure
Strategies
Activities from the Learning Guide
Extra activities you may wish to include
Materials and planning needed
