What on Earth is Soil?

Day 1-Explore:

1.     You will pair up with your assigned partner.

2.    You will go to the following websites and record your notes in your science journals.

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/soil/name_soil.html

After you have finished looking at that page, go to this page:

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/soil/down_dirty.html

http://www.realtrees4kids.org/ninetwelve/soil.htm

Day 2-Explore:

1.     Pair up with your assigned partner.

2.    You will both watch the PowerPoint found here:

http://www.slideshare.net/riverwalk100/skworm?from=share_email

3.    When you have finished watching the PowerPoint, you need to answer the following questions in your science journals. You must answer these questions on your own.

�         What does weather do to the soil?

�         Name at least 3 colors soil comes in.

�         How does water stay in the soil?

�         Where does soil come from?

�         Name and describe at least 2 horizons of soil.

4.    Share with your partner one or two things you learned from the video that you did not know before.

Day 3-Elaborate:

1.     Get with your partner.

2.    After visiting this site, http://www.blm.gov/nstc/soil/Kids/texture.html we will go outside and examine the soil.

3.    When you are finished, visit this site, copy the questions down, and answer them in your science journal. http://urbanext.illinois.edu/gpe/case2/c2m1.html  

4.    Discuss your findings with your partner.

Day 4-Elaborate:

1.     Get with your partner.

2.    You will watch a video on water retention to answer the question- Is there a way to measure how much water each soil type holds? You will pause the video at 1:04 to record your prediction of which soil type holds more water.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB1i4TUaHxk   

3.    Just for fun, share your prediction with your partner.

Day 5-Explain:

1.     You will be working with your table group.

2.    You will find the Scientific Lab sheet under the Process Resources at the bottom of the page.

3.    Each group will need the following items:

q  3 large beakers

q  6 pieces of masking tape

q  3 large coffee filters

q  3 rubber bands

q  50mL of potting soil

q  50mL of gravel

q  50mL of loose clay

q  3 50mL graduated cylinder

q  water in cup

We will be doing an experiment to determine the ability of soils to retain water. You should be able to answer these questions at the end of this investigation.

�         Which soil would you infer would be better for planting a cactus?  Why do you think so? 

�         What do you think might be some problems with soil that allows too much water to runoff?   

Procedures

1.  Place one piece of masking tape on each beaker. Label one beaker potting soil, another beaker gravel and another beaker clay.

2.    Put a coffee filter over the top of the beaker labeled potting soil. With your fingertips push filter about halfway into the beaker. Fold the filter edge over the rim of the beaker. Use a rubber band to hold the filter in the beaker.

3. Repeat Step 2 with the beakers labeled clay and gravel.

  4. Pour 50mL of potting soil into the coffee filter labeled potting soil. Pour 50mL of clay into the coffee filter labeled clay. Pour 50mL of gravel into the coffee filter labeled gravel.

5.    Predict whether potting soil, loose clay or gravel will retain the most water. Predict whether potting soil, clay or gravel will drain the most water. Record predictions on scientific lab sheet.

6.    Place a piece of masking tape on each graduated cylinder. Label one graduated cylinder potting soil, another graduated cylinder gravel and another graduated cylinder clay.

7. Fill each of the 3 graduated cylinders with 50ml of water from cup of water.

8.     Three students in each group will simultaneously pour the 50 ml of water atop each of the three soil types.

9.    Carefully remove the rubber band and filter with soil (making sure not to squeeze extra runoff out of filters).

10.  Pour run-off back into the empty graduated cylinders to measure runoff from each type of soil.

11.  Record observations on scientific lab sheet.