The purpose of this resource is to develop an understanding of how water flows through different soils and how it is transformed when it flows through these soils. Students time the flow of water through different soils and observe the amount of water held and also the filtering ability of the soils. They will also observe the filtering ability of soils by noting the clarity of the water before and after it passes through the soil. Educational levels: Primary elementary, Intermediate elementary

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GLOBE® 2005  Just Passing Through (Beginner) Learning Activity - 1 Soil
A
ppendix
W
elcom
e
Introduction
Protocols
Learning A
ctivities
Just Passing Through  
(Beginner Version)
Purpose 
To develop an understanding of how water 
flows through different soils and how it is 
transformed when it flows through these soils
Overview 
Students time the flow of water through different 
soils and observe the amount of water held in 
these soils. They will also observe the filtering 
ability of soils by noting the clarity of the water 
before and after it passes through the soil. 
Student Outcomes
Students will be able to identify the physical 
and chemical changes that occur as water passes 
through soil.
Science Concepts
Earth and Space Science
Earth materials are solid rocks, soil, water, 
biota, and the gases of the atmosphere.
Soils have properties of color, texture, 
structure, consistence, density, pH, 
fertility; they support the growth of 
many types of plants.
The surface of Earth changes. 
Soils consist of minerals (less than 2 mm), 
organic material, air and water.
Water circulates through soil  
changing the properties of both the soil 
and the water.
Scientific Inquiry Abilities
Identify answerable questions.          
Design and conduct an investigation.          
Use appropriate tools and  techniques 
including mathematics to gather, 
analyze, and interpret data. 
Develop descriptions and explanations, 
predictions and models using evidence.
Communicate procedures and 
explanations.             
 
Time 
One class period 
Level 
Beginning
Materials and Tools 
(for each team of 3-4 students) 
Clear 2 liter bottle 
Three 500 mL beakers or similar size clear 
containers marked off in cm to pour and 
catch water 
Soil sample (Bring in 1.2 L samples of 
different types of soil from around 
the school or from home. Possibilities 
include top soil (A horizons), subsoils (B 
horizons), potting soil, sand, soils that 
are compacted, soils with grass growing 
on top, soils with clearly different 
textures, colors, or structures) 
Fine window screen or other fine mesh 
that does not absorb or react with water  
(1 mm or less mesh size) 
Water 
Clock or timer
Note: Smaller containers may be used if 
desired as long as the soil container 
sits firmly on the water catchment 
container. Reduce the amounts of soil 
and water - but remember that it is 
important for all students to start with 
the same amount.
For more advanced students:
pH paper, pen, or meter 
Prerequisites 
None  
!
?
GLOBE® 2005  Just Passing Through (Beginner) Learning Activity - 2 Soil
Background 
What happens to water when it passes through soil 
depends on many things such as the size of soil 
particles (texture and particle size distribution), 
how the particles are arranged (structure), how 
tightly they are packed (bulk density), and the 
attraction between the soil particles and the water. 
Some types of soil let water flow in quickly, and 
then hold the water inside the soil like a sponge. 
This might give plants a better chance of using 
some of that water. Other types of soil may let 
the water go completely through in just a few 
seconds. Still other soils may keep the water from 
getting in at all. None of these soil types is better 
than the other - they are simply good for different 
reasons. Which soil property would you look for 
if you wanted to plant a garden? Build a driveway 
or a playground? What happens if the soil is full 
of water and a heavy rain falls on it? How can 
you change the way your soil holds water? What 
happens to the soil when organic matter is added, 
when plants are growing on top of it, when it is 
compacted, or when it is plowed? 
Preparation 
• Discuss some of the general characteristics 
of soils or do Why We Study Soil or Soil in 
My Backyard Learning Activities or the Soil 
Characterization Protocols. 
• Bring in samples of different types of soil 
from school or from home. 
• Remove the labels and lids and cut 
off the bottoms of the clear plastic 2 L 
bottles.  
• Place a circle of screen inside the bottle 
so that it covers the cap opening. 
• Pour 3-4 cm of sand onto the screen. The 
sand will keep the screen from becoming 
clogged.  
• Place the bottle, mesh side down, on a 
beaker or clear container. 
• Pour 1.2 L of soil into the bottle over the 
sand.
• Copy the Work Sheets for each student
What To Do and How To Do It 
Class Investigation
1. Choose a soil (a sandy soil works best) to 
use for demonstration and place 1.2 L of 
the soil into the 2 liter bottle. 
2. Have students look closely at the soil. 
What do students notice: Color? Plant 
matter? Does it feel light or heavy? Is it 
granular (like cookie crumbs) or blocky 
(clumpy)? Record their observations 
about the soil on the board. 
3. Pour 300 mL of water into a 500 mL 
beaker or other clear container for 
pouring. Have students notice the clarity 
of the water.
4. Use a black marker to draw a line 
showing the height of the water in the 
pouring container. Have students count 
the cm lines to reach the top of the water. 
Record this number on the board.
5. Ask the students “What will happen when 
you pour the water onto this soil”? Ask 
students to explain why they think the 
soil and water will behave this way when 
water is poured onto it. Some possible 
questions to ask are: 
• Will the water run out through the 
bottom of the bottle?
screen
sand
soil
2 L bottle
beaker
Figure SOIL-PB-1
GLOBE® 2005  Just Passing Through (Beginner) Learning Activity - 3 Soil
A
ppendix
W
elcom
e
Introduction
Protocols
Learning A
ctivities
• Will all of it run out? How much will 
run out? Make a mark on the pouring 
container with a red pen to show how 
much of the water students think will 
flow out.
• How fast will the water pass through 
the soil? Older students may time with 
a clock or stopwatch. Younger students 
can time by marking the minutes off on 
a timer (like in the Work Sheets) as the 
teacher times.
• What will the water look like when it 
comes out the bottom? Clear? Murky? 
Very Dirty?
6. Record the class ‘hypotheses’ on the 
board.
7. Pour the water onto the soil and begin 
timing. Ask students to describe what is 
happening as you pour the water: 
• Is all the water staying on top? 
• Where is it going? 
• Do you see air bubbles at the top of the 
water? 
• Does the water coming out of the soil 
look the same as the water going in? 
• Does the soil look different where the 
water has gone?
8. Record the class observations on the 
board. Also record how long it takes for 
the water to pass through the soil. 
9. Ask students to compare their 
hypotheses and the results of the 
experiment. 
10. Once the water has stopped dripping 
from the bottom of the bottle, remove 
the soil bottle and hold up the beaker of 
water which has passed through the soil. 
Ask students:
• Is this the same amount of water that we 
started with? How can we tell if it is the 
same amount?
• Pour the water back into the original 
container. Compare the amount left with the 
black line on the container. How much water 
is missing? How could we measure how 
much is missing?
• Compare the water level to the red line on the 
container. Is there more or less water left 
than we thought there would be? How 
could we measure the difference? Why did 
you think there would be more or less?
• What happened to the water that is 
missing? 
• Is the water more or less clear than 
before it passed through the soil? Why?
11. Keep the water that was poured through 
for comparison.
12. Using the bottle of saturated soil, ask 
students what will happen if you pour 
another 300 mL of water into the soil. 
Record the class hypotheses on the 
board.
• Will the same amount, more, or less 
water stay in the soil this time?
• Will it move through faster or slower or at 
the same speed?
• How clear will the water be? The same, 
more clear, or less clear than before?
13. Pour the water through the saturated 
soil, keep the time, observe the results, 
and compare with the hypotheses. Ask 
students:
• Did the water flow through faster than 
before? How do you know? Compare the 
two times.
• Did more of it flow through than before? How 
can we find out? Compare the amounts in 
the beakers.
• Is the water as clear as the first time? 
Compare the color of the water in the two 
beakers.
GLOBE® 2005  Just Passing Through (Beginner) Learning Activity - 4 Soil
Group Investigation
Experimenting with different soils 
Discussion
1. Review the properties of the various soil 
samples that were brought in. 
2. Ask students if they think water would 
pass through all of the types of soils in 
the same amount of time and if all the 
soils would hold the same amount of 
water. 
3. Discuss which soils they think might be 
different. 
4. Provide each group of students with one 
of the various soils.
Observation and Hypotheses
1. Give each student the Look and Guess 
Work Sheet.
2. Ask the students to fill in the Color of 
their soil (in words or with a crayon).
3. Ask the students to circle the Structure 
which looks most like their soil.
4. Ask students to look for leaves or Organic 
matter in their soil. Circle YES if they find 
organic matter. Circle NO if they do not.
5. Time: Remind students of the 
observations which they made during 
the demonstration. Ask students to guess 
the amount of time it will take water to 
flow through their soil. Circle the time on 
the timer, then write the number in the 
blank.
6. Amount: Ask students to draw a RED line 
on the container showing the amount of 
water they think will flow through their 
soil.
7. Clarity: Ask students to put an X on the 
container which will look most like their 
water after it flows through their soil.
Experiment and Report
1. Explain that when you say ‘GO’ everyone 
will pour their water in together.
2. You will begin to time when the water is 
poured.
3. Have students fill in the Experiment and 
Report Work Sheet for their soil.
Have each group report on the results of their 
experiment to the class. Reports should include 
Questions, Hypotheses, Observations and 
Conclusions about the experiment. Students can 
use their Work Sheets to prepare their reports.
Further Investigations
1. Using distilled water, have students 
measure the pH of the water.
2. Predict whether the pH will be different 
after the water passes through the soil.
3. Pour the water through, then test the pH 
again.
4. Have students draw conclusions about 
the effect of soil on water pH. 
Note: 1. Use this procedure to experiment with 
conductivity by measuring the conductivity of 
distilled water before passing it through the soil, 
then using saltwater and passing it through the 
soil. 2. Experiment with filtering by using very 
murky water and passing it through clean sand.
Ask students to perform the advanced version of 
the Just Passing Through Learning Activity.
 
 
GLOBE® 2005  Just Passing Through (Beginner) Learning Activity - 5 Soil
Just Passing Through – Beginners 
Work Sheet
Look and Guess
My soil is _____________  color
 
My soil looks granular  blocky 
     
My soil has                 leaves.       YES       NO
Time   ________
How much water will come out? Make your line RED.
What will the water look like? (CIRCLE) 
Timer
12
10
11
6
7
8
1
2
39
4
5
GLOBE® 2005  Just Passing Through (Beginner) Learning Activity - 6 Soil
Just Passing Through Beginners Work Sheet (continued)
Experiment and Report
Time  _______
How much water came out? 
What did the water look like?  
My Report
Timer
12
10
11
6
7
8
1
2
39
4
5


Just Passing Through (Beginner version)

http://www.globe.gov/tctg/passthrough_beg.pdf?sectionId=101

Just Passing Through (Beginner version)

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