Learning Center 6
Exploring Soil - Testing for Clay

Materials

• small paper plates
• eye droppers
• dish of soil with lid
• water
• plastic spoons
• paper
• wet cloths for wiping hands and cleaning
• large bowl for collecting soil - please recycle soil

Instructions for students

1. Get paper plate and one piece of paper. Write your name on the paper.
2. Remove the lid from the dish of soil and put one spoonful of soil on your paper plate. Replace lid.
3. Look carefully at your soil. Write a few sentences about what you see.
4. Take an eye dropper and get some water.
5. Drop one drop on your soil. Write a few sentences on what happened and why you think this happened.
6. Use your eye dropper again. Add enough water to make a ball out of you soil. Be sure not to add to much water!!
7. Does your soil pack nicely? Write a few sentences on how your soil packed and why.
8. Dump your wet soil into the big bowl when you are finished. Use the wet cloths to wipe your hand and clean work area.
9. Leave everything as you found it.

Last Modified: 08/08/2008

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