Dirt Camp Second Edition

• Grades: 1-3
• Number of Students: Up to 30
• Number of Lessons: 12
• Contact Hours: 12+
• Additional Resources: Curriculum Sample

Highlights:

Make Like a Mole and Dig into Dirt Camp!

Roll up your sleeves and dig into the fascinating world beneath our feet. Uncover the origins of dirt and distinguish between dirt and soil. Explore the roles of a soil engineer by digging like a mole and building like a beaver. Investigate global practices of using dirt and soil for dyeing clothes and constructing homes. Plant your very own mini cat grass farm and witness the interconnectedness of trees through an underground network of fungi. In a multi-subject integration approach, learners collaborate, engineer and reflect, gaining a holistic understanding of the importance of soil.

Recommended Settings:

• Summer Camps
• Classrooms
• Before & After-School Programs

Curriculum or Lesson Topics:

Subject Targets:

• Earth Science
• Life Science
• Physical Science
• Engineering Design
• Math
• English Language Arts

Curriculum Topics:

• Characteristics of Dirt
• Where Does Dirt Come From?
• Dirt vs. Soil
• Weathering
• Animal Soil Engineers Above and Below Ground
• Bug Hunt: Tunnelers, Decomposers and Hunters
• The Wood Wide Web and Fungi
• Dying with Mud
• Building with Dirt
• Plant a Mini Cat Grass Farm

Standards Alignment:

Habits of Mind:

16 thinking habits developed by Art Costa and Bena Kallick to empower students to succeed in a 21st-century learning environment.

• Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations
• Creating, Imagining, and Innovating
• Finding Humor
• Gathering Data Through All Senses
• Listening with Understanding and Empathy
• Managing Impulsivity
• Persisting
• Remaining Open to Continuous Learning
• Responding with Wonderment and Awe
• Striving for Accuracy
• Taking Responsible Risks
• Thinking & Communicating with Clarity and Precision
• Thinking About Thinking
• Thinking Flexibly
• Thinking Interdependently

21st Century Skills:

A set of widely-applicable abilities essential for success in the information age.

• Communication and Collaboration
• Creativity and Innovation
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
• Flexibility and Adaptability
• Initiative and Self-Direction
• Information, Media, and Technology Literacy
• Leadership and Responsibility
• Productivity and Accountability
• Social and Cross-Cultural Skills

© 2019 Battelle for Kids. battelleforkids.org. All Rights Reserved. Battelle for Kids was not involved in the production of this product and does not endorse it.

Common Core State Standards for Mathematics:

• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.G.A.2: Compose two-dimensional shapes (rectangles, squares, trapezoids, triangles, half-circles, and quarter-circles) or three-dimensional shapes (cubes, right rectangular prisms, right circular cones, and right circular cylinders) to create a composite shape, and compose new shapes from the composite shape.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.G.A.1: Recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes, such as a given number of angles or a given number of equal faces. Identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and cubes.

© Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.

Next Generation Science Standards:*

• K-2-ETS1-1: Engineering Design
• K-2-ETS1-2: Engineering Design
• K-2-ETS1-3: Engineering Design
• 3-5-ETS1-1: Engineering Design
• K-ESS2-2: Humans & Their Environment
• K-LS1-1: Energy Flow in Organisms
• 1-LS1-1: Structure and Function
• 1-LS1-2: Growth and Development
• 2-LS4-1: Biodiversity
• 2-PS1-1: Investigating Properties of Matter
• 2-PS1-2: Analyzing Properties of Matter
• 3-PS2-2: Forces and Motion
• LS1.A: Structure and Function
• LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships
• 3-LS2-1: Ecosystem Interactions
• 3-LS4-3: Adaptation
• 3-LS4-4: Ecosystem Dynamics
• NGSS Core Idea ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth
• NGSS Core Idea ESS2.A: Earth’s Materials and Systems
• NGSS Core Idea ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes
• NGSS Core Idea LS1.A: Structure and Function
• NGSS Core Idea LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics
• NGSS Core Idea LS4.C: Adaptation
• NGSS Core Idea PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter
• NGSS Core Idea PS1.B: Chemical Reactions

* Next Generation Science Standards and NGSS is a registered trademark of WestEd. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.

What's Included:

Each Activity Includes:

• Schedule
• Materials List
• Topic Background Information
• Step-By-Step Directions
• Optional Extension Activities

Dirt Camp comes with all the supplies needed for 30 students to complete 12 one-hour activities:

• Instructor Guide: 1
• Printed Student Journals: 31
• Burrowing Animal Cut-Outs: 31
• Bug Guides: 6
• Sheet of Labels: 1
• Curriculum Digital Download: 1
• Large Storage Tub: 1
• Small Storage Tub: 1
• Hard Plastic Containers (6 quart): 12
• #2 Pencils (12 pk): 3
• Bucket with Lid (2 gallon): 2
• Clay (8 lb bucket): 1
• Children's Scissors: 5
• Colored Pencils (12 pk): 10
• Deli Containers with Lids (16 oz, 50 pk): 2
• Food Coloring (4 color pack): 1
• Ice Cube Trays: 15
• Index Cards (3”x5”, 100 pk): 1
• Index Cards (4”x6”, 100 pk): 1
• Magnifying Glasses: 10
• Markers (8 pk): 1
• Measuring Cup: 1
• Measuring Scoop: 6
• Paintbrushes (30 pk): 1
• Pail Opener: 1
• Paper Plates: 100
• Paper Towel Roll: 1
• Pea Gravel (10 cups): 1
• Pencil Sharpeners: 6
• Pitcher: 1
• Popsicle Sticks (1000 pk): 1
• Rulers: 5
• Seeds - Cat Grass (16 oz): 1
• Skittles (2.17 oz): 1
• Spoons: 50
• Spray Bottles: 5
• Straws: 250
• Sugar Cubes (1 lb): 1
• Topsoil (8 quarts): 2

Note: Educators will need to purchase 20 lbs of sand separately.

Additional Resources:

• Curriculum Sample

Note: Due to production time, this item typically ships 2-3 weeks after receipt of the order. During peak season, April-June, lead time is around 6 weeks. Please plan and order accordingly.