Lesson 7 of 7 · Natural Resources

Experiment⭐ 30 XP

Soil Is a Resource Too

🧪Lab Brief #7

Natural Resources.

🎯 Your mission

Set it up. Test it. Be amazed.

⚡ The twist

Nature loves to surprise the careful watcher.

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Mind = Blown

🔬 The more you look, the more nature shows you.

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Make a hypothesis first

Before you start: write down what you think will happen, and why.

What You'll Learn

It takes centuries to build a few centimetres of topsoil and a single storm to strip it from a bare field. Ploughing along contours, planting cover crops and keeping hedges all slow the loss.

Key Words

Tap a word to see its definition.

Materials Needed

two trays
soil
grass seed
watering can
balance
filter paper

Safety First

Wash hands thoroughly after handling soil.
Mop up spills straight away to prevent slips.

Steps

Step 1 — Read

Read the explanation above and note the two key terms before you start.

Step 2 — Do

Tilt two trays of soil, one bare and one planted with grass seed grown for two weeks, and pour the same amount of water down each. Collect and weigh the soil washed out of each.

Step 3 — Observe

Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.

Step 4 — Record

Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 2

Which loses more soil in heavy rain?

How sure are you going to be?😐 maybe

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Where you see this in real life

This shows up in your everyday life more than you'd think.

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Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

Try one experiment in real life this week — even a tiny one.

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For the dinner table

“What's the most surprising thing you learned today?”

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Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

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Share this experiment

Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.

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