Course: Advanced Ag Science

Unit: Soil Science

Lesson: Explaining a Soil Profile
Lesson Type: Problem Solving
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. Explain a soil profile.
2. Explain how soils within a profile change over time.
3. Distinguish between the major horizons of a soil profile.

Illinois State Learning Standards:

English: 11-12.RST.-.5 Analyze how the text structures information or ideas into categories or
hierarchies, demonstrating understanding of the information or ideas.

Next Generation Science Standards:

Science: 9-12HS.ESS.2.7 Construct an argument based on evidence about
Engaging in Argument from Evidence.

AFNR Career Cluster Content Standards:

NRS.01.02.05a Research and examine the characteristics used to identify non-living resources
(e.g., soil types, climate, geography, etc.).
NRS.01.02.05b Apply identification techniques to determine the types of non-living resources in
an area.

Materials and Technology:

Explaining a Soil Profile Lesson Plan
Explaining a Soil Profile PPT
Explaining a Soil Profile Guided Notes (10 copies)
Explaining a Soil Profile Quiz (10 copies)
Soil Core
Computer & Smart Board
White board & markers
Paper & pencil

Vocabulary:
Additions Materials such as fallen leaves, windblown dust, or chemicals from air pollution may
be added to the soil.
Eluviation When the topsoil layer loses clay, iron, and other materials due to leaching.
Illuviation The zone of accumulation since chemicals leached from the A horizon
accumulate here.
Losses Materials may be lost from the soil as a result of deep leaching or erosion from the
surface.
Soil Profile The different layers of soil.
Solum A and B horizons together; this is where most of the plant roots grow.
Subsoil B horizon.
Substratum C horizon.
Topsoil A horizon; the surface layer where organic matter accumulates.
Transformations Materials may be altered in the soil.
Translocations Materials may be moved within the soil.

Situation:
There are 10 students in this Advanced Ag Science class at United High School. There are no
IEPs or 504 plans in this class, but there are 3 students that may have some knowledge gaps due
to their absence in Intro to Ag class. Before this lesson, the students learned about basic soil
science principles and the nature of soil. In this lesson, students will be learning about soil
profiles, how they change over time, and how to tell the different layers apart. In the next lesson,
students will be learning about soil color.

Interest Approach: (5 minutes)

At the start of class, students will be asked to answer this question in their notebooks:
1. What are the four materials that make up soil?
a. Air, Water, Mineral Matter, and Organic Matter

Review: (5 minutes)
To review the previous lesson, I will ask a variety of questions relating to the material covered
the day before. Those questions are:
1. What are the three principal soil horizons?
a. Topsoil, subsoil, and substratum
2. Partially decomposed rock material is called what?
a. Mineral matter
3. Partially decomposed plant and animal material is called what?
a. Organic matter

Procedure: (60 minutes)

In this lesson, students will be following along this PowerPoint with a set of guided notes. These
guided notes will match the PowerPoint, and students will fill in important terms. Students will
first review the learning objectives, which are displayed on slide #2 of the Explaining a Soil
Profile PPT. Next, students are presented with a list of vocabulary words used in this lesson.
1. Slides 4-5: Soil Profile
a. Different layers of soil in a profile
b. Differences because of:
i. Parent material
ii. Slope Ask How does slope effect the soil profile?
iii. Native Vegetation Prairie vs. Forest
iv. Weathering (time)
v. Climate Illinois soils vs. Arizona soils Ask How might they be
different?
2. Slide 6-9: Changes in Soil Profile
a. Four processes Ask Any ideas?
i. Additions leaves, dust, or chemicals (anything added to soil)
 ii. Losses materials can be lost from the soil due to leaching or erosion
Ask Which materials would be lost due to erosion? & What can be lost
due to leaching?
iii. Translocations materials moved within the soil (can be moved up or
down)
iv. Transformations materials that are altered within the soil
b. Occurs differently at various depths & as a result, layers develop soils change
over time, a soil may look very different in 10 years compared to now
3. Slides 10-17: Major Horizons
a. 3 primary soil horizons A, B, & C
i. O horizon: organic layer forest floor (leaves and animal debris)
ii. A horizon: topsoil surface layer of actual soil
1. This layer loses clay, iron, and other materials (leaching) called
eluviation
2. Grows plant roots, microorganisms, etc
iii. B horizon: subsoil zone of accumulation
1. Ask Why do we call it the zone of accumulation?
a. everything that leaches out of the A horizon ends up in the
B horizon called illuviation
2. Less OM and more clay than A horizon
3. A & B horizons = solum (where most plant roots grow)
iv. C horizon: substratum
1. Less influence from soil-forming processes
2. Usually parent material of the soil
v. R horizon: bedrock
1. Beneath C horizon could be limestone, sandstone, or granite
4. Slide #18: Review/Closure Questions

At the end of the PowerPoint, the whole class will go out to the shop to look at a soil core and
see the different horizons.

Closure: (5 minutes)
To close this lesson, I will ask a few questions of the students as a review. Those questions are:
1. At what depth is a soil profile studied?
a. 3-5 feet
2. Name the four processes that change soils.
a. Additions, losses, translocations, and transformations
3. What is the A horizon also called?
a. Topsoil
4. What horizon or layer is the underlying bedrock, such as limestone, sandstone, or granite
found?
a. R horizon

Assessment:
The students will be assessed informally throughout the lesson with verbal questions and
answers. At the end of this lesson, each student will be given a quiz to check for understanding
of each learning objective. The class as a whole should pass each question on the quiz. If I feel
that any learning objective needs to be revisited before continuing on, I will spend time on that
before starting the next lesson in this unit. There will also be a formal assessment at the
completion of this unit.