Guided Inquiry Lesson Plan # 8: Soil Permeability

Length of Lesson: One class period

Scientific Processes Addressed: Interpreting data, Classifying, Communicating, Measuring, Predicting, Observing.

Science Concepts Addressed: Soil Permeability (Summary Lesson)

National Standards Addressed: A,B,G

Objective: The students will test the water permeability of each of four types of

soil.

Materials:

3 tin cans with the bottoms cut out

Fine screening

Gravel

Sand

Clay

Black dirt

Duct tape or some other type of clamp

6 – 250 ml beakers

Magnifying glass

Plain white paper

Data Table:

Soil Type

Soil Texture and color

Predicted Permeability

Amount of Water after 1 Minute

Amount of Water after 5 Minutes

         
         
         

 

Introductory Activity: Elicit from students what they have already learned about permeability and types of soil. Explain to the students that they will summarize what they have learned in today’s experiment, using their prior knowledge to test their predictions.

Activities & Typical Discussion Questions: Each group of students should collect 3 pieces of plain white paper and samples of three different types of soil. Place each type of soil on a piece of paper and look at the texture and color of the soil. Record this information in a data table.

After observing the three soil types each student should make a prediction of which the water will run through the fastest to the slowest.

Prepare each of the three cans by duct taping the fine screening to one of the open ends of the can.

Into each of the three cans place about 2 inches of the three different types of soil.

Holding one of the cans with soil over a 250 ml beaker pour 200 ml of water into the soil and collect how much water will run through it in 1 minute. Then after 5 minutes see how much water has moved through the soil.

Repeat with the other 2 types of soil.

  1. How did your predictions compare with the results?
  2. Which of these soils would be the best to use as drainage material?
  3. How does the texture of the soil compare to its water permeability?
  4. Do you think your results would change if you packed the soil into the can?

Expected Conclusions: Clay will have the longest permeability time and gravel the shortest.

Assessment: Did the groups arrive at the expected conclusions?

Extensions: In groups of two, students can explore the U.S. Map of Soil Permeability: http://www.epa.gov/iwi/1999sept/iv20_usmap.html