Creating a Soil Map

Detective Le Plant needs our help to look at the soil.

	You will need: a tape measure or yard stick a pencil and paper an eye for detail
Choose the area you want to look at. Divide the area into 2-feet-by-2-feet squares. Find out what's in the soil in each square. Write down all of the things you have discovered about your soil square. Write down today's weather. On a day when the weather is different, look at your square again to see if the soil has changed. If it has changed, how is it different?
Questions to ask about the soil . . . What color is it? What is its texture? Are there a lot of rocks in the soil? Is the soil moist or dry? Does it have any insects in it? Now that you've looked at your soil square, Does the soil look different from square to square? Do you think this soil would be good to grow plants in? Why or why not?
Did you find any worms in the soil? Did you know that worms add nutrients to the soil that plants can use? Click here to learn how to compost with worms!