Pre-Visit Activity #1
Explore your School
Yard!
NC Essential Standards:
3.L.2.2 Explain how environmental conditions determine how well plants survive and grow.
3.l.2.4 Explain how the basic properties (texture and capacity to hold water) and components
(sand, clay and humus) of soil determine the ability of soil to support the growth and survival of
many plants.
Estimated time needed:
Approximately one hour
Materials needed:
Clipboards and paper or journals
Pencils
So much can be learned about our environment just by walking around the school’s grounds! Use this preactivity to get kids looking at different types of soils, plants, and the conditions that impact them.

Walk around and explore school grounds, with each student equipped with a journal or a clipboard.
Look for microclimates, or differences in conditions, that might influence plant and animal growth.

Something small like the moisture from air conditioning units, shady spots or areas with compacted
soil might have different conditions.

Ask students to map the grounds and identify any microclimates or conditions that would influence
plant or animal growth.

Encourage students to thing about seasonal variability – either predict or observe how school grounds
change throughout the year.

Ask students what wildlife they think might be present, based on the plants they found. Do some
plants have berries that birds might like to eat? Do trees have nuts or seeds that squirrels might eat?
What about insects, like caterpillars or bees?

Use a trowel or spoon to collect a small amount of soil in different sites around your school. Compare
soil texture and appearance and make a note of the different plants that are (or aren’t!) growing in
each area.

Compare findings between students, or join with another class afterwards to discuss any similar or
different observations.
Pre-Visit Activity #2
Here’s the Dirt
NC Essential Standards:
3.L.2.4 Explain how the basic properties (texture and capacity to hold water) and components
(sand, clay and humus) of soil determine the ability of soil to support the growth and survival of
many plants.
Estimated Time:
Approximately one hour
Materials Needed:



Soil samples
A bottle or pitcher of water
Copy of “Soil Particles and Textures Worksheet” for each student
Note: This activity can get messy. Use dropclothes or go outside.

Each student should bring in a small bag or container with approximately one cup of soil from where they live. Use
the samples collected from Pre-Activity #1 to supplement what students bring in, if needed.

Before exploring the soil, ask the class if they know what soil is. Soil is what covers the surface of the Earth. It
contains minerals, like rock, sand and clay, as well as air, water, and plant and animal material. Ask your students
why soil is important. Almost all of what we eat and much of what we wear comes from plants that need soil to
grow.

Ask your students if they think all soils are the same. How do they think they differ? Break your students up into
groups of four and have them fill out the Soil Particles and Textures worksheet while exploring their soil. They will
need a little bit of water to mix with a handful of their soil sample to complete question 5 on the worksheet.

When everyone in their group has completed the worksheet, have them compare their answers. How does their
soil differ from the other people in their group? Why do you think they are similar or different?
Soil Particles and Textures Worksheet
Name______________________________
Date_________
Soil is the loose, top layer of the earth. It is made up of soil particles, water, air, microorganisms and
plant and animal matter.
Soil particles are divided into three categories based on their size. The particles are measured in
millimeters, or mm. Some particles are so small, we can’t see them without a microscope!
The largest soil particle is sand.
A sand particle that is 0.05 to 2mm.
The medium soil particle is silt.
A silt particle is between 0.002 and
0.05mm.
The smallest soil particle is clay.
Clay is any particle smaller than 0.002mm.
Different soil particles can hold a different amount of the water, air and nutrients that plants need
to survive. For instance, sand doesn’t hold water or nutrients very well. Clay can hold water for a long
time but can’t hold much air. Soil particles can be found in many different combinations, creating lots of
different soil textures and types.
Answer the following questions to help you learn what is in your soil sample.
1. Where did you collect your soil sample?
2. What color is your soil?
3. What does your soil smell like?
4. What does your soil feel like?
5. Make soil “putty” by mixing a small amount of soil and water in your hand. Try to make a “ribbon” of
soil by squeezing your fist around the putty until some squirts out. If the soil sticks together well, it is
mostly clay. If no ribbon can be formed by squeezing the soil, then it is mostly sand. If it is somewhere in
between, the soil is loam – a mixture of sand, silt and clay. What do you think is in your soil?