Characteristics of soil A. Texture 1. 1.5c Information should be related to prior knowledge. Plastic cups, sand, clay, gravel, dirt, small pots, permanent marker, magnifying glass or low-powered microscope, and white paper. We are going to discover of what soil is made, and how each of these components are found in layers with their own composition and texture. If you dig down far enough, you will hit a layer of very solid rock called bedrock.
Bedrock is the layer from which all of the soil is formed.
A process called weathering breaks down the bedrock into smaller and smaller particles. The type of bedrock also determines the type of minerals that will be found in the soil. Minerals are very important to soil because it helps determine the kind and amount of plant life that will survive. Small organisms called bacteria help to break down, or decay, that plant or animal. When these do decay, they release an acid that helps in the breakdown of the soil.