Soil Horizons

Overview

Grade: 6th

Topic: EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE (ESS) Rocks, Minerals and Soil

Standard: 6.ESS.4: Soil is unconsolidated material that contains nutrient matter and weathered rock.

6.ESS.5: Rocks, minerals and soils have common and practical uses.

Students will investigate the different soil horizons while comparing the different characteristics of those horizons. They will realize our need for soil conservation.

Format

• Watch Soil Horizons presentation (14:01))

• Create a Soil Profile Activity

• Extensions

Materials

• A piece of blank paper, construction paper, or card stock

• Black pen or marker

• Colored pencils or fine tip markers (need green, dark brown, light brown, tan and grey)

*Option for teachers- Instead of viewing the recorded presentation, you can choose to present this power point to your students yourself during class. Here is the PPTX with presenter notes to download for use.

Activity

• Students focus on the layers found in soil and draw their own soil profile explaining the different soil horizons.

Student Activity Instructions

• Schedule a follow up virtual Q&A with your county educator to answer further student questions! County SWCD educators may have soil samples that can be loaned as well for hands on use in the classroom

Extensions

Lessons

• Create Your Own Soil Profile Activity - Lesson from My NASA Data

Reading These readings about soil are free with registration on ReadWorks, a nonprofit that provides Common-Core-aligned readings. All readings include comprehension questions.

• Biochar -Read about a soil enhancement research project

• Developing Possible Solutions - Paired Text with Biochar reading

Video

• Layers Of Soil - The Dr. Binocs Show (3:56)

Questions

Questions? Please contact your county SWCD educator