Dirt: Living Earth - Science Unit Study

In this adventure, kids will explore:

• What lives in the soil?

• How does soil help plants grow?

• How does soil help plant matter break down?

• What are soil microbes?

Secular Homeschool Science Curriculum

NorthStar’s unit study guides can be combined to form a stand-alone secular science curriculum, as STEAM lesson plans, or as a homeschool unit study to bring variety and enhance the science curriculum of your choice. Dirt: Living Earth was designed with homeschool families in mind, but it is equally as useful for classrooms, cooperatives, afterschool programs, and science clubs. The flexible unit study plan encourages child-led learning with inquiry and discovery at the core of the activity design. Adults will love the clearly laid out activity guides, easy-to-use graphic organization, integrated math and literacy activities, and cross-curricular extensions. Kids will love the hands-on fun STEAM activities, engaging books, visual learning and media options, and so much more!

This 27-page guide is packed full of easy fun STEAM activities for elementary kids:

• 4 main hands-on STEAM projects for elementary and middle school students ages 5-12 with detailed how-tos, troubleshooting, supply lists, and information about the science

• Play-based math and literacy activities integrated into core projects

• Big ideas prep adults with the main concepts including the importance of soil microbes, how soil helps plants grow, and what lives in the soil

• Curious questions prompt inquiry-based learning for deep science exploration and discovery

• 8 carefully selected living book recommendations - Excellent book selections that bring challenging ideas with a compelling narrative and imagery (books are not required to complete the study) 

• Kid-approved media recommendations to explain how important soil is to our environment

• Worm mini-study to provide cross-curricular connections with the topic (Note: the worm study is also sold as a stand-alone worm activity guide in our store. Living Earth is substantially more comprehensive, however, the content does overlap, so we suggest purchasing either the Worm Guide or Living Earth NOT both. )

• Worm-themed differentiated handwriting practice pages

• Worm anatomy diagram and drawing prompt to enhance visual learning

• Engaging copywork selection with teaching notes with mini-poster of a poem included to encourage multi-sensory writing alternatives. 

• Notebooking activities and templates - kids will make a “Discovery Journal” to track and reflect on learning

• Level indicators to make it easy to select activities or differentiate for the ages of your learners - from preschool through elementary with advanced topics for older learners.

NOTE: This product is a digital download. No physical copy will be sent. Sales are final. We recommend downloading within the first 24 hours. You are purchasing a document license for one household only. Please do not share or redistribute - our small business depends on your honesty! If you are looking for printing services, we have partnered with Watson Family Press to provide our customers with discounted printing. A code will be in the download email.

The NorthStar Approach - A Learning Adventure

Engage: Great books and media recommendations help teach the big ideas.

Explore: Hands-on science explorations, process art, food fun, and more provide multi-sensory learning experiences to deepen understanding.

Express: Children are encouraged to track their observations in their Discovery Journal and to reflect about their key discoveries at the end of their studies.  

Extend: Children are encouraged to take it further with resources to deepen learning about the topic and additional project ideas. Each lab includes optional cross-curricular extensions, including math and literacy activities with poetry copy work, wordplay, math fun, and story starters.

Praise for “Dirt”

“The entire unit plan is easy to follow - with sections like Big Ideas/Read/Watch. I love the simplicity of learn something, read something, watch something and then make something….It is also really flexible too as a family can do every part or skip around based on what time they have/hands on parent they have…The language in the unit is friendly - as a teacher I have found the importance of friendly and inviting language but now as a parent/homeschool parent, it instantly puts you at ease. From the opening activity of “Map Your Own Route” to “Wonderful Words” and then the connotation behind “painting, pudding, play.” Any child would want to do this. “ - L. Engstrom, homeschool mom and former teacher

“I like how it flows…and I love how you integrate art, the interactive painting and getting really into the mud, this is EXCELLENT” - J Perez, homeschool mom and artist