Students will create their own topographic landforms using baker’s dough and paint. They will dig through the soil to discover the living and non-living substances. With water, a small mirror, and a white piece of cardboard, they will make a prism to refract the sun’s white light into the colors of the rainbow.

Students will:

1. Learn characteristics of landforms such as mountains, hills, plains, plateaus, valleys, canyons, islands, and volcanoes
2. Describe environments of Earth such as deserts, forests, jungles, cities, and coastlines
3. Identify the physical properties of soil, sand, rocks, and minerals
4. Observe, classify, and compare substances found in the soil
5. Understand that white light from the sun can be refracted into a spectrum of colors
6. Observe and record the changes in the sky

Lesson 1: Tall as a Mountain, Flat as a Plain

Lesson 2: What on Earth is in the Earth?

Lesson 3: What Color Is the Sky?

Culminating Activity

Take a field trip to a hilly area where you and your students can hike up a small mountain. Observe the landforms and soil as you walk and how the sky looks different from the top of the hills. You may want to also visit an observatory.

Supporting Books

Books for Teaching About Earth and Sky