Lab-Aids: Soil Composition and Structure Kit

In this companion kit to the Introduction to Soil Kit LAB-1101, elementary students continue their exploration of soil. In the first activity, students describe a soil sample, then identify the similarities and differences between their group's descriptions and those of other groups and develop a primary definition of soil. Activity 2 expands the investigation of soils by using a water column to separate soil samples into various components. This data provides more evidence on the types and proportions of the different materials in each soil and allows students to refine their previous definition of soil. Activity 3 is a reading which provides information that expands their personal experience and observations from the previous activities to deepen and refine their understanding of the composition, structure and development of soil.

 

• 18 9-oz plastic cups
• 12 magnifying lenses
• 12 15-cm metric rulers
• 12 clear plastic tubes with caps
• 12 3x5 index cards
• 8 plastic teaspoons
• 6 sieves
• 6 50-mL graduated cylinders and bases
• 6 30-mL graduated cups
• 6 AB trays
• 1 32-oz. bottle of Soil A
• 1 32-oz. bottle of Soil B
• 28 Student Worksheet and Guides: How to Measure Length Using a Metric Ruler
• 28 Student Worksheet and Guides: Measuring Volume With a Graduated Cylinder
• 28 Student Worksheet and Guides: Soil Composition and Structure
• 1 Teacher's Guide
• 1 Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) packet
• 1 Transparency: Comparing Particle Size

• Number of Students: 24 (maximum 6 groups per period)
• To complete the three activities in this kit requires three to four ~50-minute class periods