Optional Laboratory: Soil Particle Size and Texture

Teach your class the descriptive characteristics of soil. Provide information about particle size and a flow chart for assessing texture. Soil scientists then analyze samples and hypothesize which would be the best type for a rain...

Ready to roll up those sleeves and get your hands dirty? Dirty with soil science content, that is! Overcome those "But it's just dirt" objections with a trip outside to collect soil samples for some in-class analysis. Use the variety of...

Through a PowerPoint presentation and the embedded animation and video, earth science enthusiasts find out about the moisture in the soil beneath our feet. In the animation, follow a water molecule on its path through the water cycle. As...

Soil scientists gain experience with an infiltrometer can to determine the infiltration rates at different locations on campus. If you are using the entire unit, the class has already analyzed water flow and soil types, so they should...

Drawings of four groups of soil particles of varying sizes are displayed across the page for soil scientists to examine. As they complete the worksheet, place a set of similar soils at each table for hands-on experience. In this way,...

In this soil analysis worksheet, students are given instructions for analyzing a soil sample. Students fill in 23 blanks with data from their sample. Students use the data and charts given to answer 10 questions about soil.

A set of 27 slides systematically shows how weathering, erosion, and deposition contribute to soil formation. Both chemical and mechanical weathering are described, as are resulting soil layers and properties. There is no longer any need...

Through a presentation, class members explore the two different types of weathering, mechanical and chemical, see how these forces change the earth, and delve into how soil forms because of weathering.

Students investigate the use of soil, an important natural resource in artwork. They experiment by crushing soil particles and adding the different color samples to artist acrylic to create true "earth colors". Using this paint, they...

Introduce teams to quantum dot solutions with an activity that has them expose solutions to a blacklight, observe the colors, and take measurements. Groups graph the data and analyze the dependence between particle size and color...