Soil Stories
Soil is the foundation for life on Earth. It is a wonderful mix of living and non-living organic matter in which most of the plants on our planet grow. There are different classifications of soils and these classifications can tell us whether or not the soil can sustain plant life, which plants can grow there, and even which soils are good for withstanding erosion and for building houses on. Use Project Learning Tree’s “Soil Stories” to explore the fascinating world of soil!

Young Child Extension
Bring in samples of the three main soil textures, sand, silt and clay. Allow children time to play with and feel each of the soil textures. Ask: What do each of the soils feel like? How do the soils differ from one another? Why do you think they are different? Try growing seeds in each of the soils and in a mixture of the three. Record what happens in a chart.

Book List
Grades PreK-2
Bial, R. 2001. A Handful of Dirt. Walker & Company.
Bourgeois, P. 1990. The Amazing Dirt Book. Kids Can Press, Limited.
Bourgeois, P., M. Newbigging, and K. Vanderlinden. 2008. The Dirt on Dirt. Kids Can Press, Limited.
Bryant-Mole, K. 1996. Soil. Steck-Vaughn.
De Bourgoing, P. and G. Jeunesse. 1995. Under the Ground. Scholastic, Inc.
Oxlade, C. 2002. Soil. Heinemann Library.
Richardson, A.D. 2001. Soil. Capstone Press.
Rosinsky, N. M., and S. Williams. 2002. Dirt: The Scoop on Soil. Coughlan Publishing.
Siddals, M. M., and A. Wolff. 2010. Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth. Random House Children’s Books.
Woodman, N. 2007. Dirt. National Geographic Society.

Grades 3-5
Aloian, M. 2010. Different Kinds of Soil. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Bial, R. 2001. A Handful of Dirt. Walker & Company.
Bourgeois, P., M. Newbigging, and K. Vanderlinden. 2008. The Dirt on Dirt. Kids Can Press, Limited.
Hyde, N. 2010. Micro Life in Soil. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Lindeen, C. K. 2007. Soil Basics. Pebble Books.
Montgomery, H. L. 2010. How is Soil Made? Crabtree Publishing Company.
Tomecek, S. 2002. Dirt: Jump into Science. National Geographic Society.

Grades 6-8
Aloian, M. 2010. Different Kinds of Soil. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Gurney, B. 2004. Sand and Soil. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Montgomery, H. L. 2010. How is Soil Made? Crabtree Publishing Company.
Silverstein, A., V. Silverstein, and C. E. Silverstein. 2000. Life in a Bucket of Soil. Dover Publications.

Grades 9-12
Graham, I. 2004. Soil: A Resource Our World Depends On. Heinemann Library.
Janice, R. 2006. Land Abuse and Soil Erosion. Wiegel Publishers.
Nardi, J.B. 2005. World beneath Our Feet: A Guide to Life in the Soil. Oxford University Press.