Soil Characteristics

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...

Students study soil characteristics and identify properties of soils from different parts of the solar system.  In this soil lesson students divide into groups, read soil descriptions, test and record soil samples. 

In this soil worksheet, students read about soil and the attributes that determine how soil is formed. They then answer the 11 questions in the packet. The answers are on the last page of the packet.

Not all soil is created equal. Learners examine what to look for in a soil sample to identify key characteristics that don't require lab testing. They see that it's easy to verify observations by comparing the samples to a soil map.

Viewers of a short video learn about salt and water molecules and how their characteristics determine how they interact with each other. Then, they watch a simulation of how the interaction limits the uptake of water in plant roots and...

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...

Students examine the soil in their local area and create a soil profile. They record observations in the field and the classroom. They create their own display of the soil profile as well.

Tenth graders collect and analyze soil samples and extrapolate the characteristics needed to support different types of plant life. They research different types of prairie soil and how it supports plant and animal life.

Students analyze images of five different soil types from various locations and discuss how climate, vegetation, parent material, topography, and time can contribute to soil characteristics.

Students are introduced to the concept of specific heat. In groups, they are given a set of data showing the temperatures of air and soil samples in which they calculate the ranges of the data. They identify whether the air or soil...