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A Challenge from GROW

Unit Plan: Cycles: From Rot to RadishesLesson: 1 Time: 1 hour Setting: Classroom
3-5, 6-8Schoolyard Ecology
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Objectives

Students observe soil samples, talk about where soil nutrients come from, receive a letter from a company that wants to know if dead plants can be used as fertilizer, then develop research questions.

    Overview
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    Students will be able to: Understand that nutrients are the invisible building blocks that make up all living things, know that all living things need nutrients to grow and stay healthy, have ideas about where nutrients in soil come from, form a research question.

    Materials

    For the class:

    • house plant

    For each group of 3-4 students:

    • small clear bag or container of poor soil, such as sand or clay
    • small clear bag or container of good potting or garden soil

    For each student:

    • copy of the letter from GROW

     

    See Lesson Resources below for further details.

    Lesson Files

    pdf
    A Challenge from GROW

    Benchmarks for Science Literacy

    1B Scientific Inquiry, 5D Interdependence of Life, 5E Flow of Matter and Energy

    NYS Standards

    MST 4- Physical setting, living environment and nature of science
    Next Generation Science Standards

    Science and Engineering Practices

    Asking questions and defining problems, Planning and carrying out investigations

    Cross Cutting Concepts

    Cause and effect

    Disciplinary Core Ideas

    LS2A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
    New York State Science Learning Standards

    Performance Expectations

    MS-LS2-2. Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms in a variety of ecosystems., MS-LS2-4. Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.

    Hogan, Kathleen. Eco-Inquiry: A Guide to Ecological Learning Experiences for the Upper Elementary/Middle Grades. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, PO Box 1840, 4050 Westmark Drive, Dubuque, IA 52004-1840., 1994.