Students simulate ways that water, wind, and ice help to form soil. They begin making their own soil by rubbing rocks together and collecting the rock particles. Students identify the sections in The Sun, the Wind, and the Rain by Lisa Westberg Peters that describe the weathering process of a mountain. They simulate other soil components. They prepare a terrarium for earthworms and observe them to conclude that some animals enrich the soil through their droppings, by breaking down organic materials into smaller pieces, and by loosening soil particles to allow air and water to enter.
Students look for evidence on their school grounds of plants and animals helping to form soil.
They observe a variety of living and nonliving things associated with soil, conduct soil investigations, and identify some human effects on soil. Soil supports life, and life enriches soil. Students listen to Under the Ground by Gallimard Jeunesse and Pascale de Bourgoing and conclude that soil provides food and protection for animals. Outdoors, students observe ways wild animals use soil. Students participate in a guided imagery through an underground burrow.