In their
journals students will:
- Explain
what groundwater is
- Explain
zone of saturation, zone of aeration and water table.
- Draw
a diagram and correctly label zone of saturation, zone
of aeration and water table.
- Record
their observations and measurements that show the effect
particle size has on porosity and permeability.
- Explain
their inferences about how particle size affects porosity
and permeability.
The
students’ predictions about permeability and porosity
in South Carolina’s Piedmont and Sandhills regions will
be the main assessment of learning, by determining if
the new knowledge can be applied to the natural world.
In their predictions in writing and/or diagrams, students
will:
- Determine
that the sandy soils of the Sandhills will have a higher
porosity and permeability than the clay soils of the
Piedmont.
- Determine
that the Sandhills will have a larger amount of water
infiltrating the ground to become groundwater, than
running off.
- Determine
that the Piedmont will have a larger amount of water
running off than infiltrating the ground to become groundwater.
There
will be two assessments for this activity.
Scoring
Rubric for Assessment 1 (Out of 5 points):
In their journals:
- Correctly
explain what groundwater is: 2 points
- Correctly
label in a diagram and explain the term "zone of
saturation": 1 point
- Correctly
label in a diagram and explain the term "zone of
aeration": 1 point
- Correctly
label in a diagram and explain the term "water
table": 1 point
Scoring
Rubric for Assessment 2 (Out of 5 points)
In their journals:
- Explain
that the soil of the Sandhills has larger particle size
than the soil of the Piedmont: 1 point
- Predict
the Sandhills will have a higher porosity than the Piedmont:
1 point
- Predict
the Sandhills will have a higher permeability than the
Piedmont: 1 point
- Predict
that when it rains, the Sandhills will have a higher
degree of groundwater infiltration than surface runoff:
1 point
- Predict
that when it rains, the Piedmont will have a higher
degree of surface runoff than groundwater infiltration:
1 point
Top
Cross-Curricular
Extensions
Science Extension
Students will create their own soil mixture. Students
will measure various amounts of clay, sand, humus, etc.
to fill a 100 ml container. Students will record the
amounts of each sediment placed in the mixture. Students
will conduct porosity and permeability experiments like
the ones in the activity and compare the results of
the different mixtures. Which is more like real soil,
pure sand or the mixtures the students create?
Social
Studies Extension
The students will research the regions of South Carolina
to see how soil types in different regions have affected
the way the land and water were used and impacted by human
populations. Student groups will research different regions
of the state to see what soil types were common and to
determine how this influenced the development of agriculture.
Student groups will come together to create a classroom
map that shows the soil types and the crops of the different
regions. The class will discuss the differences.
Science
Extension
Students will take local soil and water samples to create
an EcoColumn in a cutoff plastic soda bottle. Students will
do quality tests on both the soil and water and then predict
its ability to sustain life. Students will bring local plants
and insects in their EcoColumn and see how they do.
Art
Extension
While sculpting with clay, students will consider how
the properties of clay and water make it effective for
art.
Math
Extension
Students will take a soil sample from the schoolyard and
using four different sized strainers, sift through the
soil to determine the particle sizes that make up the
soil. Students will then measure the volume of each sediment
size, compare to the volume of the soil sample it was
taken from and then determine what percentage of each
sediment size is found in the sample.
