Super Soil Types
Which soil type has the largest particles, feels rough and gritty when you rub it between your fingers, and does not hold onto water well?
Sand
If you pour water into a cup filled with sand, what happens to the water almost immediately?
It passes through quickly because sand has large particles and large spaces between them.
What is the term for the process where rocks are broken down into smaller pieces over time by wind, water, or ice?
Weathering
What is the process called when weathered rock, soil, or sand is moved from one place to another by water, wind, or gravity?
Erosion
A student wants to test which type of soil grows lima beans the best. Should they plant all the seeds in the exact same soil, or plant them in different soil types?
Plant them in different soil types to compare their growth.
Which soil type feels smooth like flour when dry, sticky when wet, and has the smallest particles?
Clay
Sample A has large, coarse pebbles, while Sample B consists of fine, tiny dirt particles. Which sample will hold more water?
Sample B, because smaller particles pack together tightly and hold water better.
Why are rocks found right at the ocean's shoreline usually smooth and rounded, while rocks higher up on the beach cliffs are rough and jagged?
Ocean waves constantly crash over the shoreline rocks and wear down their sharp edges. Erosion, Weathering
Providence Canyon in Georgia has deep rock layers and a stream at the bottom. How was this massive canyon carved out over time?
Rivers and flowing rainwater slowly carved out the canyon and carried the soil away over a long period.
When conducting an experiment to compare plant growth in sand, clay, and loam, list TWO factors that must stay the exact same for every plant to keep it a fair test.
Any two of: amount of water, amount of sunlight, pot size, type/number of seeds, or temperature.
Which soil type is considered best for growing most plants because it contains a mixture of sand, silt, clay, and rich nutrients?
Loam
Why does sandy soil dry out faster than clay soil after a heavy rain?
Sand has larger particles and drains water quickly, while clay has smaller particles that hold onto water.
In the winter, rain fills a tiny crack in a boulder. At night, the temperature drops below freezing. What happens to the crack in the boulder over time?
The trapped water freezes into ice, expands, and pushes the crack wider.
A giant sea arch rock formation stands in the ocean near the shore. What natural forces worked together to hollow out the rock and form the arch?
Ocean waves crashing against the rock and coastal winds wearing it away.
Why would mixing all three soil types together into one pot NOT tell you which soil grows plants best?
Because you wouldn't know which specific soil type helped or hurt the plant's growth.
A gardener notices that their garden soil retains water well without flooding and has plenty of plant nutrients. What mixture of soil particle sizes does this soil most likely have?
A mixture of different particle sizes (Loam)
A student pours a bucket of water through three different soil types. Soil 1 lets most of the water drain through, Soil 2 lets half of the water drain through, and Soil 3 lets only a bit of the water drain through. Which soil has the smallest particles?
Soil 3 (it holds the most water and lets the least amount drain out)
In a windy desert, strong gusts blow tiny grains of sand against a large standing rock for hundreds of years. How will the rock's appearance change over time?
The wind and blowing sand will carve and wear away the rock into unique, top-heavy shapes.
What is the main difference between weathering and erosion?
Weathering breaks rocks down into smaller pieces, while erosion moves those pieces to a new location.
Name three types of soil
If you are trying to identify an unknown soil sample and notice it feels slippery and sticky when wet and clumps together tightly, what soil type is it?
Clay
What simple test can you perform to prove that a soil sample contains mostly sand rather than clay?
Add water to see if it drains through very quickly, or feel its texture to see if it feels gritty rather than sticky.
A sharp, jagged rock falls off a cliff into a fast-moving river. What will that rock most likely look like after tumbling down the river for 100 years?
Smaller and smoother
Did major landforms like canyons, sea arches, and river valleys form overnight in a single giant flood, or slowly over thousands/millions of years?
Slowly over long periods of time through continuous weathering and erosion by water and wind
A student measures plant height every 3 days for 4 weeks in sand, clay, and loam. What final measurement will give them the best evidence for which soil grew the plants best?
The total height/growth (and overall health) of the plants in each soil type at the end of the 4 weeks.