Name________________________________

Dig It! Exhibition

Follow the directions to navigate your way through the online exhibition of
Dig It! ut together by the !mithsonian" The bold text mean you need
to answer a question or write something down.
#o to this web site$ htt$%%forces"si"edu%soils%&'_&&_&&"html
(ead the introduction titled !i)ing * !oils
+lic, on -he .ig /icture and ta,e the 0ui)1 if you miss a 2uestion clic, on
the 3earn 4ore and learn about the toic"
What is one interesting fact about soil that you learned from the
quiz?
!oils warm the best in nome 5las,a"
+lic, on !tate !oil 4onoliths clic, on -exas then choose ' other states and
read about their soil" What is a Fun Fact about Texas soil?
Cracks really big. Enough to gulf unt !aude"s tuli# bulb #lanter.
What is in the soil of one other state? Tell me the name of the state.
!ississi##i$ %atchez soil
What is so s#ecial about the soil of one other state? Tell me the
name of the state$ it needs to be di&erent from Texas$ and the state
in the question abo'e.
(u##ort oak hickorys and the southern magnolia tree
+lic, on 6hat is !oil read through all 7 ages and answer these 2uestions"
teas#oon of good farm soil contains u# to ) billion bacteria in
more than *+++ s#ecies.
(oil is the skins of the earth. (oils are ali'e$ they are born$ they
age$ they breathe.
What are the ingredients of soil?
8n age 9 watch the +hef:s +hallenge video"
What is the today"s secret ingredient?
(and
Who are the ,udges?
-uincy Cara#ace$ .assy .allager$ (yl'ania
8n age ; clic, on the (ecie .oo, read some of the di<erent soil recies"
-hen clic, on the !oil ingredients ta,e the 2ui) to see if you can determine
the ma,eu of di<erent tyes of soils"
What / of ingredients make u# 0esert (oil?
ir **/$ 1rganic !atter )/$ 23/ !inerals$ 4/ Water
5oamy (oil?
42/ ir$ 42/ Water$ 2/ 1rganic !atter$ *2/ !inerals
6eaty 7og?
2+/ Water$ *+/ 1rganic !atter$ )+/ !inerals
(ead age 7" What does C5186T stand for?
Climate$ organisms$ relief$ #arent material$ time
+lic, on +hi o< the 8ld .loc, read through all = ages"
92/ of the earth"s crust is made of ,ust eight elements. What are
they?
oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium.
Texture in:uences a soil"s ca#acity to hold water and nutrients.
8n age = lay the +olor 4atching game"
.ray.7lue..reen ; wetland mineral soils
8ed.<ellow.1range ; u#land soil
+lic, on !oil Forming Factors read through all = ages" 8n age ' lay the
>idden >ori)ons game"
0escribe the horizon.
To#soil = mineral layer
What is a monolith?
monolith, or vertical slice from topsoil down to subsoil, preserves a soils colors and
layered horizons in position. Scientists make monoliths of the important soils in
their region and use them in teaching.
8n age ; clic, on the Earth !,in -yes"
0escribe >ltisols.
Weathered tro#ical and subtro#ical soils
What ty#e of soil is in our area?
ultisols
8n age = clic, lay the 6here in the !oil 6orld are ?ou"
The :i# :o# is in the (outh 6aci?c @olcano soil ty#e.
The s#ur is in the (outh merican .rassland soil ty#e.
The mammoth tusk is in the (iberian 6ermafrost soil ty#e.
+lic, on 4atters of 3ife and Death1 read through all = ages"
%ot all forms of life need oxygen to breathe. What other things can
microorganisms use?
soil microorganisms take electrons from compounds in soil organic matter and combine them with
oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, or other elements. This is how they respire or breathe. !umans use only
oxygen.
0escribe some of the characteristics of 5ichens.
"ichens tolerate heat, cold, and drought. They pioneer soil#less surfaces, like rocky mountain peaks or
desert boulders. "ichens release organic acids that very slowly dissolve rock. $ver centuries, they
weather precious nutrients from barren rock and form thin soils that mosses, grasses, and eventually
trees can colonize.
+lic, on *nderneath it 5ll1 read through all 7 ages" 8n age @ clic, on the
*nderneath it 5ll lin, to dig dee and examine the e<ects our choices have
on soil"
What are some of the things that you may ?nd in the Washington$
0.C. soil sam#le? 8oot ball$ lighter soil layer that drowns the #lant$
built u# of dredged ri'er sediments.
What are some of the things that you may ?nd in the Terra 6reta
(oil of the mazon?
7roken #ottery$ unaltered infertile tro#ical soil
8n age 9" What is an increasing #roblem caused by global
warming?
making building and maintenance more expensive, and leaving coastal settlements extremely
vulnerable to shoreline erosion. The most catastrophic conse%uences may be avoided by monitoring
permafrost thaw and engineering new designs to cope with foundation instability.
8n age ;" What was wrong with the soil in Fredericksburg$ @irginia?
Grass would not grow on lawns of many new homes in the &reat $aks subdivision, even though
sod had been installed twice. The problem was highly acidic soil that had been exposed and moved
during landscaping.
Acid sulfate soils are natural. They form on marine sediments that were waterlogged, salty, and
contained sulfide minerals. 's long as they remain undisturbed underground, they pose no risk. (ut
when exposed to air, the sulfides react with oxygen to form sulfuric acid and dissolved iron.
Vegetation, wildlife, and concrete and steel are susceptible to harm from acid sulfate soils. )ron
washed from the soil by rainwater stained the sidewalks red at &reat $aks, while sulfuric acid
dissolved the silicate cement and exposed the gravel aggregate in the concrete.
The developer took extensive measures to reclaim the soil, applying *+ tons of lime per acre
and at least , pounds of compost for every *,--- s%uare feet. "ocal building regulations now re%uire
soil testing for acidity before excavation or ground cover installation.
+lic, on 6ise +hoices read through all A ages"
(oils are renewable butA it takes lots of time money and know how.
0escribe some of the new technology that hel#s manage soil
fertility.
Sensors mounted on tractors or linked to satellites read plants and soils to determine how much
fertilizer is needed. &enetic techni%ues let scientists study soil food webs that are essential to soil
fertility. .armers are starting to combine new technology with traditional approaches to grow crops
and sustain soil fertility.
Bow is the !illennium @illages 6ro,ect restoring soil fertility?
)n /- villages across *- countries, farmers first received mineral fertilizers and high#yield hybrid crops.
The next year, they learned to add manure and compost, or to plant legume cover crops and trees
that enrich the soil with nitrogen.
+lic, on 5 6orld of !oils1 read through all = ages" 8n age @ watch the
!oil$ -he secret Ingredient video"
8n age 9" 0e?ne loessC a loosely compacted yellowish-gray deposit of windblown
sediment of which extensive deposits occur
-he secrets of soils are the secrets of our lives"