The Scoop on Soils: Introduction

What is a soil profile?

• A picture of animals that live in a park

• The layers of soil you can see from the top to deeper down

• A kind of leash for a dog

• A map of the school building

Fill in the blank: The GLOBE Club students learned that soil has (a)   like rocks, roots, and small critters.

Why might the layers in a soil profile look different as you go deeper? Use clues from the story to explain.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Which word best describes the texture of the forest soil the children found?

• Sticky and clay-like

• Sandy and gritty

• Hard like rock

• Smooth like powder

What natural material is found on the surface layer of the forest soil?

• Ice crystals

• Seashells

• Metal pieces

• Pine needles

Fill in the blank: The deeper soil in the hole is described as (a)   -grained like loose sand.

Explain how seeing pine needles and roots near the top of the hole helps you understand what grows in this kind of soil.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Match each soil layer feature to where it is most likely found in the hole.

• Near the top layer

• Single-grained, loose sand

• Deeper layer

• Pine needles

• Surface layer

• Roots

What did Simon notice when he picked up a handful of soil from the first hole?

• It felt silty and smooth like clay

• It felt gritty like sand and fell through his fingers

• It was wet and muddy with puddles

• It was sticky and made big clumps

Why did Anita say, “This hole looks different from the other one”? Explain one clue from the scene that could show the soil is not the same.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4