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Science Snack Activity: make a soil horizons parfait!

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Perhaps you have made a “cup of dirt” from pudding. But you can turn this simple snack into a tasty science activity by creating a soil horizons parfait!

For this activity, you will make a parfait with 6 layers to represent the 6 horizons. This is an entertaining and tasty way to teach your students about soil horizons during a gardening, soil science, or agriculture unit in your classroom.

Background Information: Layers in Soils

Did you know soils have layers? If you viewed a vertical cross section of soil, you would see up to six main layers. Each layer looks different and is made of a unique mixture of sediments and organic matter.

We call the layers “soil horizons”. Each of the six soil horizons is given a letter: O, A, E, B, C, and R. The upper two horizons, O and A, are called topsoil. Topsoil is rich in organic matter compared to the lower layers. Topsoil is where plants grow, so it is important in agriculture and ecology!  A healthy topsoil promotes healthy plant life.

What are the main soil horizons?

Here are the 6 main horizons, from top to bottom:

  • O Horizon: Decaying organic matter at the soil’s surface
  • A Horizon: Soil rich in both organic matter and coarse sediments
  • E Horizon: Coarse soils, which lost their clay and soluble minerals to downward leaching
  • B Horizon: The “subsoil”; clay and dissolved minerals build up in this layer
  • C Horizon: “Parent material” of soil: pieces of partially weathered rock
  • R Horizon: Hard bedrock beneath the soil

Activity: create your own soil horizons parfait!

Materials
  • Tall, clear cups or glasses
  • Spoons
  • Graham crackers
  • Yogurt
  • Jam
  • Fresh Cut Fruit
  • Granola
  • Paper towels
Directions

Build your own model of soil horizons by making a parfait. Each layer represents a different horizon. Students should add these layers to a tall glass or clear plastic cup.

  1. R horizon:  pieces of whole graham cracker, to represent bedrock.
  2. C horizon:  crumbled gram crackers to represent the soil’s parent material made from partially weathered rock in this horizon.
  3. B horizon:  yogurt, which is smooth and creamy like the fine-grained clay and soluble minerals found in this horizon.
  4. E horizon:  jam, because gritty seeds in jam represent the coarser sands and silts found in this horizon.
  5. A horizon:  fresh fruit, because this horizon is rich in organic matter.
  6. O horizon:  granola, to represent decomposing organic matter like crunchy leaves on the surface of the soil.

Soil Science with Wild Earth Lab

This soil horizons parfait activity comes from my complete Soil Science Unit. The unit is full of many activities like this one for teaching students all about soils.

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Porosity & Permeability: science experiments to try in your classroom!

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Are you teaching your students the difference between porosity and permeability? While these two properties of soils and rocks are related, they are not the same! And what better way to understand the difference between porosity and permeability than a hands-on lab activity!?

In this lab experiment, compare the porosity and permeability of three sediments: gravel, sand, and clay/silt. These activities are easy to complete with common household items.

You can download the printable directions and worksheets for these lab activities in my porosity & permeability mini study.

In this post, you will learn how to set up a porosity and permeability activity in your classroom. You can also get print-formatted versions of these directions, worksheets, handouts, and classroom posters to use during this lab in my Soil Science Unit!

Pre-lab Activity

Place a small amount of each sediment on three trays. Allow students to examine and touch the sediments. Ask students to consider:

  • Rub the material between your fingers. Describe how it feels. Coarse? Gritty? Fine? Sticky? Stiff? Loose?
  • Describe the material. Can you see individual grains? How large are they? What color(s) do you see?
  • Make a prediction: Which soil sill have the highest porosity? Which will have the lowest porosity?
  • Make a prediction: Which soil sill have the highest permeability? Which will have the lowest permeability?

Gather Your Materials

Gather the following materials for the demo. You will need:

Porosity Lab Activity Materials:
  • Dry gravel (~100 mL)
  • Dry sand (~100 mL)
  • Dry silt or clay (~100 mL)
  • 3 small containers of equal size (e.g., 150 mL beakers)
  • Extra beaker or liquid measuring cup
  • Water
  • Student lab handouts (1 set per student)
Permeability Lab Activity Materials:
  • Dry gravel (at least 100 mL)
  • Dry sand (at least 100 mL)
  • Dry silt or clay (at least 100 mL)
  • Graduated cylinder (200 mL or larger)
  • 400+ mL funnel to sit atop the graduated cylinder
  • 3 filter papers (e.g., pieces of coffee filters)
  • Scissors
  • Permanent marker
  • Beaker or liquid measuring cup
  • Water
  • Stopwatch
  • Student lab handouts (1 set per student)
Don’t forget to download the handouts and worksheets for this lab activity in my Porosity & Permeability mini study

Directions

Porosity Directions:
  1. Pass out the materials to the lab groups.
  2. Demonstrate the method with the gravel: Measure ~100 mL of gravel into a container and gently shake the container so that the surface of the gravel is flat.
  3. Record the total volume of the gravel on the lab worksheet.
  4. Fill a beaker with 100 mL of water.
  5. Slowly and gently, pour the water into the gravel, until the water level reaches the surface of the gravel.
  6. It may take some time for the water to “soak through” to the bottom of the beaker. You may need to pour a little water at a time and then wait before pouring some more.
  7. Record the volume of the pore space. This is equal to the volume of water you poured into the gravel.
  8. Students will repeat the procedure with the sand and the silt/clay.
  9. After students collect their measurements, show the students how to calculate the porosity:
Permeability Directions:
  1. Pass out the materials.
  2. Demonstrate the method with the gravel: Balance the funnel on top of the graduated cylinder and place a filter paper into the funnel to cover the stem hole.
  3. Fill the funnel approximately half way up with gravel. Do not fill the funnel all the way up to the top.
  4. Tap the funnel lightly to make the surface of the gravel flat.
  5. Use the marker to mark the level of the surface of the gravel on the funnel.
  6. Put 200 mL of water in the beaker or measuring cup.
  7. Start the stopwatch as you pour all 200 mL of water over the gravel.
  8. At regular intervals, record the time and the volume of water in the graduated cylinder.
  9. The water may pass through some sediments very rapidly. You may only have time to record a few volume measurements before the water is done passing through.
  10. After students finish the procedure with the gravel, they will repeat the procedure with the sand and the silt/clay. Fill the funnel to your previous mark with the other sediments.
  11. Look at the recorded data. Which sediment did the water pass through most quickly? This soil has the highest permeability.
Measure porosity and permeability with my set of lab activity materials.

Reflection Questions

  1. In your own words: what is the difference between porosity and permeability?
  2. What are some possible sources of error in the porosity lab?
  3. What are some possible sources of error in the permeability lab?
  4. During rain, water seeps down into the soil through its pores. Which soil will water pool on top of first: a soil with high permeability or a soil with low permeability. Which size grains would this soil likely have a lot of?
  5. You are potting a plant that needs a soil with high porosity. What size grains might help give a soil a high porosity?

This lab comes from my Soil Science Unit!

Your students will love the illustrated learning materials, plus you’ll support Wild Earth Lab with your curriculum purchase!

Explore more curriculum from Wild Earth Lab:

If you enjoyed this post, I know you will love using my environmental science materials in your classroom!

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Classroom Demo: Soil Organic Matter and Hydrogen Peroxide! Wow your students with this surprising reaction

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Are you studying soil science, gardening, or agriculture with your students? If so, you have probably learned that soil is a mixture of sediments and organic matter. But different soils have different amounts of these two ingredients. A soil’s organic matter content is important, especially when considering a soil’s ability to support plants.

In this demo, qualitatively compare the organic matter content of two soils. You can test the soil samples for organic matter by putting hydrogen peroxide on the soils and watching for a reaction (bubbling). More bubbles = more organic matter!

In this post, you will learn how to set up a soil organic matter demo in your classroom. You can also get print-formatted versions of these directions, worksheets, handouts, and classroom posters to use during this lab in my Soil Science Unit!

Gather Your Materials

Gather the following materials for the demo. You will need:

  • ~2 Tbsp (15 mL) samples of 2 types of soil:
    • Soil A: compost
    • Soil B: a soil with less organic matter (look for a light-colored soil that has few plants growing in it).
  • 3 small beakers
  • Laboratory personal protective equipment (gloves, safety goggles, lab coats)
  • 6% hydrogen peroxide (available at pharmacies)
  • Eyedropper
  • Student lab handouts (1 set per student)
You will find worksheets, printable directions, and a materials list for this demo in my Soil Science Unit.

Safety Notes

  1. Read and comply with all safety information and warnings on the hydrogen peroxide bottle. Before starting this demo, ensure all participants are prepared to safely handle hydrogen peroxide.
  2. Ensure all participants and observers wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (gloves, lab coat, safety goggles).
  3. Adult supervision is required at all times during this activity.

Directions

  1. Do not tell students where soil samples A and B came from until after the lab. Explain that the two soil samples contain different amounts of organic matter. Hydrogen peroxide reacts with the organic matter in the soil, making bubbles or fizzing sounds.
  2. Place ~2 Tbsp (15 mL) of soil A into a beaker
  3. Place ~2 Tbsp (15 mL) of soil B into another beaker
  4. Pass around the soils. Students should observe each soil and describe it.
  5. Put on personal protective equipment.
  6. Ask your students to gather around and watch as you squeeze an eyedropper full of hydrogen peroxide onto soil A and watch/listen for bubbles and fizzing.
  7. Repeat the previous step with soil B. Which soil reacted more?
  8. Finally, reveal that one of these samples came from a compost pile. Can students guess which one?
In this classroom demo, observe how soil organic matter reacts with hydrogen peroxide.

Reflection Questions

  1. Describe soil A (color, texture, feel)
  2. Describe soil B (color, texture feel)
  3. What happened when your instructor added hydrogen peroxide to soil?
  4. Did one soil react more than the other? Which soil reacted the most?
  5. Hydrogen peroxide reacts with organic matter. What does this tell you about soils A and B?

This lab comes from my Soil Science Unit!

Your students will love the illustrated learning materials, plus you’ll support Wild Earth Lab with your curriculum purchase!

Explore more curriculum from Wild Earth Lab:

If you enjoyed this post, I know you will love using my environmental science materials in your classroom!

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Soil Textures Jar Lab: set up this easy science experiment in your classroom!

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Are you studying soil science, gardening, or agriculture with your students? If so, there is nothing quite like a soil textures jar lab to learn about sand, silt, and clay in soils! In this lab activity, students observe the distribution of grain sizes in soil samples, then classify the soils using the soil textures triangle.

If a scientist wants to know a soil’s texture, then they need to figure out the proportion of sand, silt, and clay in the sediment part of the soil. But this can be a challenge. How do you separate and measure all those tiny grains? Soil scientists use a few different methods for doing this.

This most basic method, the “jar test”, is easy to do in a classroom setting. Shake up soil and water in a jar. Then, watch the grains settle over time. Larger grains settle faster than smaller ones.

This jar test lab activity is perfect for teaching your students about soil textures.

In this post, you will learn how to set up a soil textures jar test lab in your classroom. You can also get print-formatted versions of these directions, worksheets, handouts, and classroom posters to use during this lab in my Soil Textures Mini Study!

Gather Your Materials

Gather the following materials for the lab. Each lab group will need:

  • 2 or 3 soil samples: collect different soils from 2 or 3 places. Avoid soils with a very high organic matter content, such as compost. Bring at least 300 mL of each soil per lab group so that you have some extra in case mistakes are made.
  • Sieve
  • Tray
  • 2 or 3 straight-sided, tall bottles (~ 500 mL)
  • Water
  • Dispersing agent: borax or dish detergent (optional)
  • Teaspoon
  • Permanent marker
  • Time keeping device (e.g., smartphone)
  • Ruler
  • 2 or 3 sticky notes
  • Student lab handouts (1 set per student)
Find all the materials for this science experiment in my Soil Textures Lab Activity mini study.

Set-Up

  1. This lab involves lots of waiting. You must collect certain measurements hours and days apart – make sure to plan accordingly.
  2. Before starting, it may help to sieve your soil samples to remove any large gravel, cobbles and roots. To do this, place the soil into a sieve. Select a sieve with openings no smaller than 2 mm. Gently shake the sieve over the tray. The soil will fall through while the larger gravel, cobbles, and roots will remain in the sieve. If you do not have a sieve, you can also spread the soil out on a tray and pick out any especially large gravel, cobbles, and roots by hand.
  3. Borax will help the clay settle. If you do not have any, dish detergent can be used as a substitute.
  4. Once students begin the procedure, the bottles should not be moved. Select an area for this lab where the bottles can sit undisturbed for a few days.
Lab procedure video for a soil textures science experiment for classrooms

Directions

  1. Pass out the materials.
  2. Demonstrate the method with the first soil. Fill a bottle about one third of the way with a soil sample.
  3. Gently tap or shake the bottle until the surface of the soil is flat. Then, use a permanent marker to mark the level of the soil on the outside of the bottle. Label the mark “initial”.
  4. Fill the rest of the bottle with water.
  5. Optional: add 1 tsp (5 mL) of the dispersing agent.
  6. Tightly cap the bottle.
  7. Shake the bottle vigorously for 5 minutes.
  8. The instant you stop shaking the bottle, set it on the counter and start a stopwatch. Do not move or disturb the bottle once the stopwatch starts.
  9. Sand takes about 1 minute to settle. After 1 minute, mark the top of the sand layer on the bottle with a marker. Label this mark “sand”. Measure the thickness of the sand layer with the ruler and record it on the student handout.
  10. Silt takes 2 hours to settle and clay takes at least 48 hours to settle. Students should write the times these measurements should be taken on a sticky note and place it on the bottle. Depending on the length of your class period, you may need to measure and record the thickness of the silt layer for your students in 2 hours.
  11. Students should then set up their second (and third) bottle(s) with the other soil sample(s) by repeating all the above steps.
  12. Students will measure and record the thickness of the clay layer at least 48 hours later. The water may still look murky above the settled sediment. This is because a small amount of very fine clay is still in suspension. The final soil level may be somewhat less than the initial soil level. This is because shaking and settling changes a soil’s structure and amount of pore space.
  13. Once students collect all  of the measurements, show the students how to calculate the percentages of sand, silt, and clay in each soil sample. For example:
Download my printable directions and worksheets for this soil textures lab activity

Reflection Questions

  1. Find each of your soil samples on the soil textures triangle (external link). What is the name of each of your soils?
  2. In your own words, define soil texture.
  3. A soil is made of 35% clay, 40% silt, an 25% sand. What type of soil is it?
  4. A soil is made of 10% clay, 5% silt, and 85% sand. What type of soil is it?
  5. You are selecting a soil to plant a cactus in. The cactus needs a fast-draining soil, so you are looking for a soil with plenty of coarse sediments. Which soil is a better choice: a sandy loam or a silt loam? Why? (See the soil texture triangle).
  6. You are choosing a place to dig a hole in your yard to build a fish pond. You do not want the water to drain out of the pond into the soil, so you are looking for a soil with plenty of fine sediments. The left side of your yard is a silty clay and the right side of your yard is a loamy sand. Where would you build the pond? Why? (See the soil texture triangle).
Public domain image courtesy of:
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

This lab comes from my Soil Science Unit!

Your students will love the illustrated learning materials, plus you’ll support Wild Earth Lab with your curriculum purchase!

Explore more curriculum from Wild Earth Lab:

If you enjoyed this post, I know you will love using my environmental science materials in your classroom!

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Camouflage Lab: try this simple science activity in your classroom to learn about animal adaptations!

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Are you studying animal adaptations with your class? If so, there is nothing quite like a camouflage lab to learn first-hand how concealing coloration can help animals avoid being eaten by predators! This lab activity is very simple and effective for showing students how natural selection favors animals that can hide from predators.

This lab is entertaining because students get to be the “predators” by hunting for different “prey” (black and white beans) in a “habitat” made of white rice. Which prey will they capture most easily? Which prey will survive? Try this lab activity to find out!

Find these worksheets and handouts in my camouflage lab mini study!

In this post, you will learn how to set up a camouflage lab in your classroom. You can also get printable versions of these directions, worksheets, handouts, and classroom posters to use during this lab in my Camouflage Lab Mini Study!

If you are looking for even more ways to study animal adaptations, I think you will also like my bird beaks lab – read the separate post about the bird beaks lab.

This bird beak adaptations lab is another great way to study animal adaptations!

Gather Your Materials

Gather the following materials for the camouflage lab. Each lab group will need:

  • Dry white rice
  • Dry black beans
  • Dry white beans
  • Tweezers
  • Pie tin or shallow bowl
  • Paper cup
  • Stopwatch
  • Student lab handouts (1 set per student)

Set-Up & Directions

  1. Pour some rice into each bowl. The rice will be the background or habitat.
  2. Mix equal numbers of black beans and white beans into each bowl. The black beans are the regular animals. The white beans are the camouflaged animals.
  3. In each lab group, one student will be the predator and another student will be the timer. Students can take turns in these different roles.
  4. The predator will use the tweezers or “beak” to catch as many beans as possible in 30 seconds and place them in the paper cup or “stomach”.
  5. After 30 seconds, count how many beans of each color were captured, and how many beans of each color survived.
  6. Repeat as needed so all students have a turn being the predator.
  7. Check with your students: which “animal” was eaten the most? Which avoided the predators the most?
  8. After the activity, discuss the benefits of concealing coloration with your students.
  9. Students should complete the reflection questions.
Don’t forget to download the worksheets and printable directions for this camouflage lab activity!

Reflection Questions

  1. Did more black beans or white beans survive?
  2. Which beans were easiest to spot in the rice?
  3. How does camouflage help animals?
  4. Would the results of the lab activity be different if you used black rice as the background? How so?
  5. Would the results of the lab activity be different if you used gray rice as the background? How so?
  6. Which would get eaten more in a forest with lots of leaves and moss: a green lizard or a yellow lizard?
  7. Which would get eaten more in a desert with lots of sand, rocks, and dry plants: a greenish blue snake or a tan and gray snake?

Expand on this Activity

Try these ways to expand on your camouflage lab:

1. Natural selection over several generations:

Expand on this activity to learn about natural and adaptations.  Repeat the activity a few times to represent successive generations. Use the proportion of beans of each color after predation to determine the proportion of beans of each color in the next generation.

For example, if you started with 50 total beans (25 black beans and 25 white beans), and 5 black beans and 20 white beans remained after predation, then you should start the next generation with 10 black beans and 40 white beans.

Have students perform these calculations to add math to this lab.  Afterwards, discuss which coloration thrived in the long run. Did either coloration disappear from the population after several generations?

2. Mimicry:

Did you know that some harmless animals mimic dangerous animals? A good example of this is the harmless viceroy butterfly, which looks very similar to the poisonous monarch butterfly. Another example is a non-venomous milk snake, which has nearly the same red and black stripes (called “warning coloration“) as a venomous coral snake! This type of disguise is called “mimicry“, and it is a type of camouflage.

Expand on your camouflage lab by adding in a mimicry lab activity. The purpose of a mimicry activity is to show how pretending to be dangerous benefits prey animals. There are many versions of a mimicry lab, such as the activity shown in this candy camouflage YouTube Video from Science Buddies.

This lab comes from my Reptiles Unit!

Your students will love the illustrated learning materials, plus you’ll support Wild Earth Lab with your curriculum purchase!

Explore more curriculum from Wild Earth Lab:

If you enjoyed this post, I know you will love using my environmental science materials in your classroom!

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Build Your Own Solar Eclipse Viewer Box: a step by step guide!

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If a solar eclipse is happening where you live, make this simple solar eclipse viewer from household materials. You cannot look directly at the Sun because it will damage your eyes. However, you can view a solar eclipse using a homemade eclipse viewer box. You can use this viewer box to watch a partial or annular solar eclipse, or track the progress of a total solar eclipse before and after totality.

Photo by Drew Rae on Pexels.com

Before we begin, you may ask: what is happening during an eclipse?

As you know, the Earth is orbiting the Sun, and the Moon is orbiting the Earth. Every once and a while, the Sun, Moon, and Earth all line up and something very special happens. A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. During a solar eclipse, the Moon totally or partially blocks out the Sun during the daytime.

Try my Solar Eclipse Mini Study – with worksheets, activity guides and more.

Materials

  • Cardboard box (tip: longer box = larger projected image!)
  • Sheet of white printer paper
  • Box cutter
  • Tape
  • Aluminum foil
  • Scissors
  • Pin
Download a print out version of these directions to build your own solar eclipse viewer box.

Set Up

Download my printable version of these directions to build a solar eclipse viewer box.

  1. Have an adult cut a head-sized hole into the bottom of the cardboard box.
  2. Use tape to attach a white sheet of paper to one side of the box.
  3. In the opposite side, towards the top of the box, have an adult cut a small rectangular opening.
  4. Cut a piece of aluminum foil that is slightly larger than the rectangular opening you cut.
  5. Keeping the foil completely flat, tape the foil over the rectangular opening.
  6. Use the pin to make a tiny hole in the center of the aluminum foil.
  7. Close the top of the box and tape it shut.

Using Your Eclipse Viewer Box

  1. Stand with your back to the Sun. Never look directly at the Sun and never face the Sun while using the viewer. Do not look at the Sun through the pinhole.
  2. Hold the box with the head hole facing towards the ground. The aluminum foil should face the Sun.
  3. Facing the piece of paper, place the top of your head up into the head hole. Do not put your whole head all the way up into the box, as this will block the incoming light.
  4. Look up at the white sheet of paper.
  5. With the help of a friend, adjust your position until you see the projection of the solar eclipse on the paper.

Study Solar Eclipses with Wild Earth Lab!

You’ll find the printable directions for this activity, solar eclipse diagrams, and worksheets in my Solar Eclipse Mini Study:

Try my Solar Eclipse Mini Study – with worksheets, activity guides and more.

Explore curriculum from Wild Earth Lab:

If you enjoyed this post, I know you will love using my environmental science materials in your classroom!

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Sun and Star Activity Ideas: 13 outer space classroom projects to try!

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Wild Earth Lab is supported by readers like you. This post includes links to my own products and affiliate products. If you purchase through links on my site, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Exploring the wonders of the sun and stars can captivate young minds and spark curiosity about the universe! Whether you’re diving into a sun unit, teaching about stars, or weaving astronomy into your science lessons, hands-on activities make learning truly memorable. From crafting DIY sundials and phenology wheels to creating tasty constellation snacks and building solar ovens, these engaging sun and star activity ideas are perfect for your classroom or homeschool.

Before we dive in: If you’re an educator planning to teach about the sun or stars, great activities are key to deepening understanding! I think you and your students will love my complete Sun Unit (plus you’ll support my blog with your purchase! ❤️)

1. DIY Sundial

DIY Sundial – use the Sun to tell the time by creating your own sundial. All you need is a paper plate, a straight stick, and a compass.

close up of a sundial

2. Phenology Wheel

Phenology Wheel – record your journey around the Sun by creating a phenology wheel.

This phenology activity comes from my complete Sun Unit

3. Constellation Snacks

Constellation Snacks – this is for sure the tastiest star activity, and always a big hit with kids of all ages! Form different constellations out of pretzel sticks and marshmallows. Then eat them!

silhouette of trees and mountain under blue starry sky
Photo by Sindre Fs on Pexels.com

4. Suncatchers

Suncatchers – create brightly colored suncatchers with tissue paper. Display them in a sunny window for all to see!

  • A suncatcher craft guide from PBS Kids
  • Another suncatcher guide from WikiHow
  • Prefer a kit? Skip the hassle of gathering materials! Try a suncatcher kit like this one!

5. Solar Oven

Solar Oven – build a solar oven out of a box and aluminum foil. Try melting cheese on nachos or making s’mores in the solar oven!

6. Learn to use a Telescope!

Telescope – learn how to use a basic student telescope for an elevated star-gazing experience! Locating and observing celestial objects is a great hands-on way to learn about outer space!

silhouette of person standing near telescope

7. Ode to the Sun

Ode to the Sun – show some gratitude for the Sun by writing a poem about it. For example, create a cinquain poem about the Sun using the following format:

  • Line 1: one noun
  • Line 2: two adjectives
  • Line 3: three verbs ending in –ing
  • Line 4: four-word phrase or statement
  • Line 5: one noun

This activity comes from my Sun Unit where you can learn background information about the sun to help inspire ideas for your poems!

8. Solar Printing

Solar Printings – One of my favorite sun and star activities! Make sun prints with this special sun print paper! Arrange small objects on top of the special paper, then set them in a sunny outdoor area. The shadows of the objects become imprinted on the paper.

9. Model the Seasons

Model the Seasons – learn about the Earth’s tilted axis in a hands-on way. Rotate an orb on a stick with a tilted axis while shining a light on it. Mark the equator, Arctic Circle, and Antarctic Circle so you can track what happens in these unique places.

10. Distance Model

Distance model – calculate the relative distance each planet is from the Sun on a tape measure. Start with Neptune, then work your way backward from there.

Free solar system image

11. Mnemonic Devices

A mnemonic device is a type of memory aid. A memorable phrase, word, or pattern is swapped out for the important information. Different parts of the phrase, word, or pattern help remind you of different parts of the important information. For example, some people use the phrase “Eat An Apple As A Nice Snack” to remember the 7 continents on Earth: Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Antarctica, North America, and South America.

Create your own mnemonic devices for remembering the 8 planets orbiting our sun in order: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. You can find worksheets for this activity and more sun lesson plan materials in my Sun Unit!

12. Eclipse Model

Eclipse model – model a solar eclipse using two orbs on sticks and a flashlight. Place the smaller orb (Moon) between the light source and the larger orb (Earth) to make a shadow on the larger orb.

Need solar eclipse worksheets? Download mine here.

13. Eclipse Viewer Box

Eclipse viewer box – build a solar eclipse viewer box from common household materials! Find a helpful activity guide and download directions and eclipse worksheets.

Bonus: Study the Sun with Wild Earth Lab

Try out my Sun Unit – complete with even more sun and star activities, posters, handouts, worksheets, and much more.

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Solar System Distances Lab: Try this hands-on math activity to model the solar system!

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In this post, you will learn how to set up your own relative distances lab to teach the relative distances between objects in our solar system! In this fun lab, your students will learn about the vastness of space and the spacing of planets in a hands-on way. To do this, they will perform calculations and mark the locations of planets on a measuring tape. This post includes a materials list and directions for this fun, hands-on math and measurements activity!

During this lab, it may surprise students to see that the planets of the solar system are not evenly spaced out at all, as they are often shown in solar system diagrams. In fact, the inner four planets are grouped much more closely than the outer gas giants. Students will also calculate just how teeny-tiny scale models of planets would need to be if included in the model.

A note for educators: The activity in this post comes from my complete Sun and Stars Unit. You can find the printable directions and worksheets for this activity in my Solar System Relative Distances Lab or in the full Sun and Stars Unit – plus all the other printable handouts, worksheets, and diagrams you need to teach the solar system, the sun, and stars. Plus, every purchase helps support this blog! 💚

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You can also find the relevant worksheets and handouts for this activity in my Solar System Distances Lab!

Gather Your Materials

Gather the following materials for the solar system distances lab:

Other Materials:

Set Up

  1. Stretch out a tape measure along the ground.
  2. Tell students that the Sun is located at 0 and Neptune is located at the highest number on the tape measure.
  3. Use a clothespin to attach the Neptune and Sun flashcards to the proper locations.
  4. Go through the example below with your class to learn how to find the locations of the other planets. Find the actual distances from the Sun to each planet in the table below.
  5. Finally, ask students to calculate the model locations of the other planets on the tape measure in small groups.
Approximate distances between the Sun and planets. A printable version of this table and worksheets are included in my Solar System Distances Lab mini study.

Example Calculation

If you have a 5-meter tape measure, then the Sun is at 0 meters, and Neptune is at 5 meters. In reality, Neptune is 4,635,000,000 km from the Sun. We want to know where to mark Uranus on the tape measure. Uranus is 2,881,000,000 km from the Sun.

  1. Set up the equation:

2. Solve for model distance:

3. Put the actual distance (in kilometers) to Uranus into the equation:

4. Find and mark the calculated location on the tape measure.

5. Repeat these steps with the other planets in the solar system.

Download worksheets and handouts for the solar system distances lab activity

Other Suggestions

  • To make this activity simpler, calculate the distances to mark on the tape measure before the lab and provide these numbers to the students. Students can still work through finding the correct locations on the tape measure and marking the location of each planet.
  • For more advanced groups, ask students to start by trying to figure out on their own how they would set up the equation to solve this problem.
  • Pay attention to units while working through the example. Ask students how they know which units to use for their answers.

Problem Questions

  1. Outer space is mostly made of empty space. Planets and stars are relatively tiny compared to the distances between them. But let’s imagine we are trying to make a scale model of the solar system with planets and a Sun that are to scale, relative to the distances between them on our tape measure.
    • If we add a scale model of Jupiter to our tape measure model, what would its diameter be? The actual diameter of Jupiter is 87,000 miles (140,000 km). Show your work below.
    • What is the problem with building this model?
  2. Let’s say we want to build a model of the solar system with both planet sizes and distances between planets to scale. We want to use a marble as Earth. The marble has a diameter of 0.75 inches (1.9 cm). Earth’s actual diameter is 7,900 miles (13,000 km).
    • For this model, what would the distance between the Sun and Earth be? Give your answer in miles or kilometers.
    • For this model, what would the distance between the Sun and Neptune be? Give your answer in miles or kilometers.
    • For this model, what would the diameter of the Sun be? The Sun’s actual diameter is 865,000 miles (1,390,000 km).

Reflection Questions

  1. What is one thing that surprised you during this activity?
  2. Describe the spacing of the planets in our solar system. Are they evenly spaced or not?
  3. Do most images/diagrams of our solar system do a good job representing relative sizes and distances between objects? Why or why not?

This activity comes from my Sun Unit!

Your students will love the illustrated learning materials, plus you’ll support Wild Earth Lab with your curriculum purchase!

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Measuring Snow: hands-on classroom activity to learn about snow hydrology and the water cycle!

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If you live somewhere that gets snow in winter, you’ve likely measured the depth of snow before! But with a few extra steps, you can turn this simple task into an awesome, hands-on snow measurements lab activity for your classroom.

Find these worksheets and handouts in my snow hydrology lab mini study!

By measuring snow and performing calculations, we can determine snow water equivalent, stored water, and snow-to-liquid ratios! These are all important measurements for snow hydrologists and tell us a lot about water resources and the water cycle.

In this post, you will learn how to set up your own snow measurements lab to try out in your classroom! You can also get printable versions of these directions plus worksheets, handouts, and classroom posters to go along with this lab in my Bird Beak Adaptations Lab Mini Study!

Find these worksheets and handouts in my snow hydrology lab mini study!

Gather Your Materials

Gather the following materials for the snow measurements lab:

Part 1: Water in Snow

  • Printed copies of the “Water in Snow” worksheets (1 set per student)
  • 3 identical jars with lids
  • Water
  • Freshly fallen snow (not “slush” or partially melted snow)
  • Ice cubes

Part 2: Snow Water Equivalent

Set Up and Directions

Part 1: Water in Snow

  1. Fill one jar with liquid water, one jar with snow, and one jar with ice cubes. Fill all jars to the same level.
  2. Place a lid on each jar to prevent evaporative water loss.
  3. Put the jars somewhere indoors to melt.
  4. Ask students to make predictions about the water levels in each jar. Which jar will hold the most water at the end of the experiment? Which will hold the least?
  5. Encourage students to discuss their reasoning. They may notice that the jar with the ice cubes visibly contains a lot of air. For this reason, some students may expect that the ice cube jar will have the lowest water level at the end of the experiment.
  6. You may also ask students to draw a line on each jar to show where they think the water level will be.
  7. Once everything melts, ask students to check if their predictions were correct. Which jar holds the most water now? Which jar holds the least water now?
  8. Discuss how different types of snow (e.g., a fluffy, dry snow and a heavier, wet snow) will have different proportions of water and air in them. Share with students that snow hydrologists are often interested in the “Snow Water Equivalent”, or in other words, the amount of water in snow.

Part 2: Snow Water Equivalent

  1. Start by sharing with students that precipitation (e.g., snow, rain) is measured as a depth.
  2. We can measure this depth by setting an open container outside to collect precipitation as it falls.
  3. Help students use the rulers to draw and label measurement markings up the side of the container, starting at the bottom.
  4. Ask students to set these containers outside before it snows. If it is windy, students may need to place rocks or other heavy items around the containers to hold them in place. When the snow stops, students should record the depth, bring the container indoors, then wait for the snow to melt in the container.
  5. Once students determine the Snow Water Equivalent (i.e., the depth of meltwater in the container), help them calculate a snow-to-liquid ratio (SLR). You may wish to work through the example on the student handout as a class.

Other Suggestions

  • The snow and ice cubes may melt slowly. If you don’t have a long class period, set up this activity at the end of class one day, then finish the activity at the start of class the next day.
  • Don’t pack down the snow in the jar, since this may impact the snow’s density.

Reflection Questions

  1. Water only makes up a small part of snow’s volume. What could make up the rest of the snow? (What else is in the jar?).
  2. Imagine you have one jar with a fluffy, fresh snow, and one jar with a heavy, dense snow that was on the ground for a few days. After melting, which jar would have more liquid water? Why?
  3. Which would be more water: an inch of rain or an inch of snowfall? Why?
  4. If 21 inches of snow falls, and the snow-to-liquid ratio is 7 : 1, what is the snow water equivalent?
  5. Could snow water equivalent ever be a larger number than snow depth? Why or why not?

This activity comes from my Science in the Snow Unit!

Your students will love the illustrated learning materials, plus you’ll support Wild Earth Lab with your curriculum purchase!

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8 Plate Tectonics Activities – try these project ideas in your classroom!

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Plate tectonics is an important concept for students to understand. To help you get started studying plate tectonics in your classroom, I’ve put together this list of eight engaging and hands-on plate tectonics activities and projects to try out in your classroom this year!

Before we dive into these fun tectonic plate activities, let’s review the basics. The theory of plate tectonics is a scientific theory central to the field of geology. This theory explains that the surface of the Earth is broken into large plates that are slowly moving. These plates slide past and over one another. Their motion gradually changes the appearance of Earth’s landmasses and oceans over time. Plate movement also causes earthquakes and volcanic eruptions along plate boundaries. All types of geological phenomena can be tied back to plate tectonic motion!

A note for educators: If you’re an educator planning to teach plate tectonics, try my complete Plate Tectonics Unit! It includes all the printable worksheets, templates, and visual aids you’ll need for studying plate tectonics (plus you’ll support my blog with your purchase! ❤️)

Try building this paper model of Earth’s interior, from my Plate Tectonics Unit.

1. Edible layers of the Earth

Make a model of the layers of the Earth using food! Build an edible core, mantle, and crust! There are many possibilities for foods to use. For example, you could use pancakes, fruit, or frosting to create 2D circles to form the core, mantle, and crust.

For a non-edible alternative, try out my layers of the earth printable model templates in my Plate Tectonics Unit.

2. Pangea puzzle

Print out a world map and cut out the continents. Try to figure out how the continents might roughly fit together to form the supercontinent of Pangea.

You can also find an oceans and continents printable coloring page on my free resources page. My email newsletter subscribers can access my full free resources collection.

oceans and continents coloring printable - an outline of a map of the world with boxes underneath to create a legend
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3. Plate boundaries with sandwich cookies

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Create a model of the three main boundary types using sandwich cookies. Remove the top layer of the sandwich cookie (lithosphere), break it in half, and place it back on top of the crème (asthenosphere), arranged as a boundary type. This is a popular classroom activity, and there are many free online guides for this activity (e.g., this one from GeographyEducation.org – external link)

4. Identify plate boundaries

Students can plot locations of earthquakes and volcanic activity using a list of coordinates and a map of Earth. This can help them locate plate boundaries, especially along the Ring of Fire. First, read a blog post about different types of tectonic plate boundaries. You may also wish to print out plate tectonics boundary diagrams, such as the ones found in my Plate Tectonics Unit.

boundary type diagrams
Find these plate boundary diagrams and more in my complete Plate Tectonics Unit.

5. Volcano model

volcano diagrams and classroom handouts
Learning about volcanoes? You’ll love the volcano printables within my complete Plate Tectonics Unit.

Build a model of a volcano and create an eruption using baking soda and vinegar. Discuss the tectonic plate boundary types where volcanoes are typically found (e.g., along convergent boundaries with subduction). Expand your volcano learning by reading about the different types of volcanoes in a blog post.

6. Seafloor age

Read about how scientists determine the age of the seafloor using its magnetic properties (external link; Earth Observatory of Singapore). Then obtain a map showing the seafloor age (e.g., from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website – external link). See if students can use it to determine the locations of divergent boundaries – i.e., where new oceanic crust is forming by looking at the map.

7. Earthquake engineering challenge

Use toothpicks and marshmallows to design structures. Then simulate an earthquake by placing the structures on a jiggling surface. Try different structures to determine which designs hold up best in simulated earthquakes.

8. Study plate tectonics with Wild Earth Lab

Take your learning to the next level with my complete Plate Tectonics Unit – it has everything you need to teach the Theory of Plate Tectonics in your classroom. It includes worksheets, posters, activities, handouts, and flashcards – all featuring my watercolor science diagrams!

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