Soil
SOL 3.7
Draw a picture for each word and definition.
Soil
provides nutrients for plants: made of
rock, humus, clay, silt, and sand
Weathering
break down of rocks: creates soil
Topsoil
upper soil- natural product of subsoil and
bedrock and it is the best for plants
Subsoil
made up mostly of clay and under the
topsoil
Bedrock
Bottom layer of soil and the worst for plants to
grow
Humus
decayed matter found in top soil and does
not hold water well
Sand
Grains of worn down rock, larger than silthas few nutrients and does not hold water
well
Silt
Very small broken pieces of rock, smaller
than sand and larger than clay
Clay
Contains nutrients and holds water wellcan be red or yellow
Conserve
To save
SOIL
• What is soil?
• Why is soil important?
•
http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/land/soil/preview.weml
Soil! A natural resource found in our own
backyard!!
Soil is the loose material in which plants can grow
in the upper layer of Earth. It is made up of rock,
humus, air, and water.
Soil is made up of 5 important components and has
3 layers!
Components of Soil
What are the parts of?
• Humus
• Sand
• Silt
• Clay
• Rock
Rock
• Soil is made up of small pieces of rock or
pebbles .
Humus
This is decayed (rotten, rotting) plant
and animal matter in the soil. It
provides the most nutrients to the soil.
**Do you remember where it can be found?
***How do you think humus is formed?
Click on the mushroom to see the answer.
Back
Sand
Sand is made up of small grains of weathered
rock.
 DOES NOT hold water well!
 Few nutrients
Silt
Made up of very small pieces of broken rock.
Sand > Silt > Clay
Clay
• Can be red or yellow!
• Holds water well!
• Contains nutrients!
Back
1. In which soil type did the plant grow the slowest?
2. In which soil type was there the greatest amount of growth?
3. What is the worst soil to grow plants in according to the chart?
Plant Growth in Different Soil
Types
2
# of 1.5
Inches 1
Grown 0.5
0
Day 5 Day Day Day
10 15 20
Days of Growth
Humus
Clay
Silt
Layers of Soil!
Read these with me!
• Hummus
• Topsoil
• Subsoil
• Bedrock
Humus
• Organic layer that contains dead plants and
animal matter
Topsoil
• This is the top layer.
• It is where animals live and plants grow.
• It is a mixture of humus and rock
fragments.
• It is the best layer for growing plants!
Back
Subsoil
• Made up mostly of clay
• Under the topsoil
• Not as good for growing plants
Bedrock
This is the bottom layer of soil. It is under
the subsoil.
It is made up of weathered rock and solid
rock.
The worst part of soil for plant growth.
Label the parts!
Subsoil
Hummus
Topsoil
Bedrock
Nutrients
These are the materials that plants and animals
need to grow. Do you remember where they
can be found in soil?
What layer?
Which components?
How is soil made?
• Soil is created through a process known as
weathering. Weathering is when water and
living things break down rocks to create soil.
This means that animals and water break
down the rocks so much they become dirt.
Soil is a Natural Resource
• Made by NATURE
• Cannot be replaced
• Must be conserved (saved)!
& Weathering:
Weathering vs. Erosion of Weathering
Weathering: breakdown of rocks
Erosion: to move/transport
Weathering
(breaks down)
When rocks and other materials on the Earth’s
surface are broken down into smaller pieces
by weather, water, and living things.
http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/land/slowlandchanges/preview.weml
Beach in Corolla, N.C
Weathering… rock is broken into
pieces
Wind Weathering of Rock
Weathering with Ice
Water Weathering
Roots
What caused this weathering?
Weathering of the rocks and stumps in
Corolla, N.C.
Erosion
• Erosion is when soil is moved from one place
to another.
Erosion
(moves it)
Beach in Corolla, N.C
Water Erosion
Wind Erosion
Conservation
•
•
•
•
Soil takes hundreds of years to form.
It should be conserved- protected
Plant life protects the topsoil.
How do you think plant life protects topsoil?
Soil forming with animal help
How can soil be conserved?
• Proper use of farming
• Proper use of mining
• Proper use of cutting down of trees to avoid
erosion
Resources
• Soil Presentation
http://www.childrenoftheearth.org/soil-factsfor-kids/soil-facts-for-kids-intro.htm
Quia Games
http://www.quia.com/mc/611639.html
http://www.quia.com/rr/137638.html
http://www.quia.com/cb/193133.html
http://www.quia.com/mc/1095617.html