Chapter 4: WEATHERING AND SOIL

Learning Target / Vocabulary Word / Definition / Facts or Examples / Symbol/Picture
Lesson 1
I can explain how weathering and erosion affect Earth’s surface… / erosion / the process of______down and ______away rocks / includes the ______of rocks into ______pieces
involves the removal of rock particles by ______, water, ______or gravity /
weathering / the process that ______down rock
and other ______/ heat, ______, water, ice and ______all contribute to weathering /
I can explain what causes mechanical and chemical weathering… / mechanical weathering / the type of weathering in which rock is______broken into ______pieces / agents of mechanical weathering = ______actions, ______and thawing, ______growth, release of ______& abrasion /
abrasion / the wearing away of rock by ______particles carried away by ______, ice, wind or ______or human activities such as mining or ______/
frost wedging / when ______of ice in ______widen and deepen ______/
chemical weathering / the process that breaks down ______through ______changes / agents of chemical weathering = water, ______, carbon dioxide, living organisms and ______/
oxidation / when ______combines with ______in the presence of water / product of iron oxidation = ______
rust makes rock ______and crumbly and gives it a ______or brown color /
I can describe the factors that determine how fast weathering occurs… / permeable / material is full of ______, connected air spaces that allow ______to seep through it / the most important factors that determine the rate at which weathering occurs are the type of ______and the ______/
climate / refers to the ______weather conditions in an area / chemical reactions occur ______at ______temperatures /
Lesson 2
I can describe the composition of soil and how it forms… / soil / the ______, weathered material on Earth’s ______in which plants can grow / a mixture of rock particles, ______, decayed ______material, water and ______/
bedrock / the ______layer of rock beneath the soil / once exposed to air, water and living things, it gradually weathers into smaller and smaller particles that are the most ______components of soil /
humus / the ______organic material in soil / ______-colored substance that forms as plant and animal remains decay
contains ______that plants need /
fertility / a measure of how well the ______supports ______growth / soil ______in humus generally has ______fertility; ______soil with little humus has
low fertility
loam / soil made up of about equal parts of ______, ______and ______/ the ______soil for growing most plants /
pH scale / measures ______
most garden plants grow best in soil with a pH between 6 and 7.5 / pH ____ = neutral (pure water)
pH 1-4 = strong ______
pH greater than 10 = strong ______/
soil horizon / a layer of soil that differs in ______, texture and ______from the layers above or below it /
topsoil / a ______, dark brown soil that is a mixture of ______, ______and other minerals / forms as plants add organic materials to the soil and plant roots ______pieces of rock /
subsoil / usually consists of ______and other particles of rock,
but little ______
I can identify the roles of plants and animals in soil formation… / decomposers / organisms that break down the remains of ______organisms into smaller pieces and digest them with ______/ the material broken down by ______mixes with the soil as ______
decomposers = fungi, bacteria, worms, etc. /
Lesson 3
I can explain how soil can lose its value for humans and other organisms… / natural resource / anything in the environment that ______use / soil is one of the most ______natural resources because everything that lives on land, including humans, depends directly or indirectly on ______/
I can identify and describe the methods of soil conservation… / soil conservation / the ______of soil to limit its ______
crop rotation / when a farmer plants ______crops in a ______each year / rotate ______/cotton (use a lot of nutrients) with oats, ______, rye (use fewer nutrients) /
contour plowing / when farmers plow their fields along the ______of a ______instead of in ______rows / this method helps ______the runoff of excess rainfall and prevents it from ______the soil away /
conservation plowing / ______weeds and stalks of the ______year’s crop are plowed into the ground to help ______soil nutrients, retain moisture and hold ______in place /
Lesson 4
I can tell how people use land… / agriculture / crops/ plants grown specifically for ______or ______consumption / require lots of ______land, but less than 1/3 of Earth’s land can be farmed /
mining / the ______of ______resources from the land / ______exposes soil = can blown away or washed away /
development / when people settled in areas and then constructed ______, bridges and ______/
litter / the ______layer of dead ______and grass /
I can describe why soil management is important… / nutrient depletion / when the ______becomes ______fertile / frequently happens when a farmer plants the same ______in a field ______year
fertilizers / when farmers physically______nutrients to the soil to help their crops
grow ______/
desertification / the advance of ______like conditions into areas that previously were ______/ causes = climate/drought, ______by livestock and cutting down too many ______(deforestation) /
drought / a period when ______rain than normal falls in an area /
land reclamation / the process of restoring an area of land to a ______productive state / it is generally more difficult and ______to restore damaged land and soil than it is to ______it
some land may never return to its original state /

Chapter 4 Learning Targets

Lesson 1
I can explain how weathering and erosion affect Earth’s surface…
Erosion works continuously to ______and ______rocks at Earth’s surface.

I can explain what causes mechanical and chemical weathering…
The natural agents of mechanical weathering include ______and ______, release of ______, ______growth, actions of ______, and ______. The agents of chemical weathering include ______, ______, ______, living ______, and ______.

I can describe the factors that determine how fast weathering occurs…
The most important factors that determine the rate at which weathering occurs are the type of ______and the ______.

Lesson 2
I can describe the composition of soil and how it forms…

Soil is a mixture of rock ______, ______, decayed ______material, ______and ______. Soil forms as rock is broken down by ______and mixes with other materials on the ______.

I can identify the roles of plants and animals in soil formation…

Some soil organisms make ______, the material that makes soil fertile. Other soil organisms mix the soil and make spaces in it for ______and ______.

Lesson 3
I can explain how soil can lose its value for humans and other organisms…

The value of soil is reduced when soil loses its ______and when topsoil is lost due to ______.

I can identify and describe the methods of soil conservation…

Soil can be conserved through practices such as ______plowing, ______plowing and ______

Lesson 4
I can tell how people use land…

Three uses that change the land are ______, ______, and ______.

I can describe why soil management is important…
Without soil, most life on land could not exist. Poor soil management results in three problems: ______, ______and ______.