Virtual Field Trips
The Bellevue Botanical Garden Society is excited to offer new virtual field trips, which are really extensions of our in-person Living Lab program!
Our first extension series topic is SUPER SOILS!
Below you will find descriptions, suggested grade levels, and correlations to Next Generation Science Standards, for each video program.
Super Soils Extensions
4/5th Grade: Soil Chemist
4/5th Grade: Soil Chemist
Combining science with art, this lesson teaches basic concepts of soil acidity through exploration of the hydrangea. Students learn to conduct hands-on experiments involving mixtures and solutions.
LINK TO: Teacher Guide, Common Core & Next Generation Science Standards Correlations
WATCH: Soil Chemist Video (13 min) Supplies needed: Blank paper and colored pencils for art with video.
Soil Chemistry Experiment
Soil Chemistry Experiment Instructions
Supplies needed: white vinegar, baking soda, container and soil.
Cabbage Water Test
Cabbage Water Test Instructions
Supplies needed: red cabbage, distilled water, clear container and soil.
4th/5th Grade: Soil Sleuths
4th/5th Grade: Soil Sleuths
You might get a bit dirty doing this detective work. Through a hands-on experiment, video, and reflection questions, students learn about the PNW forest floor. The formation of minerals, rocks, and layers of sediment over time are also explored.
Link to Teacher Guide, Common Core & Next Generation Science Standards Correlations
WATCH: Soil Sleuth Video (8:16 minutes)
2nd Grade: Rocks and Soils at the Garden
2nd Grade: Rocks and Soils at the Garden
Watch to see how woodpeckers help make healthy soil, how gardeners use rocks, and how gnomes make cement for their homes. In this extension, students listen to a reading of the book Soil Basics, to prepare them for an exploration of rocks and soils at the garden in the subsequent two videos. Scientific vocabulary learned from reading is applied during the garden video tour. Viewers are invited to complete an imaginative drawing, and to try a simple, hands-on experiment to observe components of soil.
Glossary: Download this soil glossary to learn vocabulary
LINK TO: Teacher Guide, Common Core & Next Generation Science Standards Correlations
Videos (All four videos total approximately 15 minutes):
WATCH: Intro to Soils Video (7:54 min)
WATCH: BBG Rocks Video (3:25 min)
WATCH: Soil Suspension Experiment Video (3:15 min)
K-2: Soil Story
K-2: Soil Story
In this extension, watch a reading of the book Soil Basics, by Mari Schuh. Afterwards, consider taking a walk through the Garden or your neighborhood to see all the life soil supports. Grab a handful of soil on your walk, then watch the next video to try a hands-on soil experiment.
LINK TO: Teacher Guide, Common Core & Next Generation Science Standards Correlations
WATCH: Soil Suspension Experiment Video (3:15 min)
