This is a lesson from the Life Lab Science, grade 5 core curriculum. This earth science lesson integrates well with other curricular areas such as Language Arts. Students reveal their understanding of how soil is made and learn about the ingredients of soil. All of our paper, lumber, and other wood products also come from plants grown in the soil. We would have a difficult time surviving without soil, but it is something most of us know very little about.
Soils are more than just a mixture of ingredients, however.
They are ever-changing systems that interact with plants, animals, and the atmosphere. Depending on the way they are managed for agriculture, they can be slowly improved or quickly degraded. This activity is meant to get students thinking about what makes up soils and how soils form. For some students, the lesson may also reveal misunderstandings they have about the soil. For example, although soil is a dynamic mixture that changes continuously, many students may believe that soil does not change or that it changes only when something is added or taken away from it.