Soil
Background Information & Activities

© 1999-2012 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Soil is one of Earth’s most important natural resources. This movie will explore soil and how people and animals rely on it for survival. It will also explore the contents of soil. We recommend doing plenty of hands-on activities with soil and have children analyze soil samples using hand lenses or microscopes.

Review with children that most plants rely on soil to grow. Animals rely on soil for shelter and on plants for food. People rely on plants and animals for food, and on plants and soil for shelter. Soil is so important that a whole field of science is dedicated just to its study—soil science. Emphasize the importance of soil to children, and discuss all the things people get from soil directly and indirectly.

Soil contains living and nonliving things including rocks, plants, and animals. There are also bits of dead plants and animals in soil. When living things die, they decompose and release nutrients into the soil. You can teach the cyclical pattern of nature through the study of a plant’s growth and decomposition in the soil. Plants use the nutrients of decomposed plants for another growth cycle in the soil. Plants also absorb minerals from the soil; many of these minerals come from rocks.

Not all soils are alike—there are different soils in different places. For example, forest soil tends to be dark, damp, and to contain a lot of humus. Humus-rich soil is able to hold plenty of water, and also is plentiful in nutrients. This allows the growth of a wide range of plants, and consequently supports different kinds of animals. In contrast, sandy soil drains water. Sandy soil can be found in drier areas like deserts or in some areas near lakes or ponds. Sandy soil tends to be loose, dry, and light brown. There is less humus, and therefore fewer nutrients, in sandy soil than in forest soil. Clay soils usually contain a high percentage of mineral in the soil, often causing clay soil to be dark red in color. Clay soil also holds plenty of water and tends to be thick and heavy when wet. Certain kinds of plants, like certain species of grasses, sunflowers, and ironweed, can grow well in clay soil. Clay soil also creates business and also provides shelter for many people through the construction of bricks, which are made of clay that has been molded and baked.

The soil can be divided into three main layers: topsoil, subsoil, and bedrock. Topsoil contains the most humus, which is the dark part of the soil that is rich in nutrients. Under the topsoil are several layers that make up the subsoil. These layers tend to be sandier, and have less humus. Under the subsoil is bedrock, which is solid rock.

Encourage your children to think of ways to keep our soil clean. Pollutants can impact soil negatively and prevent plants from growing. This in turn can affect animals and people. Recycling, using organic products, and throwing litter away in proper receptacles are just a few easy ways to care for our soil.

See more lesson plans and resources: BrainPOP Educators.

Soil Teacher Activities

© 1999-2012 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

In the Soil

Bring in different kinds of soil for your students to analyze. If possible, have students use hand lenses and microscopes to see what is in each kind of soil. You can collect soils from a garden, beach, park, or nursery. Have your students record what they see. Which soil has the most rocks? Which soil has the most bits of dead plants and animals? Which soil is darkest, and which keeps its shape longest when you stick your thumb in it?

To extend the activity, have students predict which soil holds the most water. Then have students pour a small amount of water in each soil sample and place it in a warm place. After an hour, have students check to see which soil stayed damp the longest.

What Grows Best?

Bring in different kinds of soil for your students. If possible get topsoil, clay soil, and sandy soil (or even sand). You can get these soils from a nursery or gardening store. Have students plant seeds in each kind of soil and observe how they grow. Which soil is best for plants? Which soil is worst? If possible, try experimenting with different seeds such as grasses, flowers, and vegetables. Different plants grow best in different kinds of soil.

Worm Farm

Some animals, like insects and worms, live in the soil. Worms are helpful to the soil because they mix all the parts of the soil. The worm tunnels allow air and water to reach the soil as well. They also ingest soil as they eat whatever plants, fruit, or compost you feed them. After they eat, they leave behind casings which add nutrients to the soil that plants need to grow. Start a worm farm with your students. Use an aquarium, terrarium, or other clear container. Add soil and worms and have students observe. You can purchase worms from gardening stores and nurseries. Don’t forget to water the soil and keep it damp. Composting fruit and vegetable scraps will extend the lesson even further. Plant seeds in the soil of your worm farm and observe how they grow.

Soil Painting

Different soils vary in color and texture. Invite students to bring in a small amount of soil from their yards or from places around their communities. Make sure they label where they got the soil. Divide the students into small groups and have them compare and contrast the soil. Why might one soil be darker than the other? What might make one soil reddish in color? Where in the community might you find drier soil or sand? Have students discuss and write down their ideas.

Then have students create soil paintings. They can use glue and their soil samples to create landscapes, abstract paintings, or even portraits. Encourage them to be creative! Then have students share their artwork with the whole class.

Soil Family Activities

© 1999-2012 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Compost

Start a compost with your child. Explain that composting is a way to recycle certain foods and turn them into humus. This humus can be used to grow plants. Research composting online, and ask for advice from a gardener or a gardening shop. Inexpensive composting kits can also be obtained from a gardening store, or you can create a compost of your own using a large, sealable container. Be sure to discuss what can go in the compost—fruit cores and rinds, vegetable scraps, leaves, live worms and insects, and dead plants are just a few items. Meat, bones, or anything with grease or chemicals should not be thrown into the compost. After you create enough humus, you can add it to soil and then plant seeds.

How Our Garden Grows

One of the best ways to learn about soil’s importance is to start a garden. If possible, plant a few seeds in a window box or in the yard. Many neighborhoods also have community gardens where you can plant seeds and grow your own vegetables or flowers. Together with your child, research natural ways to keep soil healthy for plants. For example, you can research natural fertilizers, and also add worms to your soil. Worms aerate and mix the soil and their casings provide many nutrients for plants to grow. You can also add damp mulch, leaves and grass clippings, or even small bits of shredded newspaper.

Soil Tour

Take a trip with your child to different places such as a park, beach, garden, forest, or desert. Have your child observe the soil in each place. If possible have your child bring along a hand lens so that he or she can observe the soil more closely. Have your child compare and contrast the soils found in the different places. Which place had the driest soil? Which place had the wettest? Have your child write his or her observations in a journal and draw pictures of what the soils look like. The journal can be maintained over time, and your child can compare soil at different times of the year, and in different places they visit.