Homemade Soil

In this activity, you will create your own soil using materials you find at home. Then, you can label the soil layers.

Materials

• shoebox
• dead plant materials, such as grass clippings or fallen leaves
• rocks
• sand
• plastic wrap
• safety scissors
• tape
• paper

Procedure

Have an adult help you cut one side off the shoebox. Wrap the open side with plastic wrap. Secure it to the box with tape. Make a layer of rocks in the bottom of the shoebox. Mix a little of the dead plant material with the sand. Put this mixture on top of the rock layer. Finally, add the rest of the dead plant materials on the top.

Results

Using the paper, have an adult help you cut out paper for labels. Write the name of each soil layer on a strip of paper. Tape the strip of paper to the corresponding layer on the plastic wrap.