Soil Composition and Structure

Kit No. 1102

SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS AND PROCESSES

• One way to gather data is through direct observation. Accurate and complete observations are important for making conclusions about the natural world
• Soil consists of weathered rocks and decomposed organic material from dead plants, animals, and bacteria
• Soils are often found in layers, with each layer made up of a different chemical composition and texture

In this companion kit to Kit # 1101, elementary students continue their exploration of soil. In the first activity, students describe a soil sample, then identify the similarities and differences between their group’s descriptions and those of other groups and develop a primary definition of soil. Activity 2 expands the investigation of soils by using a water column to separate soil samples into various components. This data provides more evidence on the types and proportions of the different materials in each soil and allows students to re ne their previous definition of soil. Activity 3 is a reading which provides information that expands their personal experience and observations from the previous activities to deepen and re ne their understanding of the composition, structure and development of soil.