What is under our feet? We could say a mix of organic and inorganic matter such as decayed animals, plants, and weathered rocks which form layers. Bedrock is the foundation of layers in the soil. It is often buried under vegetation and unconsolidated materials but can be observed on mountain tops, near water streams, or in cracks found on the roads.
Our Layers of Soil material will take children through the different layers of the soil describing the composition and scientific names of each layer. Our Layers of Soil Puzzle has a beautifully hand-drawn illustration depicting the layers of the soil and comes with wooden arrows as well as a control chart. You will also find information about each layer in our Layers of Soil (6-9) Nomenclature Cards.
Materials
- Layers of Soil Puzzle
- Layers of Soil (3-6) Nomenclature Cards
- Layers of Soil (6-9) Nomenclature Cards
- Layers of Soil Puzzle with Nomenclature Cards (3-6)
- Layers of Soil Puzzle with Nomenclature Cards (6-9)
Related Materials:
- Life in the Soil Chart (Complete Set)
- Classroom Mats Medium (Green)
- Three-Part Card Tray
- Box for Three-Part Cards
- Life Cycle of an Earthworm Puzzle
- Life Cycle of an Earthworm Nomenclature Cards (Printed)
How to use the materials
Prior to the lesson, you may want to collect different types of soil that you could layer in a tall narrow glass. This would serve as an impressionistic experience for children to remember. You may also want to collect craft materials to leave at the disposal of children. After the presentation, they may want to create their own model of layers of soil. These materials could be flat marble, sand, gravel, paint, play dough, 1″ thick pieces of polystyrene foam, or cardboard.
Our puzzle presents six layers of soil: organic, humus, topsoil, subsoil, parent material, and bedrock. Some can be observed just anywhere, while others require some excavation.
Description and label
In Montessori science class, children are always presented with real-life experiences before they approach materials. For this reason, you may want to grab shovels, sifts, and buckets, and take children outside for a first-hand experience with soil. Have children dig the soil and fill up buckets. Encourage them to sift the soil and observe different parts. They will describe dirt, rocks, and, debris, and might find living organisms. Explain that plants and animals are organic matter as they are (or were) living organisms. The rest is inorganic matters such as different rocks. Water and wind have contributed to breaking down rocks into small sediments creating different kinds of rocks such as boulders, cobbles, pebbles, granules, sand, silt, and the finest of all, clay. Children might want to take some dirt back to the classroom for further observation (microscope?)
You may now invite children to a working space where Layers of Soil Puzzle and Layers of Soil Nomenclature Cards are on display. You may add pictures of apparent bedrock such as mountain tops or river edges to illustrate what bedrock looks like. You may distribute the pictures and label cards and keep the control cards from the Nomenclature Cards set. You may remove the top layer (organic) of the puzzle, and place it on the mat (see picture below).
Label the layer with a wooden arrow and read the corresponding description from the booklet. You may proceed this way for the rest of the layers from top to bottom. As you read the descriptions, place the control card on the top left part of the working space, and have children match the picture/description/label on the right side of the control card.
When the presentation is finished, you may show children where the material is located. You will find reproducible materials for extensions with the Layers of Soil Nomenclature Cards set. These might be copied and left on the shelf with the materials. As an extension, you can invite children to create their own model of the layers of soil using craft materials. These are unforgettable experiences children look forward to!
For more Montessori-aligned science puzzles, please check out our website! We offer a variety of puzzles and curriculum materials that satisfy the Montessori curriculum as well as the Next Generation Science Standards.
