🌱 Learn About Different Properties With This Soil Investigation Activity

What could be better than getting your hands dirty and learning at the same time? This soil properties activity will excite students while observing different types of soil. Students will create a trifold pamphlet to record their findings, draw models, and answer reflection questions. 

To prepare for this activity, prepare different stations with four different soil types:

• Sand
• Silt
• Clay
• Loam

Students will visit each station, observe, and record information about the following properties:

• Color
• Particle size
• Texture
• Moisture

Through this activity, students will explore and record the different properties of various soil types.

Tips for Differentiation + Scaffolding 

A team of dedicated, experienced educators created this resource to support your science lessons. 

In addition to individual student work time, use this investigation activity to enhance learning through guided science groups, whole class lessons, or remote learning assignments. 

If you have a mixture of above and below-level learners, check out these suggestions for keeping students on track with the concepts: 

🆘 Support Struggling Students

Help students who need help understanding the concepts by limiting the number of soil types to observe. This activity could also be completed with the help of a teacher in a small group. Additionally, provide access to previous assignments, as well as posters and anchor charts for students to recall past lessons.

➕ Challenge Fast Finishers

For students who need a bit of a challenge, encourage them to list different places where each soil type can be found.

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the PDF or editable Google Slides version of this resource. 

When printing, make sure to print double-sided and select “Flip on short edge.” Fold along the solid lines to create the soil properties trifold.

This resource was created by Melissa McLaren, a teacher in Massachusetts and Teach Starter Collaborator. 

Don’t stop there! We’ve got more activities and resources that cut down on lesson planning time:  

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