What’s In Your Soil?

BY EVI WIART and PHOENIX STOYLES

Did you know that every soil is different? It takes thousands of years for a soil to form from different types of rocks and dead plants. Some soils have big rocks in them, while others have sand or clay. They can also have little bits of dead leaves and sticks! Grab a jar and complete the exercise below to find out what’s in your soil!

You will need:

• Jar with a lid 
• Spoon or trowel to scoop soil

Steps:

1. Go out into your yard and scoop some soil into the jar. Try to get a scoop with different things in it, like sand, clay, and gravel!
2. Fill the jar about ⅔ full with soil.
3. Fill the rest of the jar with water.
4. Put the lid on the jar and shake it until everything is mixed well.
5. Put the jar on a table and let it sit until layers start to form. This may take an hour or so. The longer you leave it, the clearer the water gets. Try leaving it overnight!
6. Once the layers have formed, take a look at your jar and draw what you see! Try to guess what each layer is.

Why do layers form in the jar? It’s because everything in the jar has a different weight! The heavy rocks fall to the bottom first, then the sand, then the tiny pieces of clay!