Name:

Steven Carson
Grade Level:
Grade 3

Subject:
Science
Time Required:
1 hour (may need more time to complete final
activity which could be finished in Art)

Lesson Objectives and Purpose:

Using prior knowledge and exposure to soil, students will be expected to be able to
recognize characteristics of soil and hypothesize and discuss factors of the soil that would
impact the rate of water absorption and its effect on the soil.
Standards:
Science:
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS):
(4) Earths Systems: Processes that Shape the Earth
4-ESS2-1: Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of
weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation.
NB Curriculum Outcomes:
General Outcome: Moving Water and Soil
Specific Outcome: Students will be expected to observe and describe the effects of
moving water on different types of soil. (p.38)
Language Arts:
NB Curriculum Outcomes:
GCO: (5) Students will be expected to interpret, select, and combine information using a
variety of strategies, resources, and technologies (p. 30)
SCO: (a) Students will be expected to, with assistance, interact with a variety of simple
texts (e.g., pictures, computer software, non-fiction). (p. 30)
GCO: (8) Students will be expected to use writing and other forms of representations to
explore, clarify, and reflect on their thoughts, feelings, experiences, and learnings, and to
use their imaginations. (p. 32)
SCO: (b) Students will be expected to use writing and other forms of representing to
convey meaning. (p. 32)
Visual Arts:
NB Curriculum Outcomes:

GCO: (5) Students will be expected to examine the relationship among the arts, societies,
and environments. (p. 10)
SCO: (3.5.4) Investigate artwork from the past (e.g. portraits, landscapes, social
documentary) and relate it to their art. (p. 10)
Materials:
3 plastic bottles and 3 plastic cups:
Bottle 1: Soil
Bottle 2: Soil and loose twigs and leaves
Bottle 3: Soil with plated vegetation
String
Handout for each student
Pencil for each student
Smart Board
Scribbly Map (for SMART board projection and class website)
11x14 white paper for each studentFound in the __________
Art supplies for each student (i.e. markers, pencil crayons, pastels, crayons)Found in
the ______
Put the soil bottles and cups on 3 different surfaces
Before the lesson:
3 750mL bottles were cut in half (top to bottom) and the contents were placed in the
bottle and each set onto a surface outside. A cup was strung to the end of the half-bottle to
collect the water and soil that runs out of the bottle. They were kept out for a few days on
a rainy day.
The teacher will put these samples at 3 different tables before the lesson.
Open up the Scribble Map, the link to the video, the link to the song, and the link to the
image of Hopewell Rocks.
Instructional Sequence:

Introduction to water erosion (scribble map, video, song)

Making observations at stations
Class discussion about the stations and the main ideas of the lesson
Water erosion art project (could carry over into Art class if more time is needed)

Vocabulary:
Force
Friction
Deposition
Engage the learner: 8-10 minutes
What the teacher will do

What the student will do

The teacher will open the

Scribble Map (screenshots below)
on the SMART Board that has
markers placed to showcase
different landmarks in the world
impacted by water erosion. The
markers can be clicked on and
have links and videos attached to
learn more.
Login info: UsernamePasswordThe teacher will click on The
Grand Canyon marker and select
the YouTube link and show the
video on of an aerial view of the
canyon.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=ezpqDi42pRM)
The teacher will ask students
what they noticed about the
Grand Canyon.
The teacher will mention that the
Bay of Fundy is a local place that
has experienced water erosion.
The teacher will ask if anyone has
gone there and what theyve
noticed about it.
The teacher will mention how the
running water (tide) hits the rocks
and soil and moves them (will use
the word deposition to refer to
transplanting the rocks). The
teacher will also use the words
friction, force, and running water.
The teacher will upload a
YouTube music video on the
SMART Board, called
Weathering and Erosion.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=d0jVywral14)

*The teacher will upload the Scribble

Map to the class website.
Explore the content: 15 minutes

The students will look at the Scribble

Map and explore it at home since the
teacher has uploaded it to the class
website.
The students will interact in a
discussion about the Grand Canyon
and Bay of Fundy
The students will listen to the
discussions and listen to a song about
erosion.

What the teacher will do

The teacher will assign students

into 3 groups of 6-8 (depending
on class size).
The teacher will pass out a
handout to each student.
The teacher will explain the
activity and say the following:
Each group will start at a
different station, where they will
see a bottle with soil and a cup,
which has been placed outdoors
for several days to collect rain.
They will consider what the water
could do to the soil, and whether
it would erode, and examine the
water samples in the collection
cups to consider if soil was
washed away (i.e. would plants
prevent erosion). The students
will observe each station and
record their notes and will switch
every 3-5 minutes, indicated by
the teacher. Consider things like:
Is the water clean? What would
make the water cleaner in one
sample vs. the others?
The teacher will circulate as the
students work, to answer
questions or engage them in
discussions.

Explain the concept: 10 minutes

What the teacher will do
The teacher will ask students
what they observed and what they
said about each station, and then
discuss what was occurring at
each station.
The teacher will highlight the
differences between each station:
Station 1: Just soil. No debris or
vegetation that could prevent the
flow of water from generating
force that would deposition the

What the student will do

Students will work cooperatively with

their group.
Students will each write their name on
their handout
Students will circulate at each station,
recording their observations, and
discussing their thought process about
how much water affected the soil
composition and whether an
environment such as that would be
easily eroded.

What the student will do

Students will listen quietly to the
teacher.
Student will ask questions and offer
their reasoning and observations for
each station.
Students will make sure their name is
on their handout and pass it in.

rock/sediment/soil.
Station 2: Soil with loose debris
(sticks and leaves). The debris
would help slow some of the
speed and force of the running
water but would be easily
displaced by the water and would
not prevent much erosion.
Station 3: Soil with plants and
lots of vegetation. The plants
would have roots in the soil that
would help to extensively slow
the speed of the flow of water and
would prevent a great deal of
erosion.
Being green and not cutting down
trees and clearing vegetation
helps to lessen erosion and the
changing of our environment.
Changing landscape alters the
habitat for animals and could
have huge effects on the survival
of animals, including humans.
The teacher will collect the
handout
Elaborate on the concept: 30 minutes
What the teacher will do
The teacher will project the
image of erosion on the SMART
Board or overhead projector
before introducing the activity.
This will serve as an idea of what
they will be trying to depict. (See
appendix E)
The teacher will tell the students
that they will create what they
imagine Hopewell Rocks/Bay of
Fundy looked like before water
eroded the landscape (the focus
should be on more soil, more
sediment, more rocks, and more
plants). They will also be asked to
write a personal definition of
erosion at the bottom of their
paper.
The teacher will have a picture of

What the student will do

The students will work individually
and follow the directions.
The students will draw and color their
picture of what the location/landmark
used to look like.
The students will write a definition of
erosion on the front of their page.
The students will make sure their
name is on their sheet.

Hopewell Rocks in present day

on the SMART Board to serve as
the template of what theyll draw:
http://mediacdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photos/02/92/56/1f/filename-p06000217rr.jpg
The teacher will encourage them
to be creative and use various art
supplies (pastels, crayons, pencil
crayons, markers).
The teacher will give each
student an 11x14 white paper.
The teacher will let each student
get their art supplies.
The teacher will provide
approximately 30 minutes to
complete the activity (if students
need more time they can do it in
art class).

Evaluate student understanding of the concept

Activity 1: Observation Stations
The handout will be passed into the teacher to be assessed based on their level of
observation and consideration of factors of erosion discussed in class. It will be assessed
by a checklist, see appendix A. This assessment will not be returned to the students, as it
is informal and just for the purpose of the teacher understanding where students are at in
their level of understanding. The activity was designed as a learning opportunity to
explore the concept of erosion, but not to be assessed in a formal manner for a grade.
Activity 2: Erosion Art Activity
The art activity is designed to evaluate students on their understanding of the lesson. A
rubric will be used to evaluate both the science outcomes and art outcomes, as the activity
is designed as a cross-curricular science and art assignment. Students will be evaluated
on: creativity, neatness, effective communication of the concept of erosion, and effective
incorporation of the big ideas of how erosion changes the environment (i.e. in the past,
the landmark/environment would have more plants, more rocks, more soil, etc.). The
rubric for this assignment is found in appendix F.
Follow-Up:
More time may be needed to finish their second activity, which will be done in art. Colin
will have the opportunity to present his multimedia project to the class as one of the last
parts of water erosion.
Notes:

Accommodations
Student A:
A multimedia presentation will be given to xxxx. He will create a 5-minute presentation
on a multimedia format of his choosing (ex. Lino poster board, Stile Education
Presentation), and will research an area of the world impacted by erosion (ex. Bay of
Fundy, Grand Canyon, etc). xxxx will consider what the environment looked like prior to
erosion and factors that would have led to the extensive erosion over time. He will be
able to hypothesize and research. He will then present what he has found to the class.
This will be done to engage him in science, but also to challenge him with a new format
of technology he hasnt yet been exposed to. xxxx will be informed of his project before
the start of the lesson and will be using the stations as a learning opportunity to put
towards his personal project. His project will be assessed based on the rubric, found in
appendix B.
During the first activity, xxxx will participate, but also be evaluated on whether he is
exceeding the expectations by using scientific thinking and communicating different
hypothesis, considering variables, etc., when discussing the samples on the handout. (see
appendix C for his checklist)
During the second activity, where the students do an art activity about erosion, xxxx will
be provided with the opportunity to do his electronically. The expectation will be that
xxxx puts in his multimedia project, something related to how an environment/landmark
would have been changed by erosion. If he would rather do the art activity, he can.
Student B:
The lesson provides a lot of opportunity for repetition of main points, which will benefit
xxxxs understanding of the topic.
Instructions for the station work will be reiterated on the worksheet (briefly) as a
reminder and a section to sketch or write anything you see or want to describe was added.
The lesson is designed in UDL and allows for the opportunity to learn about erosion and
water through interaction and self-learning.
Music was incorporated, as well as visual stimulation, to help engage and excite students,
particularly xxxx.
xxxx will be spoken to by either the teacher or Educational Assistant before the lesson to
let him know that there will be group work and will recap what good behavior and good
group work consists of.
An old iPod would be used to let xxxx listen to the instructions that are prerecorded for
repetition and he could also listen to music as he works during both activities.

The teacher or EA will reiterate the instructions of both activities to xxxx before he starts.
During the first activity, xxxx will be evaluated just as his peers on the handout, but will
also be assessed on how he is working with his peers. While the work is individual, the
students are circulating in smaller groups and discussing the samples as a group. This is
something Larry must continue to work on, and the teacher will monitor his behavior
during the work time. (see appendix D for his checklist)
*Larry and Colin will not be grouped together during the station activities.
Made in consultation with information from:
Hutchinson, N. (2014). (4th Can. Ed). Inclusion of exceptional learners in Canadian
schools. Toronto, ON: Pearson.

Appendix A. Checklist for Soil Samples Handout

Name of student

Neat and well

organized

Clearly
defined the
differences
in the 3
samples.

Effectively
communicated
an
understanding
of water erosion.

Appendix B. Rubric for Colins Multimedia Project (next page)

Appendix C. Checklist for Soil Samples Handout: Student A

Name of student

Displayed
scientific
thinking (i.e.
explored a
hypothesis,
etc.

Neat and well

organized

Clearly
defined the
differences
in the 3
samples.

Effectively
communicated
an
understanding
of water erosion.

Colin

Appendix D. Checklist for Soil Samples Handout: Student B

Name of student

Worked well
with his peers

Neat and well

organized

Clearly
defined the
differences
in the 3
samples.

Effectively
communicated
an
understanding
of water erosion.

Larry

Appendix E. What would be projected before introducing Activity 2