What Is Soil? (K-2)

Introduce the focus of the lesson, soil.  Begin demonstrating excitement for soil, bringing to light that, while its composition varies by location, soil is alive and necessary for all plant life to thrive.  

Prompt inquisitive conversation with the students by asking, “What is soil?  Where does it come from?  What ‘ingredients’ make up soil?”  

Explain that soil is a mixture of minerals, water, air and organic matter, expanding lightly on what each “ingredient” is and why it is essential to the plant.  In gardening, we categorize minerals in the soil in three categories: sand, silt and clay.  Because each of these varies by particle size, which will influence its ability to hold water, a healthy soil has a balance of all three.  However, the ratio of sand, silt and clay will vary by location.

Organic matter is anything in the soil that was once alive and is now dead, such as sticks and leaves.  By means of decomposition, the nutrients in the organic matter will be cycled back into the soil for use by living plants.

Introduce the activity Sensual Soil.

NGSS – Next Generation Science Standards

• K-LS1-1 Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive.
• 2-PS1-1 Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties.

KAP – Kū ʻĀina Pā Curriculum Map – Courtesy of the Kohala Center

• KAP_2:LS_K-2_2.1 The relationship between weeds and soil
• KAP_2:LS_K-2_5.3 Interrelationships between soil, plants, animals, humans, and environment