Soil Formation & Decomposition

Soil is composed of all of the following materials. Select all that apply.

• 
• 
• 
• 

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

The weathering of rocks into small pieces forms what natural resource?

• Minerals

• Water

• Coal

• Soil

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

How would the soil in areas that get very little rain be impacted?

• The pieces of rock would be smaller.

• There would be more insects and worms.

• There would be a greater variety of plants.

• There would be less water and organic material.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

A student made a mixture of sand, tiny rocks, small twigs, and some leaves. This student has modeled _________.

• How rocks change over time.

• The life cycle of plants.

• The formation of soil.

• How landforms are created.

Rocks near the ocean get broken into smaller pieces. What causes this change to the rocks?

• Leaves falling from trees.

• Clouds forming in the sky.

• Water crashing against the rocks.

• Salt dissolving the water

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Which of the following processes will most likely contribute to the development of soil?

• Volcanic eruptions that make new land.

• Building up of snow in very cold areas.

• Migration of animals to warmer climates.

• Breaking down of rocks by wind, water, and ice.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

The organic matter in soil comes mostly from plants. Which of the following locations would most likely produce soil with the greatest amount of organic matter?

• A desert with very high temperatures.

• A prairie with lots of grasses and flowers.

• A mountain with extremely cold winds.

• A river with quickly moving water.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

A student exploring the formation of soil put rocks in a plastic jar of water and shook it. Afterwards, there were small pieces of broken rock in the water. What process in the formation of soil does this model?

• weathering of earth materials

• decay of plant matter

• formation of various minerals

• mixing of water and air

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

To rot or break down the remains of plants and animals into smaller parts is to _______.

• form

• decompose

• weather

• mix

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

How are the soils in these two pictures similar? Select all that apply.

• Dry

• Few plants

• Few animals

• Same texture

• Same color