Teacher:  Janet Turner

School:  Lexington Elementary

Title:  Sands of Time 
 
Subject:  Science

Grade Level:  3 - 4 

Overview: 
The student will make slides to compare sand samples from different beaches. 

 Approximate Duration:  60 minutes 

Content Standards:
Science as Inquiry
The students will do science by engaging in partial and full inquiries that are within their developmental capabilities.

Benchmarks
SI-E-A1
asking appropriate questions about organisms and events in the environment;

SI-E-A2
planning and/or designing and conducting a scientific investigation;

SI-E-A3
communicating that observations are made with one's senses;

SI-E-A4
employing equipment and tools to gather data and extend the sensory observations;

SI-E-A6
communicating observations and experiments in oral and written formats;

SI-E-A7
utilizing safety procedures during experiments.

SI-E-B2
using appropriate experiments depending on the questions to be explored;

SI-E-B3
choosing appropriate equipment and tools to conduct an experiment;

SI-E-B4
developing explanations by using observations and experiments;

SI-E-B5
presenting the results of experiments;

SI-E-B6
reviewing and asking questions about the results of investigations.

Educational Technology Standards: 

Use technology tools (e.g., publishing, multimedia tools, and word processing software) for individual and for simple collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities for a variety of audiences.

Objectives:

The learner will make slides of sand.

The learner will observe and record the characteristics of each sample.

The learner will be able to identify to which beach each sand belongs. 

Lesson Materials and Resources:

sand from 3 beaches

3 pieces of 1 inch by 3 inch piece of cardstock

scotch tape

marker

hole punch

microscope

Journal 

Technology Tools and Materials:
Hardware:  computer
Software:  Microsoft Word

Background Information:
No background information is necessary. 

Lesson Procedures:
You will need to collect samples of sand from 3, (or more), different beaches ahead of time and make slides.

Label your slides with the name of the beach it came from. These will be used, after the students have observed their strips A, B, and C, to identify the beach the sand came from.

Directions for Investigation:

1.  Pass out the strips of cardstock to each person.

2.  Instruct students to label them A, B, and C.

3.  With the hole punch, punch out a hole in the center of the cardstock strip.

4.  Put a piece of tape over the hole.

5. The teacher will place a few grains of sand from Beach A on the tape on the strip labeled A for each student. Then put another piece of tape over the sand to seal it as in a slide.

6. Repeat this for slide B and C.

7. Once the slides have been constructed, pass out the journals. Make three columns and label them A, B, and C. The students will write their observations in the appropriate column. Be sure to tell them that they need to write characteristics the will help identify each.

8. Pass out the microscopes so students can observe the grains of sand and make their observations.

9. When all observations have been made, take up their slides and pass out the slides that have the name of the beaches on them. The students will again use the microscope to look at the slides from the named beaches and compare their observations with the named strips to identify the beach it came from. Write the name above the correct column in their journal.

10. Students will then write a short paragraph in their journal explaining the journey the grain of sand took to end up on the beach. Paragraphs will then be typed into a word document for all to enjoy. 

Assessment Procedures:
Sands of Time Rubric

Accommodations/Modifications:
None

Reproducible Materials:
Sands of Time Rubric

Explorations and Extensions:
Students could collect sand from their yards and compare it with their classmates. 

Reflections:
Students enjoy this activity very much. It is a good investigation to do when you are talking about erosion. 

Feedback: If you are not the author but used this lesson plan, please send your comments to the author.