Soil Properties

NC Standard:  2.04

Activity:  Components of Soil

Question: What is soil made of?

Vocabulary: clay, humus, sand, soil, water

Materials: small canning jars with lids, soil samples, water, markers, paper

Background: Larger components settle out first, soil particles will fall out of suspension in layers: pebbles will fall first; then sand, silt, clay will fall; and some organic matter might float. Clay make make the water cloudy for a long time.

Procedure: 

Students need to collect 2 cups of soil. The soil should be from different locatiuons - low or wet spots, baseball fields, gardens, lawns, under trees, or forested areas. This can be done on the school grounds or by having students bring a soil sample from a site around their home. Large zip lock baggies work well for collecting soil samples.

1. Have students fill a jar with their soil sample and add water until the soil is covered with 5 cm of water (2 inches).

2. Cover the jar and shake it for several minutes.

3. Allow the soil to settle for at least two hours and observe the layers in each jar.

4. Compare the layers in each sample and discuss the results with class.

5. Draw a diagram of what happened in your jar and label the components of the soil (sand, clay and humus).

Conclusion: The basic components of soil are sand, clay, and humus.
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Line of Learning:  This line is drawn to provide students with a space to share their experimental learning in words or pictures.
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