1. Soil Components

2. Everything else on the counter.
What you need today:
Pencil
Bellringer sheet
Everything else on the counter.

3. Why do you think the soil in this image is so red?
Bellringer # 1
What is soil?
Why do you think the soil in this image is so red?

4. Engagement
Which student do you agree with?
Explain.

5. Today’s Objectives Students will be able to:
Identify organic and inorganic parts of soil.
Explain how decomposition is related to organic matter.
Describe soil composition by how it feels.

6. Today’s Science Practice
How did today’s activity relate to how scientists classify sediments?

7. What is Soil?
Soil is a mixture of weathered rock, decayed organic matter, mineral fragments, water, and air.
About half the volume of soil is solid materials and the other half is liquids and gases.
Soil contains gases that fill the soil pores–the small holes and spaces in soil.
Why are pore spaces in soil needed to support the animals and plants that live in it?

8. What is Soil?
We discussed before that weathering gradually breaks down rocks into smaller fragments.
What is the difference between sediment and soil?

9. The Organic Part of Soil
These fragments don’t become good soil until organic matter is added to them.
What does organic mean?
What is organic matter?
Organic matter is the remains of something that was once alive.
Decomposition is the process of changing once-living material into dark- colored organic matter.
Which parts of soil are inorganic?

10. The Inorganic Part of Soil
Soil scientists classify soil fragments according to their sizes.
Rock fragments can be boulders, cobbles, gravel, sand, silt, or clay.
Between large particles are large pores, which affect soil properties such as drainage and water storage.

11. Think Pair Share
Which soil would swell the greatest amount after a rain- one that is made up of sand- and silt-sized particles, or one that is made up of silt- and clay-sized particles? Explain.