Head O’ Meadow Students Learn How To Test Soil

Students in Liesl Fressola’s classroom were just some of the second grade students at Head O’ Meadow School on Monday, January 11, who learned how to take soil samplings from Audubon Society education coordinator Carol Kratzman.

Ms Kratzman began the classroom activity by asking students what soil is made of. Responses included food, paper, wood, roots, leaves, and worms. When she heard the response “worms,” Ms Kratzman asked the students what the worm’s job is.

“To eat the soil,” one student responded. Ms Kratzman further explained the worms take the things that need to be broken down, like everything listed by the students, and turn it into soil.

“I have a soil sieve for each table,” Ms Kratzman said, before explaining to the students they would be testing different samplings of dirt to see what the dirt is made of.

The first sample came from the beach.

Ms Kratzman explained only the smallest bits of soil would get through the last level of the sieve, and the larger pieces would be kept on the first level of the sieve.

“You can not be a good soil sampler unless you record your information,” said Ms Kratzman to the students. Each table of students in the classroom recorded the size soil particles they found on the different levels of their sieve and reported back to Ms Kratzman.

After walking students through sampling multiple different soils, Ms Kratzman attended other second grade classrooms at Head O’ Meadow to show other students in the school how to take soil samples.