1. Soil Analysis Lab Purpose: 1) To examine, discover, and compare the physical and chemical properties of soil. 2) Discover whether your soil meet the requirements needed to grow broccoli.

2. Review Soil Top layer of Earth’s surface Soil is made up of minerals, organic matter, air, and water.

3. Review Soil’s Importance Basis of life Filters water Water storage Habitat “Our soil is not just dirt, it is a factory where everything needed to feed plants, animals and humans is being made.”

4. Review Soil Formation

5. Review Topsoil

6. SETP 1: Collecting Soil: Materials Soil samples can be collected in school yard, garden, lawn, flower pot etc. Use clean trowel, spoon or dull knife to loosen soil Dig about 2 to 6 inches into topsoil Do not touch Place about a cup into paper bag Record location and name on bag

7. Collecting Soil Procedures Place name, location and date on bag Collect about 1 cup of soil Let dry out (no need to seal bag) Note any plant growing nearby

8. STEP 2: SOIL COLOR, ORAGNIC MATERIAL AND TEXTURE The color, texture and materials in the soil can tell a lot about the soil

9. Soil Color Generally the darker the soil the better (more organic materials) Gives clues to soil origin

10. Soil Organic Material Very important part of soil

11. Soil Texture

12. STEP 3: Soil pH Measure of acid/base/neutral Determines if nutrients are available to plant Most prefer 6.0 to 6.8

13. Soil Nutrients Minerals such as Nitrogen, Potassium, Phosphorus Key to plant health Fertilizers (manure, man- made) add nutrients

14. How Plants Get Nutrients From Soil Extracted in solutions Through Roots pH too high/low

15. You are a farmer…the soil is your “factory”

17. STEP 4: Extracting Soil Nutrients To test nutrients we must first extract soil solution Use larger plastic tube Follow directions Will use this extraction for rest of lab

19. Step 5: Nitrogen Key nutrient for plants Green leaves Most common nutrient Broccoli needs high levels

21. Step 6: Phosphorous Critical for root development Helps grow strong and produce flowers and fruit Broccoli needs high amounts

23. Step 7: Potassium Needed for new cell growth Whole plant needs it Without enough it grows slowly Broccoli needs high amounts

25. Conclusions/Sharing Data

26. Name Soil Sample Location Texture ResultpH resultNitrogenPhosphorusPotassium ** Share your data with the class using the SMART Board **