How Are Rocks Weathered to Help Form Soil?
Students simulate ways that water, wind, and ice help to form soil. They begin making their own soil by rubbing rocks together and collecting the rock particles. Students identify the sections in The Sun, the Wind, and the Rain by Lisa Westberg Peters that describe the weathering process of a mountain. Lesson 5. How Do Living and Nonliving Things Help Form Soil? Students continue to make soil by adding organic matter to their “rock soils.” They simulate other soil components. They prepare a terrarium for earthworms and observe them to conclude that some animals enrich the soil through their droppings, by breaking down organic materials into smaller pieces, and by loosening soil particles to allow air and water to enter. Students look for evidence on their school grounds of plants and animals helping to form soil. Lesson 6. How Does the Soil in a Natural Environment Compare with Soil on the School Grounds? Students conduct soil experiments on the school grounds and compare their results
