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Third grade students at Phenix Elementary School have been busy studying the importance of soil. They know that many of the things we depend on every day from food, medicine, clothes, shelter, oxygen and many other things come from plants. Soil is necessary for the growth of plants. Students have brought in soil and analyzed it. The layers of soil were modeled with graham crackers, Oreo cookies, and chocolate pudding and then eaten.

Patricia Mays and Sara DeJarnette from Southside Soil and Water Conservation District visited classes and discussed with students the importance of soil and taking care of it. Students learned that topsoil is only about 3 inches deep and that the subsoil in our area is mostly clay. The bedrock in this area of the state is granite. Mays and DeJarnette had students perform a field test to feel and describe the different textures of sand, silt and clay. Students modeled the different types of soil: sand, silt and clay. They learned why loam (a mixture of the three) is the best type of soil for many crops. Who knew playing with and learning about dirt could be so much fun?