Exploring Soil

This week, To-Go girls learned all about soil! How many years does it take to form one inch of soil? Do all soils feel the same? Besides black and brown, what other colors of soil exist? Girls discussed the answers to these and other questions, then began the week’s activity. Keep reading to test your own knowledge of the upper crust!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each group was given a clod of natural soil, which they placed in water to observe. Girls noted objects that floated to the surface, including twigs, leaves, and air bubbles! After writing down their observations about soil composition, girls were able to analyze and identify the origin of 5 shoeprints. Each print was made by a character, such as a marine biologist, a potter, or an archaeologist, and included a soil sample.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After observing the texture of the soil in each print, girls noted the soil color and structure. Finally, they matched footprints and characters and gave evidence from their soil samples to support their thoughts. This activity required girls to collaborate, present evidence for their hypotheses, and come to conclusions. This week, To-Go students showcased skills that will help them be successful as future soil scientists!

Can you answer some of the questions we asked our girls this week? Tweet us @girlstart if any of these questions had you stumped!

– One inch of soil takes 1000 years to form.
– Not all soils feel the same! It depends on the amount of clay, organic matter, and other components contained in that type of soil.
– Soil can be red, yellow, white, and gray!