ESS2.A: Earth materials and systems

Every soil sample that you touch is different from all others. Slides and activities

There is a lot of life above the earth. But in most systems, there is more life BELOW the soil than above it. Slides and activities

This section provides an overview about the importance of soils to the human world, history, and housing. Slides and activities

Forest soils form where it is not too hot, and not too cold. The type of soil that forms depends on what type of vegetation grows. Includes slides and activities

Teachers Guide for Soil! Get the Inside Scoop book. Site includes readings, slides, activities related to soil properties, and biomes.

Students investigate how the factors that influence erosion work together to produce an overall erosion rate. In agricultural areas, these factors are rainfall-runoff erosivity, soil erodibility, slope characteristics, and agricultural practices. Students analyze changes in precipitation predicted by climate change models to consider how a changing climate could influence erosion rates in agricultural areas.

Link to the GLOBE Program collection of soil instructional resources

In this activity, students investigate three different soil samples with varying moisture content. They use a soil moisture probe to determine the percentage (by volume) of water in each of the soil samples.

This guide contains 35 lesson plans with activities to engage your students in a fun and educational exploration of fruits, vegetables and healthy eating.

Surface soil particles are held together by various organic substances. The gluing of soil particles together into
aggregates helps maintain pores and channels in the soil for air and water to enter and move through it.