Soil

SOL 3.7

Soil provides nutrients for plants: made of rock, humus, clay, silt, and sand

Weathering break down of rocks: creates soil

Topsoil upper soil- natural product of subsoil and bedrock and it is the best for plants

Subsoil made up mostly of clay and under the topsoil

Bedrock Bottom layer of soil and the worst for plants to grow

Humus decayed matter found in top soil and does not hold water well

Sand Grains of worn down rock, larger than silt- has few nutrients and does not hold water well

Silt Very small broken pieces of rock, smaller than sand and larger than clay

Clay Contains nutrients and holds water well- can be red or yellow

Conserve To save

Draw a picture for each word and definition.

SOIL

• What is soil?• Why is soil important?

• http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/land/soil/preview.weml

Soil! A natural resource found in our own backyard!!

Soil is the loose material in which plants can grow in the upper layer of Earth. It is made up

of rock, humus, air, and water.Soil is made up of 5 important components and

has 3 layers!

Components of Soil

What are the parts of? • Humus• Sand• Silt

• Clay• Rock

Rock

• Soil is made up of small pieces of rock or pebbles .

Humus

This is decayed (rotten, rotting) plant and animal matter in the soil. It provides the most nutrients to the soil.

**Do you remember where it can be found?***How do you think humus is formed? Click on the mushroom to see the answer.

Back

Sand

Sand is made up of small grains of weathered rock.

DOES NOT hold water well! Few nutrients

Silt

Made up of very small pieces of broken rock.Sand > Silt > Clay

Clay

• Can be red or yellow!• Holds water well!

• Contains nutrients!

Back

1. In which soil type did the plant grow the slowest?2. In which soil type was there the greatest amount of growth?

3. What is the worst soil to grow plants in according to the chart?

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

# of Inches Grown

Day 5 Day10

Day15

Day20

Days of Growth

Plant Growth in Different Soil Types

Humus

Clay

Silt

Layers of Soil!

Read these with me!• Hummus

• Topsoil• Subsoil• Bedrock

Humus

• Organic layer that contains dead plants and animal matter

Topsoil

• This is the top layer.• It is where animals live and plants

grow.• It is a mixture of humus and rock

fragments.• It is the best layer for growing plants!

Back

Subsoil

• Made up mostly of clay• Under the topsoil

• Not as good for growing plants

Bedrock

This is the bottom layer of soil. It is under the subsoil.

It is made up of weathered rock and solid rock.

The worst part of soil for plant growth.

Label the parts!

Subsoil

Topsoil

Bedrock

Hummus

Nutrients

These are the materials that plants and animals need to grow. Do you remember where they can be found in soil?

What layer? Which components?

How is soil made?

• Soil is created through a process known as weathering. Weathering is when water and living things break down rocks to create soil. This means that animals and water break down the rocks so much they become dirt.

Soil is a Natural Resource

• Made by NATURE• Cannot be replaced• Must be conserved (saved)!

& Weathering:Weathering vs. Erosion of Weathering

Weathering: breakdown of rocks

Erosion: to move/transport

DO NOW: Match the terms with the definitions

Weathering(breaks down)

When rocks and other materials on the Earth’s surface are broken down into smaller pieces by weather, water, and living things.

http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/land/slowlandchanges/preview.weml

Beach in Corolla, N.C

Weathering… rock is broken into pieces

Wind Weathering of Rock

Weathering with Ice

Water Weathering

Roots

What caused this weathering?

Weathering of the rocks and stumps in Corolla, N.C.

Erosion

• Erosion is when soil is moved from one place to another.

Erosion(moves it)

Beach in Corolla, N.C

Water Erosion

Wind Erosion

Conservation • Soil takes hundreds of years to form. • It should be conserved- protected • Plant life protects the topsoil. • How do you think plant life protects topsoil?

Soil forming with animal help

How can soil be conserved?

• Proper use of farming• Proper use of mining• Proper use of cutting down of trees to avoid

erosion

Resources

• Soil Presentation http://www.childrenoftheearth.org/soil-facts-for-kids/soil-facts-for-kids-intro.htm

Quia Gameshttp://www.quia.com/mc/611639.htmlhttp://www.quia.com/rr/137638.html http://www.quia.com/cb/193133.html http://www.quia.com/mc/1095617.html