Do Now1. What is soil?2. Why is soil important?3. What is agriculture?4. What would happen to our agriculture if

our soil was not taken care of?5. Agriculture gives us nutritious food – like

vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc. What is your nutrition like?

6. How does our nutrition compare to other countries?

• Soil is created when rock is broken down in sediment and covered with organic matter.

•The process that breaks down the rock is called weathering.

What is soil?

•the upper layer of earth in which plants grow, a black or dark brown material typically consisting of a mixture of organic remains, clay, and rock particle

Soil is also made up of humus (dead plants and animals), minerals, air and water.

SOIL!•Draw this pie chart in your notebook.

Shows good quality soil:

OM = organic material

Types of Soil

•There are 6:1. Clay – cucumber, broccoli, squash – shorter

roots!2. Silt – wide variety of plants!3. Sand – lose nutrients easily, but can quickly

warm up4. Chalk – don’t support acidic plants, more lime

based5. Peat – lots of fruit and vegetables6. Loam – most diverse, many types of soils

Remember the size order!

Characteristics•Find the point where all 3 lines meet. The

name in that area is the type of soil present.

Example: 50% clay, 30% silt and 20% sand is...

Example: 50% clay, 30% silt and 20% sand is...

With your table partners…

•With your table, figure out which type of clay you have using your diagram on your notes

•YOUR TURN TO PRACTICE!

What kind of soil does NC have?•Red clay and heavy clay – improved by

adding organic matter.•Leading field crop? Tobacco and cotton

What is the largest food crop in NC?

•Peanuts and sweet potatoes•Apples•Hay and wheat

What is organic matter?

-well-rotted leaves-compost-horse manure (gross…. But true!)-peat moss (a specific types of soil…)

What is compost?•The recycling of organic waster material

▫What are some examples??? Leaves, grass clippings, straw, weeds, plant

parts RECYCLING is more than just paper….

What can we use compost for? Rich humus to help our plants grow!

Review Rock Booklet 1. You will be given a rock review booklet

to look over in class.