Station 1
(Standard S6E5 h. Describe soil as consisting of weather rocks and decomposed organic matter.)
1. Each person will select a type of climate from the envelope.
2. Complete the reading of your particular type of climate and soil on pages 291-293.
3. Using the materials at your table station, you will create a model of what you think the soil
profile would look like in your climate area.
4. After creating your model, you will use information from the text (textbook and additional
readings) to justify your visual. (Why did you use certain materials? Why did use in them in their
various proportions? etc. )
5. Finally, answer the following questions at the bottom of your model: How is soil formation
affected by climate? What other factors affect soil formation? Why is soil important?
Station 2
(Standard S6E5 h. Describe soil as consisting of weather rocks and decomposed organic matter.)
1. Place the following steps of soil formation in the correct order:
a. Worms, insects, bacteria, and fungi living among the plant roots add organic matter to the
soil.
b. Rock at the surface begins to fracture and break down (weather)
c. Plants and animals in the soil die, they break down, or decay, and form dark humus
d. Rocks weather into smaller fragments; plants begin to grow in the weathered rock.
2. Using the correct order of soil formation, create visuals/illustrations/pictures to go along with
the descriptions.
3. Why is soil considered a nonrenewable natural resource?
4. Each member of the group will select one of the soil formation terms listed below. You will
explain the role that your term plays in the formation of soil. As a group, you will use your
explanations to create a collaborative story board (words and illustrations) of how soil forms.
(Make sure that your story and illustrations are creative and comprehensive.)
a. Humus
b. Decomposer
c. Weathered rock
d. Parent rock
e. Litter
Station 3
(Standard S6E5 h. Describe soil as consisting of weather rocks and decomposed organic matter.)
1. Go to the Blog and Click on Station 3 Activities
2. Watch the 7 Billion Party Videoa. Scroll down to Latest Video
b. Open the 7 Billion Party Video
c. Does the Earth produce enough food to feed 7 billion people? Why or Why not?
3.
4.
5.
6.
Take the National Geographic Soil Conservation Quiz-Take Notes on the Quiz Questions
Using your thinking notes annotate the readings in your station’s folder
Create a Vocabulary Model for the term Soil Conservation
After using the thinking notes to annotate the readings and creating the vocabulary model;
discuss and respond to the following questions: What is the relationship between soil
conservation and an increase in human population? What is the link between global food
supply and an increasing population? If soil is not conserved what do you thinks happens to the
price of food? Why?
Station 4
(Standard S6E5 h. Describe soil as consisting of weather rocks and decomposed organic matter.)
1. Remove the station activity sheet from the folder.
2. Carefully read the directions for the activity sheet.
3. Go to the Station 4 Activity on the Blog.
4. Use the web sites on the blog to complete the activity sheet.