Soil SOL 3.7

Draw a picture for each word and definition. Soil provides nutrients for plants: made of rock, humus, clay, silt, and sand Weathering break down of rocks: creates soil Topsoil upper soil- natural product of subsoil and bedrock and it is the best for plants Subsoil made up mostly of clay and under the topsoil Bedrock Bottom layer of soil and the worst for plants to grow Humus decayed matter found in top soil and does not hold water well Sand Grains of worn down rock, larger than silt- has few nutrients and does not hold water well Silt Very small broken pieces of rock, smaller than sand and larger than clay Clay Contains nutrients and holds water well- can be red or yellow Conserve To save

SOIL What is soil? Why is soil important? http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/land/soil/preview.weml

Soil! A natural resource found in our own backyard!! Soil is the loose material in which plants can grow in the upper layer of Earth. It is made up of rock, humus, air, and water. Soil is made up of 5 important components and has 3 layers!

Components of Soil What are the parts of? Humus Sand Silt Clay Rock

Rock Soil is made up of small pieces of rock or pebbles .

Humus This is decayed (rotten, rotting) plant and animal matter in the soil. It provides the most nutrients to the soil. **Do you remember where it can be found? ***How do you think humus is formed? Click on the mushroom to see the answer. Back

Sand Sand is made up of small grains of weathered rock. DOES NOT hold water well! Few nutrients

Made up of very small pieces of broken rock. Sand > Silt > Clay

Clay Can be red or yellow! Holds water well! Contains nutrients! Back

1. In which soil type did the plant grow the slowest. 2 1. In which soil type did the plant grow the slowest? 2. In which soil type was there the greatest amount of growth? 3. What is the worst soil to grow plants in according to the chart?

Layers of Soil! Read these with me! Hummus Topsoil Subsoil Bedrock

Humus Organic layer that contains dead plants and animal matter

Topsoil This is the top layer. It is where animals live and plants grow. It is a mixture of humus and rock fragments. It is the best layer for growing plants! Back

Not as good for growing plants Subsoil Made up mostly of clay Under the topsoil Not as good for growing plants

Bedrock This is the bottom layer of soil. It is under the subsoil. It is made up of weathered rock and solid rock. The worst part of soil for plant growth.

Label the parts! Subsoil Hummus Topsoil Bedrock

Nutrients These are the materials that plants and animals need to grow. Do you remember where they can be found in soil? What layer? Which components?

How is soil made? Soil is created through a process known as weathering. Weathering is when water and living things break down rocks to create soil. This means that animals and water break down the rocks so much they become dirt.

Soil is a Natural Resource Made by NATURE Cannot be replaced Must be conserved (saved)!

Weathering vs. Erosion of Weathering Weathering: breakdown of rocks Erosion: to move/transport DO NOW: Match the terms with the definitions

Weathering (breaks down) When rocks and other materials on the Earth’s surface are broken down into smaller pieces by weather, water, and living things. http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/land/slowlandchanges/preview.weml Beach in Corolla, N.C

Weathering… rock is broken into pieces

Wind Weathering of Rock

Weathering with Ice

Water Weathering

Roots

What caused this weathering?

Weathering of the rocks and stumps in Corolla, N.C.

Erosion Erosion is when soil is moved from one place to another.

Erosion (moves it) Beach in Corolla, N.C

Water Erosion

Wind Erosion

Conservation Soil takes hundreds of years to form. It should be conserved- protected Plant life protects the topsoil. How do you think plant life protects topsoil?

Soil forming with animal help

How can soil be conserved? Proper use of farming Proper use of mining Proper use of cutting down of trees to avoid erosion

Resources Soil Presentation http://www.childrenoftheearth.org/soil-facts-for-kids/soil-facts-for-kids-intro.htm Quia Games http://www.quia.com/mc/611639.html http://www.quia.com/rr/137638.html http://www.quia.com/cb/193133.html http://www.quia.com/mc/1095617.html