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Background:
As we began to see in Dirt!: The Movie, the fate of humans
has always been intrinsically connected to the resource we call
dirt. The abiotic nutrients and minerals in soil are essential
aspects of the geosphere that support all life. Today we will be
testing samples of dirt from our terrariums to see what we can
find out
Goals:
1. Examine the physical structure of our dirt samples
2. Conduct three chemical tests of our dirt samples (pH, phosphate, and nitrogen)
Sandy soil (big particle size) drains well and has space for air, but does not store nutrients or
support roots well.
Silty soil (medium particle size) holds water fairly well, but does not hold nutrients extensively
Clay soil (small particle size) holds water and nutrients well, but clumps together and has little
space for air.
Questions
1. Describe the texture of your soil.
2. Based on soil texture, do you think your soil would support life? Why or why not?
**Rinse the stopper and all test tubes! DO NOT THROW DIRT DOWN THE SINK. Return all
othermaterials to the blue container. **
Questions (cont):
3. Is the pH of the soil acidic or basic? How would this affect life?
4. Are the nitrate and phosphate levels suitable for plant growth? Would you need to add fertilizer if
you wanted to farm in this soil?
5. Compare your soils physical and chemical properties to another groups. What are the similarities
and differences? Which would be better for farming and why?
6. Excess nitrates and phosphates from fertilizers often end up as runoff that seep into bodies of
water. Why might this become problematic? (Hint: It was discussed in Dirt: The Movie)
7. In what ways is dirt an essential resource for human society? Why is it so undervalued?