By: Ms.McNab

What’s in dirt? Dirt: Dirt is a mixture of four main ingredients, weathered rock, organic matter, air and water. The weathered rock can be in the form of sand, silt and clay. Organic matter can be in the form of leaves, dead plants and animals to microorganisms -- tiny living things like bacteria. The last two ingredients are air and water. Without air and water the microorganisms in the ground cannot live and grow or help dead matter decay. Soil is another word for dirt!

How is dirt formed? Soil formation: Soil is formed over a long period of time by several factors. It can take up to 1000 years for just an inch of soil to form! Besides time, other factors that help soil to form include: Living organisms: This includes organisms such as plants, fungi, animals and bacteria. Topography: This is the relief or slope of the surface of land where the soil is forming. Climate: The overall climate and weather where the soil is forming. Parent material: The parent material is the minerals and rocks that are slowly disintegrating to form the soil.

Video! Let’s dig deeper into dirt! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if29mjcd5bc

Let’s discover dirt. You will need A Shovel A Container (small plastic containers or jars) A pair of gloves