Soil Moisture - Gravimetric
Protocol Title
Protocol
Students will measure soil water content by comparing the wet and dry masses of samples.
Supporting Protocols
Protocols to help in completion of the main protocol
Students will use a technique chosen by their teacher to expose a soil profile for characterization.
Field Guides
Step-by-step instructions for collection data according to the protocols.
Data Sheets
Sheets to be filled out during data collection
Learning Activities
Activities to help students learn more about the instruments and protocols
Students discover that soil properties such as moisture and temperature can vary considerably across a single landscape.
Students make mud pies by adding water to the various soil components, letting them dry and observing the pie's characteristics.
Students are introduced to the basic concepts of how water passes through soil in an activity which illustrates the scientific method. More advanced students investigate the effects of soil characteristics on water infiltration and the chemistry of water that has passed through soil
Beginning students are introduced to the basic concepts of how water passes through soil in an activity which illustrates the scientific method. More advanced students investigate the effects of soil characteristics on water infiltration and the chemistry of water that has passed through soil
Students collect, describe and compare soils from their own backyards.
Students will understand the geologic phenomena of weathering and erosion. These processes, along with deposition, shape our landforms and contribute to the development of parent material in the soil formation process.
Students simulate environmental conditions in order to determine the key factors that affect the decomposition of organic material in soil.
Students explore soil moisture by weighing and drying sponges and then they explore their soil samples in the same way.
Teams of students play a game in which they gather data and distort the values of certain measurements. They then estimate the values of the measurements taken by other teams and try to detect their errors.
An activity which highlights the importance of learning about the soils on Earth. In this activity students explore some of the many uses of soils, learn the five soil-forming factors, and gain a better understanding of how little of Earth's surface is covered in soil.