Adapted from Outdoor School Curriculum from Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center (Petersburg, PA)

OBJECTIVE

Students will be able to name the components that make up soil.

Students will be able to discuss why it takes so long for one inch of top soil to form.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

What is soil made of?

How long does it take 1 inch of soil to form?

MATERIALS NEEDED

• Soil Soup cards
• Soil Soup recipe
• Large bowl
• Yogurt cups
• Trowel or spoon to stir 
• Large printed recipe

PROCEDURE

1. Intro: Share that you have a recipe from your great great great great grandmother that you need help making today. Ask the children- are you willing to help?
2. Pass out the ingredient cards & yogurt cups to students, pairing them up or putting them into groups 
3. Provide boundaries in the garden (describe areas in the garden that are safe to explore) & how much time they have to collect 
4. When done, all gather in a circle & place ingredients into the mixing bowl, reading aloud each ingredient as you add it 
5. Pass the bowl around & have students take turns stirring…”does it look like soil yet?”
6. Have a student read the recipe aloud again to “double check” – have the 100 years line be exaggerated & a big deal as the lesson can be disappointing without the excitement.
7. Reflection

What is soil made of? Why does it take so long to form? What or Who helps make it? (decomposers)

Talk about how soil is a critical habitat for both living & non-living things, & we need to work on conserving our soil since it takes so long to form

Can extend class time if needed with a decomposer search