Explore Uses of Soil

Plants, animals and humans all depend on soil to survive. Without soil, plants would lack the nutrients needed for their growth, many animals would lose their habitats, and humans would need to seek alternative food sources, fibers and building materials. Without soil, life on Earth would fail to exist!

This simple cut-and-paste worksheet has been designed by our experienced team of teachers to help you introduce the uses of soil to your students. Students must cut the statements on the dashed lines and glue them in the appropriate rows. There are also three blank squares upon which students can write their own uses of soil for plants, animals and humans.

This uses of soil worksheet downloads as a black-and-white PDF or an editable Google Slides file.

This resource would make a great addition to any lesson focused on introducing the uses of soil to young students.

Delve Deeper Into Soil

This cut-and-paste worksheet may look deceptively simple at first, but it provides a great springboard for further exploration into the uses of soil.

To liven up your lesson, why not take students on a walk around the school? Students could observe how soil is used on the school grounds, then revisit the cut-and-paste worksheet and add more uses under each section of the table.

How to Access This Uses of Soil Worksheet

Use the Download button above to access either the printable PDF or the editable Google Slides version of this resource. (Note: You will be prompted to make a copy of the Google Slides template before accessing it.)

As this resource contains an answer sheet, we recommend downloading one copy of the entire file. Once you have removed the answer sheet, you can go ahead and make the required number of copies for your students.

This resource was created by Kendall Britnell, a teacher in Colorado and a Teach Starter collaborator.

More Teacher-Made Soil Activities

Looking for more activities to enhance your science lessons on soil? Explore this great selection of teacher-created resources!

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Why Is Soil Important? Teaching Slides

Explain to your students how living things depend on soil with this informative teaching presentation perfect for elementary school science lessons.

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Soil Word Wall Vocabulary Cards

Immerse your students in subject-specific vocabulary related to soil types and their properties with this set of 16 illustrated vocabulary cards.

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Types of Soil Mini-Book

Teach your students about the four main types of soil with this printable book, perfect for your science lessons!