What Needs Soil to Grow?

When it comes to natural resources, soil is one of the most important for sustaining life on Earth. Without it, plants would lack the nutrients needed for their growth, many animals would lose their habitats, and humans would need to seek alternative sources of food, fibers and building materials. To put it plainly, life on Earth would fail to exist if plants and animals did not have access to healthy soil!

This simple cut-and-paste worksheet has been designed by our experienced team of teachers to help students learn about the types of organisms that are dependent on soil for their survival. Students must cut out the images on the dashed lines and glue them in the appropriate row of the table provided. The two rows of the table are:

• Needs soil to grow
• Doesn’t need soil to grow

This soil worksheet downloads as a black-and-white PDF or an editable Google Slides file. An answer sheet is also provided.

This resource would make a great addition to any lesson focused on the importance of soil to the survival and health of plants.

Take Your Soil Explorations Outside!

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 grounds? Students could observe the different plants, shrubs and trees around the school, then revisit the cut-and-paste worksheet and add the names of specific plants they have seen that require soil to survive. 

How to Access This 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 includes an answer page, we recommend making one copy of the entire file. Once you have removed the answer page, you can then 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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Soil Use in Our School Worksheets

Have students explore how soil is used around the school with this set of four differentiated worksheets.

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Uses of Soil Interactive Activity

Teach students how soil is used by animals, plants and humans with this interactive science game for Kindergarten students.

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What Needs Soil to Grow? Coloring Worksheet

Teach students what needs soil to grow with this coloring worksheet for early years students.