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 What Is Soil? By Cindy Grigg 1​
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Soil is a natural resource. It is made by nature. People use soil in many ways. Soil covers Earth's land. It is like a thin "skin" in which plants can grow. Soil makes life on land possible. 2​
Soil is a mixture of living and non­living things. It is made up of bits of rocks. Some things that live in soil are too small to be seen without a microscope. They are microbes. Soil is also made up of animal and plant parts that are living or once were living. In soil there are bits of rotted leaves and grass. There may be tiny pieces of dead insects. We call these things "organic." 3​
Soil forms from rock. Big rocks are broken down into small bits. Different soils are formed from different kinds of rocks. 4​
Plant roots push their way down into the soil. Leaves fall off trees. Fruits fall and rot. Plant parts decay and become part of soil. Animals like worms and moles live in soil. When these animals die, their bodies decay and become part of soil. It is the organic part of soil that lets plants grow. When plant and animal parts decay, they make humus. Humus is the dark, rich part of soil. Humus gives soil the nutrients plants need to grow. As more humus forms, more plants can grow. Copyright © 2015 edHelper Name Date ____________________________
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_ _ What Is Soil? 2. Soil is a ______ of living and 1. This story ______. non­living things. Uses poetry and rhyme Tells a story Tells information 3. Which part of soil lets plants grow? 4. Soil is ______ to people. Rocky part Useless Organic part Useful Sandy part 5. Soil forms from ______. 6. When soil forms, what happens first? Humus gives soil the nutrients plants need to grow. Plant parts decay and become part of soil. Big rocks break into smaller bits. What Is Soil? By Cindy Grigg different plants live once seen make living which makes rock made their kinds bits microscope rocks grass plant also push Directions:​
Fill in each blank with the word that best completes the reading comprehension. Soil is a natural resource. It is ​
(1)​
_______________________ by nature. People use soil in many ways. Soil covers Earth's land. It is like a thin "skin" in ​
(2)​
_______________________ plants can grow. Soil (3)​
_______________________ life on land possible. Soil is a mixture of ​
(4)​
_______________________ and non­living things. It is made up of (5)​
_______________________ of rocks. Some things that ​
(6) _______________________ in soil are too small to be ​
(7)​
_______________________ without a ​
(8)​
_______________________ . They are microbes. Soil is ​
(9) _______________________ made up of animal and plant parts that are living or ​
(10) _______________________ were living. In soil there are bits of rotted leaves and ​
(11) _______________________ . There may be tiny pieces of dead insects. We call these things "organic." Soil forms from ​
(12)​
_______________________ . Big rocks are broken down into small bits. ​
(13)​
_______________________ soils are formed from different ​
(14) _______________________ of ​
(15)​
_______________________ . Plant roots ​
(16)​
_______________________ ​
(17)​
_______________________ way down into the soil. Leaves fall off trees. Fruits fall and rot. ​
(18)​
_______________________ parts decay and become part of soil. Animals like worms and moles live in soil. When these animals die, their bodies decay and become part of soil. It is the organic part of soil that lets plants grow. When plant and animal parts decay, they ​
(19)​
_______________________ humus. Humus is the dark, rich part of soil. Humus gives soil the nutrients ​
(20) _______________________ need to grow. As more humus forms, more plants can grow. Copyright © 2015 edHelper Name Date ____________________________
__________________
_ _ What Is Soil? 2. Soil is a ______ of living and 1. This story ______. non­living things. Tells a story Tells information Uses poetry and rhyme 3. Which part of soil lets plants grow? 4. Soil is ______ to people. Organic part Useless Sandy part Useful Rocky part 5. Soil forms from ______. 6. When soil forms, what happens first? Humus gives soil the nutrients plants need to grow. Plant parts decay and become part of soil. Big rocks break into smaller bits. Name Date ____________________________
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_ _ (Key 1 ­ Answer ID # 0145097) Write each word three times. people dark also resource small thin possible natural call once make life grass humus land