Rocks and Soil

Students in Mrs. Sanchez’s 2nd-grade class were asked to describe what rocks are made of. Four answers are shown below. Jose – Rocks are made from dead plants that have hardened over time. Joyce – Rocks are made from waste that is left behind by animals. Rood – Rocks are made from dead plants and animals mixed with non-living minerals. Mariana – Rocks are made from non-living materials called minerals. Which student’s answer BEST EXPLAINS what rocks are made of?

• Jose

• Joyce

• Rood

• Mariana

Kiana was learning about the names of rocks when they are different sizes. Which rock, or pile of rocks, would be BEST labeled as a boulder?

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Starting from your backyard, what material would you be digging through if you were to dig a hole to the center of the Earth?

• mostly water

• mostly plants

• mostly fossils

• mostly rock

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

Look at the four boxes below. Which of the boxes MOST LIKELY contains rocks?

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Tags

NGSS.2-PS1-1

NGSS.2-PS1-2

Plants and animals become part of the soil when what happens?

• When they die and decay.

• When they produce offspring.

• When they grow bigger.

• When they take in nutrients.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

What part of the formation of soil is Annabelle modeling?

• The decay of plants and animals.

• The breaking up of larger rocks.

• The growing of crystals.

• The mixing of water and air.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Decomposers are living organisms that eat and break down once-living things that have died. Which organism below is NOT a decomposer?

• mushrooms

• worms

• rabbit

• bacteria

Soil is formed when rocks are broken into smaller pieces. Which process below would cause rocks to break into smaller pieces?

• A. Water crashing against the rocks.

• B. Leaves falling from trees.

• C. Clouds forming in the sky.

• D. Salt dissolving in water.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

Which part of soil provides the nutrients that the plants need to grow?

• A. Clay

• B. Silt

• C. Sand

• D. Humus

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Based on the color of each soil sample, which one MOST LIKELY contains the greatest amount of humus?

• Soil sample 1

• Soil sample 2

• Soil sample 3

• Color can’t tell you anything about soil

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1