a learning activity for the scoop on soils getting to know...

Purpose•Toprovidetheopportunityforstudentstoaskquestionsandmakeobservations

aboutsoil.•To introduce students to the properties of soil and to the concept of soil

profilesandhorizons.

OverviewEachstudentwillmakepredictionsaboutthepropertiesofvarioussoilsamples.Then they will examine several types of soils and record their observations.Next,theywilllearnaboutsoilprofilesandhorizonsbybothexaminingasoilsampleinajarandbycreatingasoilprofileflipchart.

Student OutcomesAftercompletingthisactivity,studentswillknowaboutsoil’sdifferentpropertiesandaboutsoilprofiles.Studentswillknowthatsoilshavedifferentpropertiesincludingtexture,color,andsize.Theywillknowthatsoilformslayersbasedontheseproperties.

Science Content Standard A: Science as Inquiry•Abilitiesnecessarytodoscientificinquiry

Science Content Standard B: Physical Science•Propertiesofobjectsandmaterials

Science Content Standard D: Earth and Space Science •Propertiesofearthmaterials

Mathematics Standard: Patterns, Functions, and Algebra•Understandvarioustypesofpatternsandfunctionalrelationships

Mathematics Standard: Measurement •Understand measurable attributes of objects and the units, systems, and

processesofmeasurement

Time•Part1:One30minuteclassperiod•Part2:One30minuteclassperiod

LevelPrimary(mostappropriateforgradesK-4)

Materials

Part 1:•ElementaryGLOBE

book:TheScooponSoils

Foreachstudentgroup:

•Soilsamples(sand,silt,andclay)inresealableplasticbags

•Meshwirestrainers

•Tweezers

•Toothpicks

•Eyedroppers

•Magnifyinglenses

•Rulers

•Water

•Markers,coloredpencils,orcrayons

•GettingtoKnowSoilsStudentActivitySheet1(oneperstudent)

Part 2: •Asoilsamplefroma

sitenearyourschool

•16ozorlargerplastic/glassjarswithlids(onepergroup)

•Stapler,scissors,andpencils

•Markers,coloredpencils,orcrayons

•GettingtoKnowSoilsStudentActivitySheets1and2(oneperstudent)

TheGLOBEProgram GettingToKnowSoil-Page1 TheScooponSoils

Getting To Know Soil

ALearningActivityforThe Scoop on Soils

©2006UniversityCorporationforAtmosphericResearchAllRightsReserved

Preparation

•Read the Elementary GLOBE book The Scoop onSoils–eitherreadittotheclassorhavestudentsreadittothemselves.Thebookcanbedownloadedfromwww.globe.gov/elementaryglobe.

•Collect soil samples of sand, silt and clay. Onesupplier that has soil samples is Ward’s NaturalScience (www.wardsci.com, and search for the“Soils,Sands,andGravelSet”).Itishelpfultogettherightkindofsoilsamplesforeducationalpurposes.You can reuse the samples but they tend to gethardaftertheydryout.Moistenthemforreuse,orgrindthem(withahammerorrollingpinormortarandpestle)togetthembackintoausablestate.

•Put thedifferent typesof soil in clear, resealableplastic bags so the students can see the soilbefore touching it; thisway theycanmakesomepredictionsabout the soil. In addition,print andlaminate labels thatsay:“sand,”“silt,”and“clay.”Putthelabelsbythedifferentsamplessostudentsknowwhichtypeofsoiltheyareobserving.

•Covertheclassroomworkspaceswithnewspaper.

•MakecopiesofGettingtoKnowSoilStudentActivitySheets1and2.

•Note: Alternatively, you can collect soil samplesfrom local areas and have the students discoverhow much sand, silt, and clay is in the soil youcollected.

Teacher’s Notes

Soil is different from dirt. Soil is the Earth materialcomposedofmineralandorganicmaterial,air,andwaterthatservesasamediumforplantgrowthandother uses. Dirt is simply soil that is out of place.Forexample,whenyoutracksoilintoyourhouseonyourshoes,soilbecomesunwantedandiscalleddirt.Otherwise,itiscalledsoilbecauseitisanimportantresourceweneedandithasanimportantjobtodo.Inordertoshowrespectforournaturalenvironment,wecallitsoilandnotdirt!

Soil CompositionSoilsarecomposedoffourmaincomponents:•Mineralsofdifferentsizes•Organicmaterialsfromtheremainsofdeadplants

andanimals•Waterthatfillsopenporespaces•Airthatfillsopenporespace

Theuseandfunctionofasoildependsontheamountof each component. For example, a good soil forgrowingagriculturalplantshasabout45%minerals,5%organicmatter,25%air,and25%water.Plantsthatliveinwetlandsrequiremorewaterandlessair.Soilsusedasrawmaterialforbricksneedtobecompletelyfreeoforganicmatter.

Five Soil Forming FactorsSeveralfactorscontrolsoilformation;theyare:1.ParentMaterial:Thisisthematerialfromwhichthe

soilisformed.Soilparentmaterialcanbebedrock,organicmaterial,or loosesoildepositedbywind,water, glaciers, volcanoes, or material movingdownaslope.

2.Climate:Heat,rain,ice,snow,wind,sunshine,andotherenvironmentalforcesbreakdowntheparentmaterialandaffecthowfastorslowsoilprocessesgo.

3.Organisms:Thisincludesallplantsoranimalslivingin or on the soil (including micro-organisms andhumans!).Theamountofwaterandnutrientsplantsneed affects the way soil forms. Animals living inthe soil affect decomposition of waste materialsandhowsoilmaterialswillbemovedaroundinthesoilprofile.Thedeadremainsofplantsandanimalsbecomeorganicmatter thatenriches the soil. Thewayhumansusesoilsaffectsoilformation.

4.Topography:Thelocationofsoilonalandscapecanaffecthowclimateprocessesimpactit.Soilsatthebottomof ahillwill getmorewater than soils ontheslopes;andsoilsontheslopesthatdirectlyfacethe sunwill bedrier than soils on slopes that areshaded.

5.Time:Alloftheabovefactorsassertthemselvesovertime,oftenhundredsorthousandsofyears.

TheGLOBEProgram GettingToKnowSoil-Page2 TheScooponSoils©2006UniversityCorporationforAtmosphericResearchAllRightsReserved


Thewaythefivesoil-formingfactorsinteractisalwaysdifferent from one place to another, so soils differgreatly from each other. Each section of soil on alandscapehasitsownuniquecharacteristics.Thefaceofasoil,orthewayitlooksifyoucutasectionofitoutof theground, iscalledasoil profile.Everysoilprofileismadeupoflayerscalledsoil horizons.Soilhorizonscanbeasthinasafewmillimetersorthickerthanameter.

Soilprofilesandtheirhorizonschangeasyoumoveacross a landscape, and also change as you movedownward deeper into the soil at one location. Infact, soil samples taken at the surface may haveentirely different characteristics and appearancesfromsoildugdeeperinthesoilprofile.Onecommonreasonsoilhorizonsaredifferentasyoudigdeeperisbecauseofmixingoforganicmaterialintheupperhorizonsandweatheringand leaching in the lowerhorizons. Erosion, deposition, and other processesmight also affect the way a soil profile looks at aparticularlocation.

Soil textureisthewaysoilfeelswhenitissqueezedbetween the fingers or in the hand. The texturedepends on the amount of sand, silt, or clay in thesample (particle size distribution), as well as otherfactors(howwetitis,howmuchorganicmatterisinthe sample, the kindof clay, etc.).Clay is amineralparticle less than0.002mm in size thathasa stickyanddensefeelwhenmoistenedandrubbedbetweenthe fingers. Silt is a mineral particle between 0.002and0.05mminsizethathasaflouryandsmoothfeelwhen moistened and rubbed between the fingers.Sandisamineralparticlebetween0.05and2.0mminsizethathasagrittyfeelwhenmoistenedandrubbedbetweenthefingers.

SeethesoilchapteroftheGLOBETeacher’sGuideformoreinformationonsoil(www.globe.gov).

What To Do and How To Do It

Part 1:

1.Holdupthethreebagsofsoil(sand,silt,clay)andaskthestudentswhattheythinktheymightfindoutaboutthesoilsamplesiftheyweretostudyeachkindcarefully.Writedownstudents’predictionsontheboard.Note:makesurethestudentsknowthatthesesamplesonlyrepresentonekindofsand,silt,or clay soil. Samples collected inother locationsmightbedifferentcolors,butthegrainsizewillbesimilartothesamplesyouhave.

2.After developing a list of predictions about thesoilontheboard,distributesoilandvarioustools(strainer, magnifying lenses, etc.) and supplies(water, markers/crayons, etc.) to small groups ofstudents.Makesurethestudentskeepthedifferentsoil samples separate. One way to keep themseparate is to have each soil type at a differentstation and have the students take turns visitingeachsoilstation.

3.Have the groups of students spend timeexperimentingwiththedifferentsoilsamples.Witheachsampletheyshouldusetheirvarioussensestofeelthesoilwiththeirfingers,smellthesamples,make visual observations, etc. They can use thestrainertoexperimentwiththegrainsize,andtheycanaddwatertothesoiltoseehowitaffectsthedifferenttypes.

4.Afterexperimentingwith thedifferentsoil types,have the students record their observations ofeachsoiltypeontheirGettingtoKnowSoilStudentActivitySheet1.Theycanalsoincludeasmudgeofeachsoilsampleasawaytorecordthesoilcolor.

5.Havethestudentssharetheirobservationswiththeclass.Usechartpapertorecordtheseobservations.Encouragethestudentstodiscussthesoil’stexture,color, and size. Explain these terms if necessary.Referbacktothestudents’initialquestionsaboutsoil during this discussion. See if their questionshavebeenansweredyet. Ifnot,youmaywanttoconductfurtherinvestigations.



Part 2:

1.Haveeachgroupofstudentsputasampleofsoilfromnearyourschoolintoajarthatispartiallyfilledwithwater.Tellthemtoputatoponthejar,shakethejar,andthenobservewhathappensaftertwominutes,tenminutes,and24hours.Also,markthewaterlevelonthejaratthestartandobservehowitchanges.HavethemrecordtheirobservationsontheGettingtoKnowSoilStudentActivitySheet2.Note:usuallyorganicmaterialsfloattothesurfaceand the other materials will settle into layers ofdifferentsizesandcolors(theorganiclayerwillbeatthetop,thenclay,silt,andsand).

2.GiveeachstudentacopyoftheGettingtoKnowSoilStudentActivitySheet3andinvitethemtodiscussthe various layers in the soil. Note: Soil will notsettleinlayersinthisorderinallsoilprofiles.Thisisjustoneexample.YoucanmodifytheGettingtoKnowSoilStudentActivitySheet3tomatchthewayyourlocalsoilsamplesettlesinthejarofwater.

3.Discuss the different features in the soil profile.Focusonthevisiblefeaturesoftheprofile,includingdifferentlayers,grainsize,roots,rocks,etc.

4.HavethestudentscolorinthedifferentlayersontheGettingtoKnowSoilStudentActivitySheet3.Refertothelayersinthejarofsoilsotheycanseewhichcolorswouldberealisticfortheirhorizons.Seethe“SoilCrayons”activityintheFurtherInvestigationssectionofthisactivityforanideaofhowtomakecrayonsoutofsoil; thestudentscoulduse thosecrayonstocolorthehorizonsinthisactivity.

5.Have the students complete the words on thesoil profile card cover sheet. Have them cut outboth the profile and cover sheet and staple thecover sheet to the top. To review the layers of asoilprofile,havethestudentsreadawordandliftthecorrespondingflaptocheckthattheycorrectlyidentifiedtheword.

6.If you would like to take this activity to a moreadvanced level, have the students write in moreinformationandobservationsabouteachlayeronthebackofitsflap.Olderstudentscanalsowritethewholewordratherthanfillingintheblanks.

Adaptations for Youngerand Older Students Younger students can sing songs about soils. Thefollowing Web site has several songs about soils:soils.usda.gov/education/resources/k_12/songs/.

Older students can practice making measurementsofsoilgrains.Ifagrainislargerthan2.0mmthenitisconsideredarock.Placeahandfulofsandysoilandsome rulersona tableandhavestudentsmeasurethe largergrains tosee if theyareclassifiedassoilorrocks.Also,dotheSoilandMyBackyardLearningActivitywitholderstudents.Thiscanbefoundinthesoil chapter of the GLOBE Teacher’s Guide (www.globe.gov). You can also introduce the concept ofturbidity to older students. Shake a jar of soil andwaterandholdasmalllightbehindthebackofthejar.Usea timer and recordhowmuch timepassesbeforethelightcanbeobserved.

Further Investigations

•Soil Word Wall:Generatealistofwordsstudentsmightusetodescribesoil.Thislistshouldincludewaystodescribesoil’scolor,texture,andstructure.Also include words that apply to the differentsenses.Yourstudentscanhelpyougeneratethelist.KeepthelistuponthewallwhileyouaredoingtheElementaryGLOBEsoilactivitiessostudentscanrefertoit;itwillhelpthemthinkofwordstouseontheirstudentactivitysheets.

•Soil Art: Have your students explore the variouscolors of soil for a classroom art project. Takedifferent dried soil samples and grind them intoa fine powder. Notice the colors and textures ofthe different soils. Pour acrylic paint into smallpaper cups andmix different soils into the cups.Experiment with different amounts of soil to seehow it affects the color of the paint mix. Use apaintbrush to apply the soil paint to a piece ofpaperandhavefuncreatingsomeartwork!Gotosoils.usda.gov/education/resources/k_12/lessons/painting/ for more detailed instructions. Another



artprojectusingsoils is tomakesoilcrayons.GotothefollowingWebsiteformoreinformationonthis activity: soils.usda.gov/education/resources/k_12/lessons/crayons/.Comparethesoilcolors tothecolorsontheMunselColorChart.

•Soil Colors: Further explore soil color and texture.Usepaintchipsorcrayonsinearthtonestolookatthecolorsofvarioussoilsamples.Olderstudentscanfollow a “Texture By Feel” flowchart to explore thedifferenttexturesfoundinsoils.Wow!TheWondersofWetlandsbyEnvironmentalConcern,Inc.andTheWatercoursehasanactivitycalledDoYouDigWetlandSoil?thatprovidesmoredetailsforthisactivity.

•“Making” Soil: To do this, collect the variousingredientsthatmakeupsoil:smallrocks,leaves,roots,bark,twigs,deadinsects,etc.Puttheseitemsinasturdyplasticbagorapillowcase.Addalittlewatertothemixture.Helpthestudentssafelyuseahammerormallettotryandcrushthesoilbuildingmaterials.Discusstheforcesinnaturethatactlikethesehammers(freeze/thaw,watererosion,windetc).Once theyhavedone this,pour themixtureontoasurfaceandcompareittoasoilsampleyoucollected outside. Discuss with the students thatoneingredientyoudidn’tusewastime–ifthishadbeenanaturalsoilformingprocessitwouldhavetakenmanyyearsinnatureforsoiltoformoutofthoseingredients!

•Experimenting with soil and water: Haveyour students make comparisons between theirobservationsofdryandwetsoil.Theycanobservedifferencesintexture,color,weight,etc.

•Observe Soil:Findaspecialplacetodigupthesoilandmakeobservations.Usetoolslikemagnifyinglenses,rulers,andcolorcharts.Haveyourstudentswriteanddrawwhattheydiscoverintheirsciencejournals.

•Soil Investigations: Use the GLOBE Teacher’sGuide for more information (www.globe.gov). Asan extension to Part 2 of this activity, take yourstudentsoutsideatyourschoolandexposeasoilprofile tomakeobservationsbasedonwhat theyhave learned in the classroom. Also, go to soils.gsfc.nasa.govformoreresourcesaboutsoils.


Getting To Know Soil Student Activity Sheet 1

The Scoop on Soils

NAME:____________________________



The Scoop on Soils

NAME:____________________________



The Scoop on Soils

NAME:____________________________

Directions:1.Cutalongthedottedlines.2.Colorthelayersonthebottlewithpicturesthecolorsyouseeinyourbottle.3.Fillinthemissinglettersonthebottlewithwords.4.Putthebottlewithwordsontopofthebottlewithpicturesandstaplethemtogetherononesideattheblackmarks.


a learning activity for the scoop on soils getting to know...

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