So go outside, find some soil, and check it out from a distance and up close. Virtual Student Guide <\/a>
![\"nina-teaching-left\"](\"https:\/\/herofortheplanet.org\/healthysoils\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2019\/04\/nina-teaching-left-516x1024.png\" "\\"nina-teaching-left\\"")
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Look around your school and neighborhood. Visualize and draw a soil map showing how soil is underneath everything you see, including buildings, roads, and sidewalks.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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Roll a piece of wet soil between your fingers. What happens? Does it stick together or fall apart? Why would this be helpful to know?\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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Lie in the grass on your belly and peek under the plants to examine the soil.<\/p>\r\n
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Fill a clear container 2\/3 full of soil. Add water. Mix and let it settle for 24 hours. What happens? What questions pop into your head?<\/p>\r\n
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Examine bare soil with no plants. How is it different from soil covered with plants?\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
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With permission, put a scoop of soil on a white plate or sidewalk. Examine it closely, using a hand lens. What, and who, is in this soil? What does it feel like? What does it smell like? Do this with soil from different locations.<\/p>\r\n
Record Your Observations<\/h3>\r\n
In your Hero Journal, record your different soil observations. Include drawings, labels, descriptions, photos, and samples. You can organize your observations under three headings:<\/p>\r\n
I Notice…<\/strong><\/p>\r\n I Wonder…<\/strong><\/p>\r\n It reminds me of…<\/strong><\/p>\r\n Choose the instructional ideas that fit the focus of your class or program.<\/em><\/p>\r\n Think about how you want students to organize their observations. These introductory activities are to practice observations and to spark curiosity and questions about soil. They set students up for the next page “Know, Need, Do.” If you want to focus on a deeper understanding of the concepts, you could revisit them later, or do a few now as introduction, and others later in depth. For now, consider using the Beetles Project “I Notice, I Wonder, I Reminds Me Of…”<\/a> protocols for observations.<\/p>\r\n Investigate one or more locations of bare and plant-covered soil around you. If you cannot go outside, the soil could be collected from around the school or program area, or brought in from home by students. Be sure to label bags or containers identifying where the soil came from.<\/p>\r\n educator note<\/a><\/h5>\r\n
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let’s take a look at what we need to know<\/a><\/h5>\r\n