4^th Grade

Standard: 03

Objective: 03. Observe the basic components of soil and relate the components to plant

growth.

ILO:

Sally dug up some soil, put it in a cup, and weighed it. She put it in a warm place with no cover. Two weeks later she weighed it again. It weighed less than before. Why?

a. Water had evaporated.

b. The soil was warmer.

c. There were more living things.

d. The cup had changed shape.

Correct Answer: a

4^th Grade

Standard: 03

Objective: 03. Observe the basic components of soil and relate the components to plant

growth.

ILO:

Jose pours water into a clear cup of soil. He sees air bubbles coming out of the water as it sinks into the soil. Where are the bubbles coming from?

a. the water

b. the soil

c. the cup

d. decaying things

Correct Answer: b

4^th Grade

Standard: 03

Objective: 03. Observe the basic components of soil and relate the components to plant

growth.

ILO:

If plants are not growing well in a soil, what is one way to fix it?

a. add subsoil

b. add clay

c. add nutrients

d. add gravel

Correct Answer: c

I

4^th Grade

Standard: 03

Objective: 03. Observe the basic components of soil and relate the components to plant

growth.

ILO:

Use this information to answer the next three questions. Each funnel has a soil sample that water was poured over and trapped by the cup below.

1. In this experiment, the same amount of water was poured into each funnel onto the soil. Which soil slowed the water down the most?

a. sand

b. silt

c. clay

2. Which soil would dry out most quickly?

a. sand

b. silt

c. clay

3. Which of these soils is most compact and why?

a. Sand, it is made from pieces of rock.

b. Silt, it has smaller particles than sand.

c. Clay, it has the least air space.

Correct Answers:

1. c

2. a

3. c

4^th Grade

Standard: 03

Objective: 03. Observe the basic components of soil and relate the components to plant

growth.

ILO:

Use this graph of a soil sample to answer the following questions. It shows how much space rock pieces, air, water, and living things take up by percent.

1. What is this soil mostly composed of?

a. rock pieces

b. air

c. water

d. living things

2. If the percentage of water went up, which other part would most likely go down?

a. none would

b. air

c. water

d. living things

Correct Answers:

1. a

2. b

4^th Grade

Standard: 03

Objective: 03. Observe the basic components of soil and relate the components to plant

growth.

ILO:

Use this soil profile the answer the next two questions.

1. Which soil layer would you expect to find the most clay in?

a. topsoil

b. subsoil

c. bedrock

2. What gives the topsoil its dark color?

a. special types of rock particles

b. more water

c. larger rock pieces

d. decaying living things

Correct Answers:

1. b

2. d

4^th Grade

Standard: 03

Objective: 03. Observe the basic components of soil and relate the components to plant

growth.

ILO:

If you were given an unknown soil sample and asked to describe it, what traits would you look for?

Correct Answer:

Color, texture (feel), odor, particle size, and compaction

4^th Grade

Standard: 03

Objective: 03. Observe the basic components of soil and relate the components to plant

growth.

ILO:

Describe three things that might be in soil and tell how they got there.

Correct Answer:

Rock pieces: from rocks weathering and eroding

Water: from rain

Air: fills empty spaces

Living things (earthworm, bugs): travel through the soil

Dead things: fall on soil and decay

4^th Grade

Standard: 03

Objective: 03. Observe the basic components of soil and relate the components to plant

growth.

ILO:

Name 2 living and 2 nonliving things that are found in soil.

Correct Answer:

Nonliving: pieces of rocks or minerals, water, dead plants, air

Living things: worms, bugs, bacteria, plants

4^th Grade

Standard: 03

Objective: 03. Observe the basic components of soil and relate the components to plant

growth.

ILO:

Describe the type of soil you would like to have to grow a good garden.

Correct Answer:

Soil with a mixture of particle sizes and lots of decaying plant material to hold water and provide nutrients.

4^th Grade

Standard: 03

Objective: 03. Observe the basic components of soil and relate the components to plant

growth.

ILO:

A student rubs a soil between her fingers. It feels gritty. Why?

Correct Answer:

It has sand particles in it.

4^th Grade

Standard: 03

Objective: 03. Observe the basic components of soil and relate the components to plant

growth.

ILO:

Which Soil?

Activity Description:

Students will analyze different soils according to texture (particle size), color and compaction.

Materials:

3 different soil types (whatever is readily available in your area, probably topsoil, subsoil from below and another with sand or clay particles), hand lens, and water.

Prior to Assessment:

Students should be familiar with soil tests that determine texture (rubbing moistened soil between the fingers), color variation between soils and how to judge compaction (pinching soil and seeing how well it holds together)

Time Needed for Assessment:

one hour

Procedure:

1. Students should be given a worksheet similar to the one below. A hypothesis should be made concerning which soil will have the largest particle size (texture).

2. The chart should be filled in as students look at the three different types of soil. The hand lens can help to determine particle size.

3. As students finish their tests, discuss the results and determine whether they can agree on which soils had which characteristics.

4. Students should clean up as directed.

Scoring Guide:

1. Students fill in chart correctly according to soils provided...................9 pts

2. Students answer questions correctly, based on soils provided................9 pts

3. Clean up was accomplished..............................................................2 pts

Soil Tests

Hypothesis:

Data:

Soil	Texture (particle size)	Color	Compaction
A
B
C

Questions:

1. Which soil was probably topsoil? subsoil?

2. Which test was most helpful? Why?

3. Which soil would be best to grow food? Why?

4. Which soil would allow water to flow through the best? Why?

4^th Grade

Standard: 03

Objective: 03. Observe the basic components of soil and relate the components to plant

growth.

ILO:

Soil Tests

Activity Description:

Students will do two tests on soil. One will see how much air is in soil and the other will test how much water is in soil.

Materials Needed:

Tall, straight-sided glasses (2 per group) sandy soil, glass marker, a source of soil from outside, plastic container, a balance (or weighing device of some kind), student worksheet

Prior to Assessment:

Students should know that soil contains air and water. They should know how to use a balance or other weighing device.

Time Needed for Assessment:

One hour, then a period of time for the soil to dry, then time to weigh it and finish.

Procedure:

Water test:

1. Students should receive worksheets and a plastic container with soil from the schoolyard.

2. They should weigh it and record on their lab sheet. A hypothesis can be made concerning what will happen to the weight after a week.

3. The dish should be placed in a warm place where it will not be disturbed for a week.

4. At the end of the week, students should reweigh the dish. It will have lost weight depending on how wet it was to start. They can subtract the two numbers to find out how much was lost.

5. An extension of this activity would be to have students collect soil from several locations and compare moisture content.

Air test:

1. Students should fill one glass half full of the sandy soil.

2. They should fill the other glass half full of water.

3. Ask them what will happen if the water is poured into the sand. Have them write this down as their hypothesis.

4. Students should pour the water into the sand, slowly, and write down what they see.

5. The water will fill the air space in the sand. Remind the students that two half full glasses should have made one full cup. (It will be about 3/4 full now)

6. Ask, how much of the sand was air? (it is the space between the water level and the top of the glass. Sand is around 25-40% air, depending on the grain size)

7. Students can draw the glass at the end and indicate on their drawing how much air was in the sand.

Sample Worksheet

Soil Testing

Water Test

Hypothesis:

Data:

1. weight on first day ______________

2. weight on last day ______________

3. difference ______________

Air Test

Hypothesis:

Data:

1. Drawing of glasses:

glass with soil: glass with water glass with water and soil

1 2 3

Show on drawing 3 how much air was in the sand.

Scoring Guide:

1. Student records data for both labs ..............................................5 pts.

2. Student subtracts to find water loss..............................................2 pts

3. Student makes hypothesis for both labs.........................................4 pts

4. Student draws glass and indicates air space ..................................4 pts