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Measuring Soil Infiltration Rates: A Science Classroom Activity

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Are you teaching the water cycle or studying soil in your classroom or homeschool? Measuring infiltration rates in different types of soils is a hands-on activity that helps students explore how water interacts with the ground. This soil infiltration activity also ties in perfectly with studies of porosity and permeability. This engaging experiment works as a stand-alone lesson or as part of a broader unit on soil science or the water cycle.

Before we dive in: The activity from this post comes from my complete Water Cycle Unit. If you’re an educator planning to teach infiltration and the water cycle, you’ll find printable directions, worksheets, and much more in the Water Cycle Unit (plus you’ll support my blog with your purchase! ❤️)

Materials

Gather the following materials to complete this activity:

  • Short tube or pipe with openings on both ends, something sturdy works best:
    • A short PVC pipe
    • Or potentially a sturdy can opened on both ends (file down any sharp edges before use)
  • Ruler
  • Permanent marker
  • Hammer or rubber mallet
  • Water
  • Stopwatch
  • Student worksheets & printable directions (available in my Water Cycle Unit!)
A photo showing classroom handouts for studying infiltration of water into soil

Measuring Soil Infiltration: Step-by-Step Directions

The basic idea of this soil infiltration activity is that you will hammer a tube shallowly into the soil, then pour water in, and observe the water level drop as the water seeps into the ground. Assist your students as they work through the following steps.

Pre-Lab

In this lab, students will compare the infiltration rate in at least three different locations with different types of soil. For example, they could compare a sandy soil, a clay soil, and a soil rich in organic matter.

Before starting the lab activity, ask your students to observe and handle the three different soils. Students should write a description of each soil’s observable properties (color, texture, moisture, particle size). Then, students should predict which soils will have the highest and lowest infiltration rates. Students should explain their reasoning for their predictions.

Part 1: Set Up Your Infiltrometer

First, you and your students will need to set up your “infiltrometer” (tube for measuring infiltration rates).

  1. Use a ruler and permanent marker to make measurement markings up the inside of the tube, starting from one end.
  2. Hammer the infiltrometer (tube) into the soil – the goal is to create a seal with the soil so that water won’t leak out under the tube’s rim. (An adult should complete this step for younger students.)
sketches showing a tube being hammered into the soil then filled with water.

Part 2: Measure Infiltration

Once you’ve set up the infiltrometer, you are ready to continue with the soil infiltration activity and collect your measurements.

  1. Pour water into the infiltrometer.
  2. Note the starting height of the water and start the stopwatch.
  3. Watch the water level in the infiltrometer lower as the water seeps into the soil.
  4. Repeatedly record the water level over time on the student worksheet.
  5. Repeat in different soils – compare a sandy soil, flowerbeds, mulch, gravel, sand, compost, etc.

Post-Lab

For an extra math challenge: Calculate the infiltration rate for each of the soils:

You may also wish to ask your students to reflect on their predictions. Were their predictions correct? Which soil had the highest infiltration rate? The lowest? What might cause this?

What’s Next?

Once you’ve measured infiltration, why not measure other water cycle processes? Be sure to check out my blog post explaining how to measure evaporation and my post on making a DIY rain gauge to measure precipitation with your students!

Materials for Teaching Infiltration and the Water Cycle

Save time preparing for this activity! My Water Cycle Unit includes printable directions and worksheets for this activity and two other water cycle activities. Plus flashcards, diagrams, and more. Check it out:

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Explore more lessons from Wild Earth Lab:

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DIY Rain Gauge Activity for Teaching the Water Cycle

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Teaching your students about the water cycle? Building a DIY rain gauge from a plastic bottle is a fun, hands-on activity to explore a key water cycle process: precipitation. This simple project is perfect for your classroom or homeschool and can be a stand-alone lesson or part of a larger study of water cycle processes.

Before we dive in: The activity from this post comes from my complete Water Cycle Unit. If you’re an educator planning to teach precipitation and the water cycle, you’ll find printable directions, worksheets, and much more in the Water Cycle Unit (plus you’ll support my blog with your purchase! ❤️)

Materials

Gather the following materials to complete this activity:

  • 2 empty plastic soda bottles of the same size
  • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Permanent marker
  • Student worksheets & printable directions (available in my Water Cycle Unit!)
A photo showing classroom handouts for teaching students how to build a precipitation gauge

Measuring Precipitation: Step-by-Step Directions

The basic idea of this lab is that you will build your own rain gauges out of plastic soda bottles and then use them to collect and measure precipitation in two places. Assist your students as they work through the following steps.

Pre-Lab

In this lab, students will compare the precipitation measured in at least two different locations. For example, they could compare an area with trees and an area out in the open. Or they could give one rain gauge to a friend on the opposite side of town.

Before starting the lab activity, ask your students to make some predictions and explain their reasoning. Which location will receive more precipitation? Or will both locations receive the same amount? Explain your reasoning.

Part 1: Make Your Precipitation Gauge

You will need to build your precipitation gauges and then wait several days to collect your results. First, here’s how to make your own precipitation gauges from plastic bottles:

  1. Cut the plastic soda bottles in half below the tapered necks (an adult should do this step for younger children).
  2. Turn the bottlenecks upside down to make funnels.
  3. Use a ruler and permanent marker to make measurement markings (e.g., centimeters or inches) up the side of the bottle, starting from the bottom.
images depicting cutting a bottle in half then using the top half to make a funnel into the bottom half

Part 2: Measure Precipitation

Several days later, complete the experiment:

  1. Place each precipitation gauge outside. You may wish to stack rocks around the gauges to keep them from tipping over.
  2. Compare the precipitation in two locations. Try placing one precipitation gauge somewhere with trees and one out in the open. Or give one gauge to a friend or family member who lives nearby.
  3. In winter, if you have snow, remove the funnel from the top of each gauge bottle to allow snow to fall directly into the base of the bottle. Bring the gauge inside to allow the collected snow to melt to measure snow water equivalent.

Post-Lab

For an extra math challenge: Measure the diameter (D) of the precipitation gauge and then calculate the volume of water that you collected in each rain gauge using the volume of a cylinder equation:

volume of a cylinder equations

You may also wish to ask your students to reflect on their predictions. Were their predictions correct? Which location received more precipitation? What mechanism might have caused this?

What’s Next?

Once you’ve measured precipitation, why not measure other water cycle processes? Be sure to check out my blog post explaining how to measure stream flow with your students and how to measure evaporation!

Materials for Teaching Precipitation and the Water Cycle

Save time preparing for this activity! My Water Cycle Unit includes printable directions and worksheets for this activity and two other water cycle activities. Plus flashcards, diagrams, and more. Check it out:

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Explore more lessons from Wild Earth Lab:

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Hands-On Water Cycle Activity: Measure Evaporation

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Looking for a simple, hands-on way to teach the water cycle? Measuring evaporation is an easy activity that brings the process to life for your students. Perfect for classrooms or homeschools, this experiment makes learning about the water cycle engaging and interactive! You can measure evaporation as a stand-alone activity or as part of a larger exploration of water cycle processes.

Before we dive in: The activity from this post comes from my complete Water Cycle Unit. If you’re an educator planning to teach evaporation and the water cycle, you’ll find printable directions, worksheets, and much more in the Water Cycle Unit (plus you’ll support my blog with your purchase! ❤️)

Materials

Gather the following materials to complete this activity:

  • Two small see-through jars or cups
  • Liquid measuring cup (or graduated cylinder)
  • Water
  • Food coloring
  • Permanent marker
  • Student worksheets & printable directions (available in my Water Cycle Unit!)
A photo showing classroom handouts for teaching evaporation lab activities

Measuring Evaporation: Step-by-Step Directions

The basic idea of this lab is that you will have two jars, one with a lid and one without. You will observe the change in the water level in the two jars over several days due to evaporation. Assist your students as they work through the following steps.

Pre-Lab

Before starting the lab activity, ask your students to make some predictions and explain their reasoning.

Will the jar with the lid:

  • Loose water?
  • Gain water?
  • Remain the same?

Will the jar without a lid:

  • Loose water?
  • Gain water?
  • Remain the same?

Part 1: Set Up

You will need to set up the experiment and then wait several days to collect your results. On the first day, take the following steps:

  1. Use a liquid measuring cup to measure equal amounts of water into two small glass jars.
  2. Put a drop of food coloring in each jar.
  3. Use the marker to mark the water level in each jar.
  4. Leave one jar open. Put a lid on the other jar – this will be your control. Discuss with your classmates and/or instructor the purpose of a control in a science experiment.
  5. Place the jars under a covered area so rain can’t fall into them. Wait several days or weeks. Evaporation may occur very slowly in humid climates.

Part 2: Measure Evaporation

Several days later, complete the experiment:

  1. Once the water level is visibly lower in the open jar, use the graduated cylinder or liquid measuring cup to measure the amount of water in each jar. Record the volume on the student worksheet.
  2. The difference between the two jars is the amount of water that evaporated.
  3. Discuss whether water evaporated from each jar – why or why not?

Post-Lab

Ask your students to reflect on their predictions. Were their predictions correct? Why or why not? Which jar lost water? What caused it to lose water?

What’s Next?

Are your students up for a bigger challenge? Now that you’ve observed evaporation, why not measure some other water cycle processes? Be sure to check out my blog post explaining how to measure stream flow with your students and how to measure snow!

Materials for Teaching Evaporation and the Water Cycle

Save time preparing for this activity! My Water Cycle Unit includes printable directions and worksheets for this activity and two other water cycle activities. Plus flashcards, diagrams, and more. Check it out:

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Explore more lessons from Wild Earth Lab:

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Teaching Climate Change: hands-on sea ice albedo experiment

Albedo lab materials - tubs with water and foil
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Are you looking for a hands-on activity to teach climate change? In this lab, students will create a model of sea ice and ocean water albedo using aluminum foil and two tubs of water. Students will track the temperature in a covered and un-covered tub on a sunny day. Students will learn about albedo and the impacts of positive feedback loops in climate change.

Important: I’ve made the directions for this albedo lab activity available for free here in this post. If you would like printable directions and worksheets for this activity, you can purchase them in my Albedo Lab mini-study. These materials are also included within my complete Antarctica Unit and Polar Bundle.

Printable directions for the albedo lab activity are available in my mini-study.

Materials

Each lab group will need the following materials:

  • Two clear-bottomed shallow plastic tubs of equal size
  • Cold liquid water
  • A large piece of dark blue or black paper or cloth
  • Aluminum foil
  • 2 thermometers
  • Printed student handouts and worksheets
Student worksheets for the albedo lab activity.

Tips for Success

  • Complete this lab on a sunny, warm day close to mid-day when the sun is overhead. This lab may not work on cold or overcast days, or in the early morning or afternoon when the sun is at a lower angle in the sky.
  • Students should record the water temperature in the two tubs at a 5-minute interval. If the water is warming slowly, you can instruct students to switch to a 10-minute interval.
  • Once students see a clear trend or pattern, you may instruct them to stop taking measurements.
two tubs of water, one covered in foil

Activity Structure and Emphasizing Key Concepts

  • Before starting the lab, ask your students if they would feel cooler wearing a black or white shirt on a sunny day. Or, ask them if they would be more comfortable standing barefoot on blacktop or grass on a hot day.
  • During the lab, introduce the term “albedo” to your students – the amount of solar radiation reflected by a surface. Relate this to the black vs white shirt example and the blacktop vs grass example.
  • After completing the lab procedure, ask your students what they think happens to ocean water at the poles when it is no longer covered in sea ice. Discuss how positive feedback loops work.
positive feedback loop diagram
I created this positive feedback loop diagram for you. It’s available in my shop, and you can support my blog with your purchase!

Step-by-Step Procedure

Head out to a sunny area, pass out the materials, then help your students work through the following steps:

  1. Fill the two clear plastic tubs with equal amounts of cold liquid water.
  2. Check the starting temperature of the water in both tubs. Record the temperatures on the worksheet. The starting temperature should be the same in both tubs.
  3. Fully cover one tub in aluminum foil. This tub represents ocean water covered in a layer of reflective sea ice. The other tub represents uncovered ocean water.
  4. Lay your dark fabric on the ground or table outside in direct sunlight. The dark fabric represents the dark color of ocean water.
  5. Position your tubs on top of the dark fabric in direct sunlight.
  6. Wait 5 minutes.
  7. Check the temperature in both tubs, by inserting the thermometer into the water at the center of the container. Poke a small hole through the foil to insert the thermometer when you check the temperature in the foil-covered tub. Record the temperatures on your worksheet.
  8. Continue to check and record the temperatures every 5 minutes.
  9. Which tub is warming faster? Discuss why.

Discussion Questions

After working through the lab procedure, have your students discuss the following questions in small groups or as a whole class.

  1. Which tub became warmer faster? Explain why.
  2. Which would get warm faster, ocean water covered in reflective sea ice or exposed ocean water? Explain why.
  3. What is albedo? *in your own words
  4. What is a positive feedback loop? *in your own words
  5. In your own words, describe a positive feedback loop involving melting sea ice and climate change.

Worksheets and Printable Directions

There’s no need to put together worksheets and handouts for this lab – I’ve already created them for you! You can purchase them in my Albedo Lab Mini Study. These materials are also found within my complete Antarctica Unit and Polar Bundle.

The albedo lab materials are also found within these products:

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Porosity & Permeability: science experiments to try in your classroom!

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Are you teaching your students the difference between porosity and permeability? While these two properties of soils and rocks are related, they are not the same! And what better way to understand the difference between porosity and permeability than a hands-on lab activity!?

In this lab experiment, compare the porosity and permeability of three sediments: gravel, sand, and clay/silt. These activities are easy to complete with common household items.

You can download the printable directions and worksheets for these lab activities in my porosity & permeability mini study.

In this post, you will learn how to set up a porosity and permeability activity in your classroom. You can also get print-formatted versions of these directions, worksheets, handouts, and classroom posters to use during this lab in my Soil Science Unit!

Pre-lab Activity

Place a small amount of each sediment on three trays. Allow students to examine and touch the sediments. Ask students to consider:

  • Rub the material between your fingers. Describe how it feels. Coarse? Gritty? Fine? Sticky? Stiff? Loose?
  • Describe the material. Can you see individual grains? How large are they? What color(s) do you see?
  • Make a prediction: Which soil sill have the highest porosity? Which will have the lowest porosity?
  • Make a prediction: Which soil sill have the highest permeability? Which will have the lowest permeability?

Gather Your Materials

Gather the following materials for the demo. You will need:

Porosity Lab Activity Materials:
  • Dry gravel (~100 mL)
  • Dry sand (~100 mL)
  • Dry silt or clay (~100 mL)
  • 3 small containers of equal size (e.g., 150 mL beakers)
  • Extra beaker or liquid measuring cup
  • Water
  • Student lab handouts (1 set per student)
Permeability Lab Activity Materials:
  • Dry gravel (at least 100 mL)
  • Dry sand (at least 100 mL)
  • Dry silt or clay (at least 100 mL)
  • Graduated cylinder (200 mL or larger)
  • 400+ mL funnel to sit atop the graduated cylinder
  • 3 filter papers (e.g., pieces of coffee filters)
  • Scissors
  • Permanent marker
  • Beaker or liquid measuring cup
  • Water
  • Stopwatch
  • Student lab handouts (1 set per student)
Don’t forget to download the handouts and worksheets for this lab activity in my Porosity & Permeability mini study

Directions

Porosity Directions:
  1. Pass out the materials to the lab groups.
  2. Demonstrate the method with the gravel: Measure ~100 mL of gravel into a container and gently shake the container so that the surface of the gravel is flat.
  3. Record the total volume of the gravel on the lab worksheet.
  4. Fill a beaker with 100 mL of water.
  5. Slowly and gently, pour the water into the gravel, until the water level reaches the surface of the gravel.
  6. It may take some time for the water to “soak through” to the bottom of the beaker. You may need to pour a little water at a time and then wait before pouring some more.
  7. Record the volume of the pore space. This is equal to the volume of water you poured into the gravel.
  8. Students will repeat the procedure with the sand and the silt/clay.
  9. After students collect their measurements, show the students how to calculate the porosity:
Permeability Directions:
  1. Pass out the materials.
  2. Demonstrate the method with the gravel: Balance the funnel on top of the graduated cylinder and place a filter paper into the funnel to cover the stem hole.
  3. Fill the funnel approximately half way up with gravel. Do not fill the funnel all the way up to the top.
  4. Tap the funnel lightly to make the surface of the gravel flat.
  5. Use the marker to mark the level of the surface of the gravel on the funnel.
  6. Put 200 mL of water in the beaker or measuring cup.
  7. Start the stopwatch as you pour all 200 mL of water over the gravel.
  8. At regular intervals, record the time and the volume of water in the graduated cylinder.
  9. The water may pass through some sediments very rapidly. You may only have time to record a few volume measurements before the water is done passing through.
  10. After students finish the procedure with the gravel, they will repeat the procedure with the sand and the silt/clay. Fill the funnel to your previous mark with the other sediments.
  11. Look at the recorded data. Which sediment did the water pass through most quickly? This soil has the highest permeability.
Measure porosity and permeability with my set of lab activity materials.

Reflection Questions

  1. In your own words: what is the difference between porosity and permeability?
  2. What are some possible sources of error in the porosity lab?
  3. What are some possible sources of error in the permeability lab?
  4. During rain, water seeps down into the soil through its pores. Which soil will water pool on top of first: a soil with high permeability or a soil with low permeability. Which size grains would this soil likely have a lot of?
  5. You are potting a plant that needs a soil with high porosity. What size grains might help give a soil a high porosity?

This lab comes from my Soil Science Unit!

Your students will love the illustrated learning materials, plus you’ll support Wild Earth Lab with your curriculum purchase!

Explore more curriculum from Wild Earth Lab:

If you enjoyed this post, I know you will love using my environmental science materials in your classroom!

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Classroom Demo: Soil Organic Matter and Hydrogen Peroxide! Wow your students with this surprising reaction

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Are you studying soil science, gardening, or agriculture with your students? If so, you have probably learned that soil is a mixture of sediments and organic matter. But different soils have different amounts of these two ingredients. A soil’s organic matter content is important, especially when considering a soil’s ability to support plants.

In this demo, qualitatively compare the organic matter content of two soils. You can test the soil samples for organic matter by putting hydrogen peroxide on the soils and watching for a reaction (bubbling). More bubbles = more organic matter!

In this post, you will learn how to set up a soil organic matter demo in your classroom. You can also get print-formatted versions of these directions, worksheets, handouts, and classroom posters to use during this lab in my Soil Science Unit!

Gather Your Materials

Gather the following materials for the demo. You will need:

  • ~2 Tbsp (15 mL) samples of 2 types of soil:
    • Soil A: compost
    • Soil B: a soil with less organic matter (look for a light-colored soil that has few plants growing in it).
  • 3 small beakers
  • Laboratory personal protective equipment (gloves, safety goggles, lab coats)
  • 6% hydrogen peroxide (available at pharmacies)
  • Eyedropper
  • Student lab handouts (1 set per student)
You will find worksheets, printable directions, and a materials list for this demo in my Soil Science Unit.

Safety Notes

  1. Read and comply with all safety information and warnings on the hydrogen peroxide bottle. Before starting this demo, ensure all participants are prepared to safely handle hydrogen peroxide.
  2. Ensure all participants and observers wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (gloves, lab coat, safety goggles).
  3. Adult supervision is required at all times during this activity.

Directions

  1. Do not tell students where soil samples A and B came from until after the lab. Explain that the two soil samples contain different amounts of organic matter. Hydrogen peroxide reacts with the organic matter in the soil, making bubbles or fizzing sounds.
  2. Place ~2 Tbsp (15 mL) of soil A into a beaker
  3. Place ~2 Tbsp (15 mL) of soil B into another beaker
  4. Pass around the soils. Students should observe each soil and describe it.
  5. Put on personal protective equipment.
  6. Ask your students to gather around and watch as you squeeze an eyedropper full of hydrogen peroxide onto soil A and watch/listen for bubbles and fizzing.
  7. Repeat the previous step with soil B. Which soil reacted more?
  8. Finally, reveal that one of these samples came from a compost pile. Can students guess which one?
In this classroom demo, observe how soil organic matter reacts with hydrogen peroxide.

Reflection Questions

  1. Describe soil A (color, texture, feel)
  2. Describe soil B (color, texture feel)
  3. What happened when your instructor added hydrogen peroxide to soil?
  4. Did one soil react more than the other? Which soil reacted the most?
  5. Hydrogen peroxide reacts with organic matter. What does this tell you about soils A and B?

This lab comes from my Soil Science Unit!

Your students will love the illustrated learning materials, plus you’ll support Wild Earth Lab with your curriculum purchase!

Explore more curriculum from Wild Earth Lab:

If you enjoyed this post, I know you will love using my environmental science materials in your classroom!

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Soil Textures Jar Lab: set up this easy science experiment in your classroom!

banner with text "classroom science experiment: soil texture jar test" and a picture of a bottle of soil and water

Are you studying soil science, gardening, or agriculture with your students? If so, there is nothing quite like a soil textures jar lab to learn about sand, silt, and clay in soils! In this lab activity, students observe the distribution of grain sizes in soil samples, then classify the soils using the soil textures triangle.

If a scientist wants to know a soil’s texture, then they need to figure out the proportion of sand, silt, and clay in the sediment part of the soil. But this can be a challenge. How do you separate and measure all those tiny grains? Soil scientists use a few different methods for doing this.

This most basic method, the “jar test”, is easy to do in a classroom setting. Shake up soil and water in a jar. Then, watch the grains settle over time. Larger grains settle faster than smaller ones.

This jar test lab activity is perfect for teaching your students about soil textures.

In this post, you will learn how to set up a soil textures jar test lab in your classroom. You can also get print-formatted versions of these directions, worksheets, handouts, and classroom posters to use during this lab in my Soil Textures Mini Study!

Gather Your Materials

Gather the following materials for the lab. Each lab group will need:

  • 2 or 3 soil samples: collect different soils from 2 or 3 places. Avoid soils with a very high organic matter content, such as compost. Bring at least 300 mL of each soil per lab group so that you have some extra in case mistakes are made.
  • Sieve
  • Tray
  • 2 or 3 straight-sided, tall bottles (~ 500 mL)
  • Water
  • Dispersing agent: borax or dish detergent (optional)
  • Teaspoon
  • Permanent marker
  • Time keeping device (e.g., smartphone)
  • Ruler
  • 2 or 3 sticky notes
  • Student lab handouts (1 set per student)
Find all the materials for this science experiment in my Soil Textures Lab Activity mini study.

Set-Up

  1. This lab involves lots of waiting. You must collect certain measurements hours and days apart – make sure to plan accordingly.
  2. Before starting, it may help to sieve your soil samples to remove any large gravel, cobbles and roots. To do this, place the soil into a sieve. Select a sieve with openings no smaller than 2 mm. Gently shake the sieve over the tray. The soil will fall through while the larger gravel, cobbles, and roots will remain in the sieve. If you do not have a sieve, you can also spread the soil out on a tray and pick out any especially large gravel, cobbles, and roots by hand.
  3. Borax will help the clay settle. If you do not have any, dish detergent can be used as a substitute.
  4. Once students begin the procedure, the bottles should not be moved. Select an area for this lab where the bottles can sit undisturbed for a few days.
Lab procedure video for a soil textures science experiment for classrooms

Directions

  1. Pass out the materials.
  2. Demonstrate the method with the first soil. Fill a bottle about one third of the way with a soil sample.
  3. Gently tap or shake the bottle until the surface of the soil is flat. Then, use a permanent marker to mark the level of the soil on the outside of the bottle. Label the mark “initial”.
  4. Fill the rest of the bottle with water.
  5. Optional: add 1 tsp (5 mL) of the dispersing agent.
  6. Tightly cap the bottle.
  7. Shake the bottle vigorously for 5 minutes.
  8. The instant you stop shaking the bottle, set it on the counter and start a stopwatch. Do not move or disturb the bottle once the stopwatch starts.
  9. Sand takes about 1 minute to settle. After 1 minute, mark the top of the sand layer on the bottle with a marker. Label this mark “sand”. Measure the thickness of the sand layer with the ruler and record it on the student handout.
  10. Silt takes 2 hours to settle and clay takes at least 48 hours to settle. Students should write the times these measurements should be taken on a sticky note and place it on the bottle. Depending on the length of your class period, you may need to measure and record the thickness of the silt layer for your students in 2 hours.
  11. Students should then set up their second (and third) bottle(s) with the other soil sample(s) by repeating all the above steps.
  12. Students will measure and record the thickness of the clay layer at least 48 hours later. The water may still look murky above the settled sediment. This is because a small amount of very fine clay is still in suspension. The final soil level may be somewhat less than the initial soil level. This is because shaking and settling changes a soil’s structure and amount of pore space.
  13. Once students collect all  of the measurements, show the students how to calculate the percentages of sand, silt, and clay in each soil sample. For example:
Download my printable directions and worksheets for this soil textures lab activity

Reflection Questions

  1. Find each of your soil samples on the soil textures triangle (external link). What is the name of each of your soils?
  2. In your own words, define soil texture.
  3. A soil is made of 35% clay, 40% silt, an 25% sand. What type of soil is it?
  4. A soil is made of 10% clay, 5% silt, and 85% sand. What type of soil is it?
  5. You are selecting a soil to plant a cactus in. The cactus needs a fast-draining soil, so you are looking for a soil with plenty of coarse sediments. Which soil is a better choice: a sandy loam or a silt loam? Why? (See the soil texture triangle).
  6. You are choosing a place to dig a hole in your yard to build a fish pond. You do not want the water to drain out of the pond into the soil, so you are looking for a soil with plenty of fine sediments. The left side of your yard is a silty clay and the right side of your yard is a loamy sand. Where would you build the pond? Why? (See the soil texture triangle).
Public domain image courtesy of:
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

This lab comes from my Soil Science Unit!

Your students will love the illustrated learning materials, plus you’ll support Wild Earth Lab with your curriculum purchase!

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Camouflage Lab: try this simple science activity in your classroom to learn about animal adaptations!

A banner that says "study natural selection and adaptation! Camouflage Lab!"

Are you studying animal adaptations with your class? If so, there is nothing quite like a camouflage lab to learn first-hand how concealing coloration can help animals avoid being eaten by predators! This lab activity is very simple and effective for showing students how natural selection favors animals that can hide from predators.

This lab is entertaining because students get to be the “predators” by hunting for different “prey” (black and white beans) in a “habitat” made of white rice. Which prey will they capture most easily? Which prey will survive? Try this lab activity to find out!

Find these worksheets and handouts in my camouflage lab mini study!

In this post, you will learn how to set up a camouflage lab in your classroom. You can also get printable versions of these directions, worksheets, handouts, and classroom posters to use during this lab in my Camouflage Lab Mini Study!

If you are looking for even more ways to study animal adaptations, I think you will also like my bird beaks lab – read the separate post about the bird beaks lab.

This bird beak adaptations lab is another great way to study animal adaptations!

Gather Your Materials

Gather the following materials for the camouflage lab. Each lab group will need:

  • Dry white rice
  • Dry black beans
  • Dry white beans
  • Tweezers
  • Pie tin or shallow bowl
  • Paper cup
  • Stopwatch
  • Student lab handouts (1 set per student)

Set-Up & Directions

  1. Pour some rice into each bowl. The rice will be the background or habitat.
  2. Mix equal numbers of black beans and white beans into each bowl. The black beans are the regular animals. The white beans are the camouflaged animals.
  3. In each lab group, one student will be the predator and another student will be the timer. Students can take turns in these different roles.
  4. The predator will use the tweezers or “beak” to catch as many beans as possible in 30 seconds and place them in the paper cup or “stomach”.
  5. After 30 seconds, count how many beans of each color were captured, and how many beans of each color survived.
  6. Repeat as needed so all students have a turn being the predator.
  7. Check with your students: which “animal” was eaten the most? Which avoided the predators the most?
  8. After the activity, discuss the benefits of concealing coloration with your students.
  9. Students should complete the reflection questions.
Don’t forget to download the worksheets and printable directions for this camouflage lab activity!

Reflection Questions

  1. Did more black beans or white beans survive?
  2. Which beans were easiest to spot in the rice?
  3. How does camouflage help animals?
  4. Would the results of the lab activity be different if you used black rice as the background? How so?
  5. Would the results of the lab activity be different if you used gray rice as the background? How so?
  6. Which would get eaten more in a forest with lots of leaves and moss: a green lizard or a yellow lizard?
  7. Which would get eaten more in a desert with lots of sand, rocks, and dry plants: a greenish blue snake or a tan and gray snake?

Expand on this Activity

Try these ways to expand on your camouflage lab:

1. Natural selection over several generations:

Expand on this activity to learn about natural and adaptations.  Repeat the activity a few times to represent successive generations. Use the proportion of beans of each color after predation to determine the proportion of beans of each color in the next generation.

For example, if you started with 50 total beans (25 black beans and 25 white beans), and 5 black beans and 20 white beans remained after predation, then you should start the next generation with 10 black beans and 40 white beans.

Have students perform these calculations to add math to this lab.  Afterwards, discuss which coloration thrived in the long run. Did either coloration disappear from the population after several generations?

2. Mimicry:

Did you know that some harmless animals mimic dangerous animals? A good example of this is the harmless viceroy butterfly, which looks very similar to the poisonous monarch butterfly. Another example is a non-venomous milk snake, which has nearly the same red and black stripes (called “warning coloration“) as a venomous coral snake! This type of disguise is called “mimicry“, and it is a type of camouflage.

Expand on your camouflage lab by adding in a mimicry lab activity. The purpose of a mimicry activity is to show how pretending to be dangerous benefits prey animals. There are many versions of a mimicry lab, such as the activity shown in this candy camouflage YouTube Video from Science Buddies.

This lab comes from my Reptiles Unit!

Your students will love the illustrated learning materials, plus you’ll support Wild Earth Lab with your curriculum purchase!

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Measuring Snow: hands-on classroom activity to learn about snow hydrology and the water cycle!

banner with a picture of classroom handouts and the text "study snow hydrology and the water cycle - snow measurements lab"

If you live somewhere that gets snow in winter, you’ve likely measured the depth of snow before! But with a few extra steps, you can turn this simple task into an awesome, hands-on snow measurements lab activity for your classroom.

Find these worksheets and handouts in my snow hydrology lab mini study!

By measuring snow and performing calculations, we can determine snow water equivalent, stored water, and snow-to-liquid ratios! These are all important measurements for snow hydrologists and tell us a lot about water resources and the water cycle.

In this post, you will learn how to set up your own snow measurements lab to try out in your classroom! You can also get printable versions of these directions plus worksheets, handouts, and classroom posters to go along with this lab in my Bird Beak Adaptations Lab Mini Study!

Find these worksheets and handouts in my snow hydrology lab mini study!

Gather Your Materials

Gather the following materials for the snow measurements lab:

Part 1: Water in Snow

  • Printed copies of the “Water in Snow” worksheets (1 set per student)
  • 3 identical jars with lids
  • Water
  • Freshly fallen snow (not “slush” or partially melted snow)
  • Ice cubes

Part 2: Snow Water Equivalent

Set Up and Directions

Part 1: Water in Snow

  1. Fill one jar with liquid water, one jar with snow, and one jar with ice cubes. Fill all jars to the same level.
  2. Place a lid on each jar to prevent evaporative water loss.
  3. Put the jars somewhere indoors to melt.
  4. Ask students to make predictions about the water levels in each jar. Which jar will hold the most water at the end of the experiment? Which will hold the least?
  5. Encourage students to discuss their reasoning. They may notice that the jar with the ice cubes visibly contains a lot of air. For this reason, some students may expect that the ice cube jar will have the lowest water level at the end of the experiment.
  6. You may also ask students to draw a line on each jar to show where they think the water level will be.
  7. Once everything melts, ask students to check if their predictions were correct. Which jar holds the most water now? Which jar holds the least water now?
  8. Discuss how different types of snow (e.g., a fluffy, dry snow and a heavier, wet snow) will have different proportions of water and air in them. Share with students that snow hydrologists are often interested in the “Snow Water Equivalent”, or in other words, the amount of water in snow.

Part 2: Snow Water Equivalent

  1. Start by sharing with students that precipitation (e.g., snow, rain) is measured as a depth.
  2. We can measure this depth by setting an open container outside to collect precipitation as it falls.
  3. Help students use the rulers to draw and label measurement markings up the side of the container, starting at the bottom.
  4. Ask students to set these containers outside before it snows. If it is windy, students may need to place rocks or other heavy items around the containers to hold them in place. When the snow stops, students should record the depth, bring the container indoors, then wait for the snow to melt in the container.
  5. Once students determine the Snow Water Equivalent (i.e., the depth of meltwater in the container), help them calculate a snow-to-liquid ratio (SLR). You may wish to work through the example on the student handout as a class.

Other Suggestions

  • The snow and ice cubes may melt slowly. If you don’t have a long class period, set up this activity at the end of class one day, then finish the activity at the start of class the next day.
  • Don’t pack down the snow in the jar, since this may impact the snow’s density.

Reflection Questions

  1. Water only makes up a small part of snow’s volume. What could make up the rest of the snow? (What else is in the jar?).
  2. Imagine you have one jar with a fluffy, fresh snow, and one jar with a heavy, dense snow that was on the ground for a few days. After melting, which jar would have more liquid water? Why?
  3. Which would be more water: an inch of rain or an inch of snowfall? Why?
  4. If 21 inches of snow falls, and the snow-to-liquid ratio is 7 : 1, what is the snow water equivalent?
  5. Could snow water equivalent ever be a larger number than snow depth? Why or why not?

This activity comes from my Science in the Snow Unit!

Your students will love the illustrated learning materials, plus you’ll support Wild Earth Lab with your curriculum purchase!

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Bird Beaks Lab: try this hands-on classroom activity to learn about adaptations and natural selection!

materials for a bird beaks lab activity for studying natural selection and animal adaptations
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Maybe you have already heard of a bird beaks lab. But if not, the basic idea is this: students use different “beaks” (e.g., chopsticks, tweezers), to pick up different “food sources” (pasta, seeds, peas). Throughout this process, students figure out which beak is the best for “catching” each food.

This is a hilarious and hands-on way to experience competition between species and learn about natural selection and animal adaptations. Students will experience first-hand how specialized beaks can help birds quickly gather the most food and outcompete other types of birds.

In this post, you will learn how to set up your bird beaks lab in your classroom!

Get the most out of this activity: If you’re an educator planning to teach this activity, you’ll find all the worksheets, printable directions, and visual aids you need in my Bird Beaks Lab Mini Study and also within my complete Waterbirds and Waterfowl Unit (plus you’ll support my blog with your purchase! ❤️)

Find these printable lab materials, featuring watercolor bird illustrations, in my Etsy shop

Gather Your Materials

Gather the following materials for the bird beaks lab:

Beaks:

  • Binder clip or chip clip
  • Tweezers
  • Fork
  • Slotted spoon or small strainer (holes should be smaller than a pea)
  • Chopsticks
  • Eyedropper

Food Sources:

  • Gummy candies (20+)
  • Sunflower seeds or grains of uncooked rice (20+)
  • Marshmallows (20+)
  • Peas (20+)
  • Cooked pasta such as bowties or spirals (20+ pieces)
  • Skinny container filled with water and food coloring (for use with eyedropper)

Other Materials:

  • Liquid measuring cup
  • 2 large bowls filled with water
  • 6 Paper cups or other containers
  • Paper plates
  • Food coloring
  • Permanent marker
  • Timer/watch
  • Towel for cleaning up spills
  • Lab worksheets (1 set per student)
Find these worksheets and handouts in my bird beak adaptations lab mini-study!

Set-Up

  1. Start by setting up six “food source” stations:
    • Place 20  gummy candies on a plate. Label the plate “insects”.
    • Place 20 grains of rice or seeds on a plate. Label the plate “seeds”.
    • Place 20 marshmallows on a plate. Label the plate “rodents”.
    • Place ~20 tsp (~100 mL)of food-colored water in a skinny container. Label the container “flower nectar”. Place a liquid measuring cup next to the container for students to deposit the water into.
    • Place 20 peas in a large bowl of water. Label the bowl “aquatic plants”.
    • Place 20 pieces of pasta in another large bowl of water. Label the bowl “fish”.
  2. Write “stomach” on each paper cup.
  3. Give each student a “stomach” and one of the 6 “beaks”. You can have each student use just one beak, then share answers with students who used other beaks afterward. Or, if you have a small group (and lots of time), you may wish to have each student try out each beak.

Lab Activity

  1. Have students rotate through the food source stations with their beaks.
  2. Instruct students to use their beaks to pick up as much food as they can in 20-60 seconds, placing food into the “stomach” containers. Start the timer and say “go!” (Longer periods may be necessary for very young groups).
  3. After 20-60 seconds, say “stop!”. Students should use the lab datasheets to record the number of pieces of food they picked up (or the volume of liquid at the flower nectar station).
  4. Instruct students to empty their “stomach” cups and put the station back the way it was before moving to the next station.
  5. Once finished with all stations, ask each student to share their beak’s results with the class. Determine which beak(s) worked best for each food source.
  6. Ask students to complete the graphing activity. Students will make a graph for each food source comparing the amount caught by each of the 6 beaks.
  7. Have students work through the reflection questions in groups or individually.

Other Suggestions

  • For groups larger than 6 students, create multiple copies of each station. Or, have groups of 6 take turns rotating through the stations for this lab while the rest of the class completes other work.
  • After or during this lab, discuss adaptations and natural selection. Explain how in nature, animals compete for the same food sources. Birds that can quickly and easily gather lots of food have the best chances of surviving and raising offspring. Ask students to consider what happens when two birds with different beaks compete for the same food source. Discuss how the availability of different food sources may affect the shape of birds’ beaks over time.

Reflection Questions

  1. Which beak(s) worked best for each food source?
  2. Imagine a habitat where two groups of waterbirds compete for aquatic plants to eat. One group of birds has a filtering beak (like the slotted spoon), and one group of birds has a short, grasping beak (like the clip). What do you think would happen to each group of birds over time?
  3. Imagine a bird species with a large, pointy beak (like the chopsticks) that eats seeds. Imagine that one year a few birds are born with shorter, more precise beaks (like the tweezers). Do you think the birds with the new beak type will thrive? What could happen to this bird species over time?

Printables for this Activity:

Find the printable materials for this activity in my Bird Beaks Mini Study. These same materials are also found within my complete Waterbirds and Waterfowl Unit:

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