Science Lesson Plan
Skittles, Water, and Weathering
I.
Purpose
a. Students will be interacting with weathering and erosion in a tactile, engaging experiment to
strengthen their understanding of SOL 2.7, while also engaging in the Scientific Method (SOL 2.1).
This will be accomplished, not only through experimentation and demonstration, but also through
conversation and the answering of questions in their interactive notebooks which they are familiar
with. This lesson will prepare the students for discussion about why changes in the earth occur, as
well as the impact humans have on the environment.
b. SOL 2.7
The student will investigate and understand that weather and seasonal changes affect plants,
animals, and their surroundings. Key concepts include
a) effects of weather and seasonal changes on the growth and behavior of living things;
and
b) weathering and erosion of land surfaces
SOL 2.1
2.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and the nature of
science by planning and conducting investigations in which
a) observations and predictions are made and questions are formed;
b) observations are differentiated from personal interpretation;
c) observations are repeated to ensure accuracy;
d) two or more characteristics or properties are used to classify items;
e) length, volume, mass, and temperature are measured in metric units and standard
English units using the proper tools;
f) time is measured using the proper tools;
g) conditions that influence a change are identified and inferences are made;
h) data are collected and recorded, and bar graphs are constructed using numbered
axes;
i) data are analyzed, and unexpected or unusual quantitative data are recognized;
j) conclusions are drawn;
k) observations and data are communicated;
l) simple physical models are designed and constructed to clarify explanations and show
relationships; and
m) current applications are used to reinforce science concepts.
c. National Science Educational Standards
C. Life Science
Changes in Earth and Sky
- The surface of the Earth changes.
F. Science in Personal and Social Standards
Changes in Environments
- Changes in environments can be natural or influenced by humans.
- Introduce the idea of: Some environmental changes occur slowly, and others happen
rapidly.
II.
Objectives
a. After being shown and interacting with a science demonstration/experiment, students will be able
to identify the effects of water droplets on skittles and relate to real-life effects of weathering
and water erosion.
b. Given interactive notebook worksheets, students will be able to predict outcomes, observe
changes, and draw conclusions during and after the demonstration with 100% accuracy.
III.
Procedure
a. Introduction
i. Students will learn the effects water has on objects in nature by performing an experiment
in small groups while the teacher performs the experiment as well. This is to insure
understanding is attained and to keep group on task – they are new to science
experimentation.
ii. Students need to cut and paste their interactive notebook worksheets (3: predictions,
observations, and conclusions/wrap-up) at this time.
b. ENGAGE: Teacher will perform part one of the Skittles Water Erosion experiment.
i. Teacher: Turn on Elmo/projector with the three skittles and plate set up. Students should set
up their experiment at this time. Express that the students should have three different color
skittles as well as three writing utensils in the same color of the skittles.
ii. Make predictions! Ask Students: What do you notice? What do you think will happen?
Why is there a water dropper? What will the water do? Why are we going to drop
water on the skittles? What might happen when we do that?
1. Write down predictions.
iii. Teacher: Complete the first part of the experiment with students watching - drop 10 drops
of water onto each skittle. Ask students: What is happening? What do you see? (v)
1. Students should draw what they see using their colored utensils, as well write a
sentence about what they think is happening.
c. EXPLORE: Students will complete the experiment.
i. Remind students not to eat the Skittles and to be careful not to spill any water or knock over
other’s experiments.
ii. Students will complete the experiment by dropping 20 drops of water, then 30, then 40.
(k)
iii. Students will pause after each set of water drops to illustrate what they see, as well as
write a sentence about what is happening. (v)
1. Teacher will walk around and facilitate discussion: What do you observe? What
do you think is happening? Why do you think this is happening? How might this
look in nature? (a)
d. EXPLAIN: After student experimentation, have students come together on the rug with their science
interactive notebooks for discussion. Have a blank observations sheet displayed on the Elmo.
i. What did you see after 20 drops? “So and so” can you come draw that? Did anyone else
observe something similar? What happened each time you added more drops? “So and
so”, what did you see happen at 30 drops? Did anyone notice anything interesting? “So
and so” I really likes your illustration for what happened after 40 drops, can you come
draw that and tell us about it? (a, v)
ii. How might this look in nature?
iii. Turn to the conclusions page – what do you all think the water represented happening in
nature? What about the skittle?
1. The water represented rain and other types of water that causes weathering on
rocks, mountains, and the landscape in nature. The skittle represented rocks or
mountains or the landscape – does that make sense?
iv. If the skittle is a rock or mountain, what is the plate?
1. The plate is earth.
v. When did the erosion actually take place?
1. When the water hit the skittle.
e. EXPAND: Teacher: I want you all to close your eyes and imagine a huuuuge rock. Do you see it?
Okay, now imagine is has rained and rained and RAINED on this rock. Imagine the rock slowly
shrinking down and getting smaller. This is what happens when water weathers away an object.
Oh no! It got so weak from all the rain that a chunk has broken off and has been washed away
by the rain. This is erosion because pieces are breaking off and being carried away. Now, open
your eyes. Did the rock get small immediately? No! It happened over time. What other changes
happen over time? Do some changes happen quickly? Like what? (This is to get students thinking,
there are no wrong answers. But if they are off base tie it to a reality.) (a,v)
f. EVALUATE: Have students show you their interactive notebook sheets. Did they follow along? Did
they answer the questions? Did they all draw a picture?
i. Strugglers: Due to the high ESL population in the room, pictures only are okay as long as
they were engaged throughout the lesson and watching the demonstration. At this level,
also, other students may not be able to clearly write what they saw – can they tell you
what they observed?
ii. Advanced: What other types of erosion and weathering happen? When do we see that in
nature? How could you draw that? Could you have done it with the skittle? Wind
weathering, for example, could it be done with your breath? Why/why not?
IV.
Summary
a. Did the students enjoy this activity? Did it make sense? Does anyone have any questions? Do you
have any other questions relating to weathering and erosion that we didn’t go over today?
i. Write down questions.
ii. Provide opportunities later on in class for students to look up answers; this might be in the
next lesson.
iii. Have students be thinking on this lesson for next time. 
V.
Materials:
- Water dropper per group
- 3 skittles per group
- Plate per group
- Interactive notebook worksheets per child
- Elmo/projector
VI.
Safety:
Make sure children are not consuming the experiment. Also, make sure they understand how to use a
water dropper to keep things tidy and not to spill water or drop too many drops at once. Cleanup
will need to be carefully orchestrated. If there isn’t a sink in the room have a bucket available for
students to dump the water from their plate into the bucket (or down the sink) one group at a time.
Dump the bucket out after class down a sink, making sure skittle do not go down the drain.
VII.
Sources:
http://content.njctl.org/courses/science/4th-grade-science/earths-systems/weathering-erosionlab/weathering-erosion-lab-2014-08-06.pdf
http://betterlesson.com/lesson/637182/using-skittles-to-learn-about-weathering-and-erosion
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/science/2010/curriculum_framewk/science
2.pdf
Erin Brent <[email protected]>
Wow I am a space cadet
2 messages
Alley, Elizabeth <[email protected]>
To: Erin Brent <[email protected]>
Thu, Nov 12, 2015 at 6:41 PM
Hi Erin,
I'm so sorry- I did get your email. I totally checked it from my phone while I was at the doctor's office with
Isla, and didn't see the bottom portion! Yikes. I filled it out and am attaching it in this email.
Take care,
Liz Alley
Grows and Glows Lesson Plan Cover Page and Feedback Form.docx
17K
Erin Brent <[email protected]>
To: "Alley, Elizabeth" <[email protected]>
Thank you!
Best Wishes,
Erin Brent
Resident Assistant, Gladding Residence Center - Phase II
Student Office Assistant, VCU School Of Education Dean's Office
School of Education Graduate Student - MT Early Elementary Education
Fri, Nov 13, 2015 at 9:49 AM
Science Lesson Plan Feedback
SOL: 2.7 b
Objective: Weathering and Erosion
Number of students present for lesson: 22
(Attach a few examples of student work, if possible)
Feedback from practicum teacher:
Glows
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Tied in not one but TWO Science SOLs 
Very thoughtful, age-appropriate
scaffolding questions throughout the lesson
Hands-on and engaging for the students
Incorporated the science interactive
notebooks that students are familiar with
using
Very organized and prepared
The students were excited and enthusiastic
Great visual for weathering/erosion
Fun lesson!
Signature of practicum teacher
Done electronically via email – email attached. 
Grows
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Perhaps you could try to divide students into
small groups and have them do the
experiment themselves
Time- there’s never enough to get everything
done!
Date
Evaluation and Self Reflection
I feel like this lesson went really well considering it was based off of a lesson plan for fourth grade and I
used it for second grade. The students really enjoyed being able to see the immediate effects water had skittles,
as well as witnessing what happened when the color came off of the skittles.
The lesson called for students working in small groups, however this was not able to happen in my
classroom. The second grade class that I am in had never used science experimentation or worked with the
scientific method before, so experiments were a new thing to them. That being said I decided to do the
experiment in the form of a discrepant event to make sure students would get the full experience of experiment
out of the lesson while also keeping them on track and ensuring that they understand all of the material.
Considering that the majority of the class is below grade level, I feel like this was a perfect accommodation for
them because they were able to understand what was going on, I was able to pause throughout the experiment
and make sure they understood what was happening, as well as make sure all of the students were staying on
task.
To expand on this lesson in the future to make it stronger, I would include a video of erosion and
weathering impacting a rock in nature that way it's easier for the students to correlate the experiment to real
life. I believe that was a weakness in this lesson because not a lot of students were able to understand the
representations of the skittle and the water coming out of the dropper - it was too abstract for them at this stage
in their education.
If I could teach this lesson again, I would definitely do it in small groups and allow the students to work
through the experiment on their own. Overall I feel like this lesson was a success and I'm very happy with the
way it turned out.