In Dirt Camp, young learners collaborate, reflect and problem-solve their way through a hands-on exploration of the origins and make-up of dirt. Build like a beaver. Tunnel like an ant. Burrow like a crayfish. Experience how techniques from animal, insect, plant and even fungi friends help humans to construct and cultivate. Delve into the differences between dirt and soil and apply this loamy lore to design an ideal farm. Through a multi-subject integration approach, learners will delight in rolling up their sleeves to experiment, engineer and excavate.
Grades: 1-3 Students: Up to 30 Contact Hours: 12+
Subject Targets:
Earth Science, Life Science, Physical Science, Engineering Design, Math, English Language Arts
Recommended Settings:
Summer Camps
Classrooms
Before & After-School Programs
Each Activity Includes:
Schedule
Materials List
Topic Background Information
Step-By-Step Directions
Optional Extension Activities
Curriculum Topics:
Properties of Dirt
Mudshakes and Dirt Art
Weathering
Soil Erosion
pH Testing of Soil for Farming
Animal Soil Engineers Above and Below Ground
Bug Hunt: Tunnelers, Decomposers and Hunters
The Wood Wide Web and Fungi
Malian Mudcloths
Engineering with Dirt
Build an Adobe Farm
Reusability and Expansion:
Refill Kit Available: This product offers affordable refill kits. See the materials tab for details.
Product Orientation:
Half-hour free webinar orientation for purchases of $500+
One-hour free webinar orientation for purchases of $1000+
Additional training available for purchase
Materials
Complete Program Includes:
Dirt Camp comes with all the supplies needed for 30 students to complete 12 one-hour activities:
Instructor Guide: 1
Printed Student Journals: 31
Burrowing Animal Cut-Outs: 31
Bug Guides: 6
Sheet of Labels: 1
Curriculum Digital Download: 1
Large Storage Tub: 1
Small Storage Tub: 1
Hard Plastic Containers (6 quart): 6
#2 Pencils (12 pk): 3
Baking Soda (8 oz box): 1
Blank Paper (8 1/2" x 11", 500 sheets): 1
Clay (8 lb bucket): 1
Children's Scissors: 5
Colored Pencils (12 pk): 5
Deli Containers with Lids (16 oz, 50 pk): 1
Food Coloring (4 color pack): 1
Garden Lime (6.75 lb): 1
Ice Cube Trays: 10
Lava Rock (10 cups): 1
Magnifying Glasses: 10
Markers (8 pk): 1
Masking Tape Roll: 1
Measuring Cup: 1
Paintbrushes (30 pk): 1
Paper Cups (4 oz): 20
Paper Plates: 100
Paper Towel Roll: 1
Pea Gravel (10 cups): 1
Pencil Sharpeners: 6
PH Strips (200 pk): 1
Pipettes: 50
Pitchers: 5
Popsicle Sticks (1000 pk): 1
Rulers: 5
Silt (32 oz): 1
Skittles (2.17 oz): 1
Sphagnum Peat Moss (10 quarts): 1
Spoons: 50
Straws: 250
Sugar Cubes (1 lb): 1
Table Covers: 6
Toilet Paper Roll: 1
Topsoil (18 quarts): 1
Vinegar (1 quart): 1
White Liquid Glue (4 oz): 7
Ziploc Bags (1 gallon): 5
Note: Educators will need to purchase 20 lbs of sand separately.
Curriculum Printed Copy Includes:
Instructor Guide: 1
Printed Student Journals: 31
Burrowing Animal Cut-Outs: 31
Bug Guide: 6
Sheet of Labels: 1
Curriculum Digital Download Includes:
Instructor Guide only, which includes master copies of all student pages.
Refill Kit Available:
Looking to use your Dirt Camp program with the next group of soil specialists? This refill kit will get them up and running in no time!
#2 Pencils (12 pk): 3
Baking Soda (8 oz box): 1
Blank Paper (8 1/2" x 11", 500 sheets): 1
Clay (8 lb bucket): 1
Colored Pencils (12 pk): 5
Deli Containers (16 oz, 50 pk): 1
Deli Container Lids (50 pk): 1
Food Coloring (4 color pack): 1
Garden Lime (6.75 lb): 1
Lava Rock (10 cups): 1
Markers (8 pk): 1
Masking Tape Roll: 1
Paper Cups (4 oz): 20
Paper Plates: 100
Paper Towel Roll: 1
Pea Gravel (10 cups): 1
PH Strips (200 pk): 1
Pipettes: 50
Popsicle Sticks (1000 pk): 1
Silt (32 oz): 1
Skittles (2.17 oz): 1
Sphagnum Peat Moss (10 quarts): 1
Spoons: 50
Straws: 250
Sugar Cubes (1 lb): 1
Table Covers: 6
Toilet Paper Roll: 1
Topsoil (18 quarts): 1
Vinegar (1 quart): 1
White Liquid Glue (4 oz): 7
Ziploc Bags (1 gallon): 5
Standards & Alignment
Habits of Mind:
16 thinking habits developed by Art Costa and Bena Kallick to empower students to succeed in a 21st-century learning environment.
Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations
Creating, Imagining, and Innovating
Finding Humor
Gathering Data Through All Senses
Listening with Understanding and Empathy
Managing Impulsivity
Persisting
Remaining Open to Continuous Learning
Responding with Wonderment and Awe
Striving for Accuracy
Taking Responsible Risks
Thinking & Communicating with Clarity and Precision
Thinking About Thinking
Thinking Flexibly
Thinking Interdependently
21st Century Skills:
A set of widely-applicable abilities essential for success in the information age.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.G.A.2: Compose two-dimensional shapes (rectangles, squares, trapezoids, triangles, half-circles, and quarter-circles) or three-dimensional shapes (cubes, right rectangular prisms, right circular cones, and right circular cylinders) to create a composite shape, and compose new shapes from the composite shape.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.A.1: Order three objects by length; compare the lengths of two objects indirectly by using a third object.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.G.A.1: Recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes, such as a given number of angles or a given number of equal faces. Identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and cubes.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.A.1: Measure the length of an object by selecting and using appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.A.4: Measure to determine how much longer one object is than another, expressing the length difference in terms of a standard length unit.
NGSS Core Idea ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth
NGSS Core Idea ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes.
NGSS Core Idea LS1.A: Structure and Function
NGSS Core Idea LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics
NGSS Core Idea LS4.C: Adaptation
NGSS Core Idea PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter
NGSS Core Idea PS1.B: Chemical Reactions
* Next Generation Science Standards and NGSS is a registered trademark of WestEd. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.
About the Author
Beth Schadd
Hailing from Wisconsin, Beth Schadd moved to Idaho in 2008 in search of adventure and a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and Education from the University of Idaho. As an educator, she has worked with children of all ages in the outdoors and the classroom, as well as coaching various sports.
Beth has developed experiential curriculum for science centers, museums, day camps, and outdoor programs. In 2013, she traveled to China to lead outdoor and adventure camps. Prior to moving to Idaho, Beth worked in labs studying mosquitoes and environmental health, and managed clinical trials. Though she will always be a Cheese Head at heart, she has embraced the great outdoors of the West, enjoying snowshoeing, mountain biking and backpacking, and has become an avid stand up paddleboarder.
We used the Dirt Camp for our After School Program with 2nd/3rd Grade. They loved it and really enjoyed how interactive it was. We were also able to purchase books for the students with another grant that were around dirt and about bugs, rodents and gardening etc.
R
Robin Baumgartner
I am LOVING Dirt Camp!
So many great activities for our younger youth to explore. The comprehensive supplies list and the way the lessons are organized makes prepping for each lesson much easier than some other curricula we've used. The few test lessons I have done were a hit, and allowed the youth plenty of space to observe and experiment.
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Dirt Camp
PRICING OPTIONS
Complete Program (Materials + Curriculum):
895.00 USD
Curriculum Printed Copy:
395.00 USD
295.00 USD
Curriculum Digital Download:
295.00 USD
Refill Kit:
595.00 USD
Make like a mole and dig into Dirt Camp!
In Dirt Camp, young learners collaborate, reflect and problem-solve their way through a hands-on exploration of the origins and make-up of dirt. Build like a beaver. Tunnel like an ant. Burrow like a crayfish. Experience how techniques from animal, insect, plant and even fungi friends help humans to construct and cultivate. Delve into the differences between dirt and soil and apply this loamy lore to design an ideal farm. Through a multi-subject integration approach, learners will delight in rolling up their sleeves to experiment, engineer and excavate.
Grades: 1-3 Students: Up to 30 Contact Hours: 12+
Subject Targets:
Earth Science, Life Science, Physical Science, Engineering Design, Math, English Language Arts
Recommended Settings:
Summer Camps
Classrooms
Before & After-School Programs
Each Activity Includes:
Schedule
Materials List
Topic Background Information
Step-By-Step Directions
Optional Extension Activities
Curriculum Topics:
Properties of Dirt
Mudshakes and Dirt Art
Weathering
Soil Erosion
pH Testing of Soil for Farming
Animal Soil Engineers Above and Below Ground
Bug Hunt: Tunnelers, Decomposers and Hunters
The Wood Wide Web and Fungi
Malian Mudcloths
Engineering with Dirt
Build an Adobe Farm
Reusability and Expansion:
Refill Kit Available: This product offers affordable refill kits. See the materials tab for details.
Product Orientation:
Half-hour free webinar orientation for purchases of $500+
One-hour free webinar orientation for purchases of $1000+
Additional training available for purchase
Complete Program Includes:
Dirt Camp comes with all the supplies needed for 30 students to complete 12 one-hour activities:
Instructor Guide: 1
Printed Student Journals: 31
Burrowing Animal Cut-Outs: 31
Bug Guides: 6
Sheet of Labels: 1
Curriculum Digital Download: 1
Large Storage Tub: 1
Small Storage Tub: 1
Hard Plastic Containers (6 quart): 6
#2 Pencils (12 pk): 3
Baking Soda (8 oz box): 1
Blank Paper (8 1/2" x 11", 500 sheets): 1
Clay (8 lb bucket): 1
Children's Scissors: 5
Colored Pencils (12 pk): 5
Deli Containers with Lids (16 oz, 50 pk): 1
Food Coloring (4 color pack): 1
Garden Lime (6.75 lb): 1
Ice Cube Trays: 10
Lava Rock (10 cups): 1
Magnifying Glasses: 10
Markers (8 pk): 1
Masking Tape Roll: 1
Measuring Cup: 1
Paintbrushes (30 pk): 1
Paper Cups (4 oz): 20
Paper Plates: 100
Paper Towel Roll: 1
Pea Gravel (10 cups): 1
Pencil Sharpeners: 6
PH Strips (200 pk): 1
Pipettes: 50
Pitchers: 5
Popsicle Sticks (1000 pk): 1
Rulers: 5
Silt (32 oz): 1
Skittles (2.17 oz): 1
Sphagnum Peat Moss (10 quarts): 1
Spoons: 50
Straws: 250
Sugar Cubes (1 lb): 1
Table Covers: 6
Toilet Paper Roll: 1
Topsoil (18 quarts): 1
Vinegar (1 quart): 1
White Liquid Glue (4 oz): 7
Ziploc Bags (1 gallon): 5
Note: Educators will need to purchase 20 lbs of sand separately.
Curriculum Printed Copy Includes:
Instructor Guide: 1
Printed Student Journals: 31
Burrowing Animal Cut-Outs: 31
Bug Guide: 6
Sheet of Labels: 1
Curriculum Digital Download Includes:
Instructor Guide only, which includes master copies of all student pages.
Refill Kit Available:
Looking to use your Dirt Camp program with the next group of soil specialists? This refill kit will get them up and running in no time!
#2 Pencils (12 pk): 3
Baking Soda (8 oz box): 1
Blank Paper (8 1/2" x 11", 500 sheets): 1
Clay (8 lb bucket): 1
Colored Pencils (12 pk): 5
Deli Containers (16 oz, 50 pk): 1
Deli Container Lids (50 pk): 1
Food Coloring (4 color pack): 1
Garden Lime (6.75 lb): 1
Lava Rock (10 cups): 1
Markers (8 pk): 1
Masking Tape Roll: 1
Paper Cups (4 oz): 20
Paper Plates: 100
Paper Towel Roll: 1
Pea Gravel (10 cups): 1
PH Strips (200 pk): 1
Pipettes: 50
Popsicle Sticks (1000 pk): 1
Silt (32 oz): 1
Skittles (2.17 oz): 1
Sphagnum Peat Moss (10 quarts): 1
Spoons: 50
Straws: 250
Sugar Cubes (1 lb): 1
Table Covers: 6
Toilet Paper Roll: 1
Topsoil (18 quarts): 1
Vinegar (1 quart): 1
White Liquid Glue (4 oz): 7
Ziploc Bags (1 gallon): 5
Habits of Mind:
16 thinking habits developed by Art Costa and Bena Kallick to empower students to succeed in a 21st-century learning environment.
Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations
Creating, Imagining, and Innovating
Finding Humor
Gathering Data Through All Senses
Listening with Understanding and Empathy
Managing Impulsivity
Persisting
Remaining Open to Continuous Learning
Responding with Wonderment and Awe
Striving for Accuracy
Taking Responsible Risks
Thinking & Communicating with Clarity and Precision
Thinking About Thinking
Thinking Flexibly
Thinking Interdependently
21st Century Skills:
A set of widely-applicable abilities essential for success in the information age.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.G.A.2: Compose two-dimensional shapes (rectangles, squares, trapezoids, triangles, half-circles, and quarter-circles) or three-dimensional shapes (cubes, right rectangular prisms, right circular cones, and right circular cylinders) to create a composite shape, and compose new shapes from the composite shape.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.A.1: Order three objects by length; compare the lengths of two objects indirectly by using a third object.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.G.A.1: Recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes, such as a given number of angles or a given number of equal faces. Identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and cubes.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.A.1: Measure the length of an object by selecting and using appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.A.4: Measure to determine how much longer one object is than another, expressing the length difference in terms of a standard length unit.
NGSS Core Idea ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth
NGSS Core Idea ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes.
NGSS Core Idea LS1.A: Structure and Function
NGSS Core Idea LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics
NGSS Core Idea LS4.C: Adaptation
NGSS Core Idea PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter
NGSS Core Idea PS1.B: Chemical Reactions
* Next Generation Science Standards and NGSS is a registered trademark of WestEd. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.
Beth Schadd
Hailing from Wisconsin, Beth Schadd moved to Idaho in 2008 in search of adventure and a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and Education from the University of Idaho. As an educator, she has worked with children of all ages in the outdoors and the classroom, as well as coaching various sports.
Beth has developed experiential curriculum for science centers, museums, day camps, and outdoor programs. In 2013, she traveled to China to lead outdoor and adventure camps. Prior to moving to Idaho, Beth worked in labs studying mosquitoes and environmental health, and managed clinical trials. Though she will always be a Cheese Head at heart, she has embraced the great outdoors of the West, enjoying snowshoeing, mountain biking and backpacking, and has become an avid stand up paddleboarder.
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