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Soil Shakes
 Soils from here, soils from there, are soils the same everywhere? Make a soil shake or two to find out. This activity can get messy, so do it outside.
What You Need
• 1 small shovel
• Newspaper
• Water
• 2 or 3 glass (or clear plastic) jars with lids
What to Do
1. Use the shovel to dig a few scoops of soil.
2. Spread the soil on the newspaper. Remove large sticks and stones. Break up large clumps of soil.
3. Fill a jar one-quarter full of soil.
4. Add water until the jar is about three-quarters full.
5. Replace the lid tightly. Shake the jar for about 30 seconds.
6. Set the jar down. Leave it for 30 min. while the soil settles.
7. Repeat the activity in a new jar using soil from a different location.
8. Compare the soil layers from your different samples.
How it Works
Your soil sample will settle out into different layers. The lightest materials will be at the top, the heaviest at the bottom. The materials floating on top might include bits of leaves and grass. Below the layer of water are layers of clay, sand, silt, or stones.
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