Which Soil Holds Water?

Predict and read the results of a water test: clay holds the most, sand the least.

Warm-up, learn, try it together, practice, then a quick check. About 15 minutes.

What children learn in Level 11

Let's test which soil holds the most water. Put each soil in a funnel, and pour the same amount of water into each one.
The water that drains into the cup went through the soil. The water that stays behind is what the soil held.
Sand let 80 mL through, so it held only 20 mL. Clay let only 20 mL through, so it held 80 mL! Loam was in between.
Why? Sand has big grains with big spaces. Clay's tiny bits pack tightly and hold water. Loam has some of each.
Try it with a grown-up: put sand, clay, and garden soil in three cups with holes in the bottom. Pour the same water into each and catch what drains out.

Georgia Standards of Excellence in Science:

S3E1.b — Plan and carry out investigations to describe properties (color, texture, capacity to retain water, and ability to support growth of plants) of soils and soil types (sand, clay, loam).