Soil is not just made up of small pieces of rock. Soil also has nutrients that are important for plant growth and survival. Where do the nutrients in soil come from?

• dead plants and animals decaying into smaller pieces in soil

• rocks breaking down in soil

• wind and water softening dirt in soil

• frozen mud breaking down in soil

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Soil can be made up of —

• weathered rocks and water only

• weathered rocks and decomposed plant material only

• weathered rocks and decomposed animal material only

• weathered rocks and decomposed plant and animal material

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Soil is an important natural resource.  People use soil -

• for making clothing

• for making jewelry

• to grow crops

• to burn for heat

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Students placed several rocks in a metal can.  They each shook the can for 15 seconds.  When they removed the lid, the students noticed a rocky soil had started to form.  What process was modeled to create this soil?

• melting

• evaporation

• heating

• weathering

A student placed dead leaves, cut grass, and bits of twigs in a container with a lid.  After a month, she opened the container and noticed soil had started to form.  What process created this soil?

• condensation

• decomposition

• light energy

• cooling

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Students are using a hammer to break apart rocks into soil. The students are modeling what process and what safety equipment should they use?

• weathering, stopwatch

• decomposition, gloves

• weathering, goggles

• decomposition, hand lens

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

A farmer is having a difficult time growing crops because there is not enough nutrients in the soil. What product should he add to increase the nutrients in the soil?

• product 1

• product 2

• product 3

• product 4

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Students observed soil samples and recorded some of the physical properties in their data table below.

Which soils most likely contain decomposed plants and animals?

• Soil 1 and Soil 4

• Soil 2 and Soil 3

• Soil 3 and Soil 4

• Soil 4 and Soil 2

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

The weathering of rocks into small pieces forms what natural resource?

• minerals

• water

• coal

• soil

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

How do plants contribute to the formation of soil? Plants –

• cover the soil and shade it from sunlight

• die, decompose and become part of the soil

• use soil to grow and develop over time

• support the animal life in the soil