Three Soils, Three Pots is a free printable Grade 2 science worksheet on testing three soils to find the one best suited to growing seeds, aligned to NGSS performance expectation 2-PS1-2. It prints 7 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.
Set 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
Three pots of soil, each sown with five bean seeds and given the same cup of water every two days for three weeks.
THREE SOILS AFTER THREE WEEKS
Sand: gritty to touch; water ran straight through; dry on top within a day; 2 small seedlings
Clay: sticky and smooth when wet; water sat on top for an hour; still soggy; 1 seedling
Garden soil: crumbly; water soaked in slowly; damp but not soggy; 5 tall green seedlings
A worm was found in the garden soil only.
Same seeds, same pots, same windowsill, same water.
1. Why did only one seedling grow in the clay?
2. How many seedlings grew in the garden soil?
3. What was kept the same for all three pots?
4. Why did the sand dry out so fast?
2.Why can roots rot in heavy clay?
A.Clay can stay soggy, so the roots get too little air
B.Clay is too light
C.Clay is too dry
3.Why do plants in pure sand need watering often?
A.Water drains through sand quickly
B.Sand is too dark
C.Sand makes water cold
4.Which soil can be rolled into a sausage shape when it is wet?
A.Gravel
B.Clay
C.Sand
5.Soil with rotting leaves mixed in grows strong plants. Why?
A.The leaves make the soil sandy
B.The leaves keep the sun off
C.The rotting leaves add food to the soil and help it hold water
6.How does sand feel when you rub it between your fingers?
A.Sticky
B.Silky
C.Gritty
7.Why should every pot get the same water in a soil test?
A.So the pots look the same
B.So only the soil is different
C.Because water is free
LessonPrint · 2-PS1-2 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Three Soils, Three Pots
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. The clay stayed soggy, with water sitting on top. 2. 5 tall green seedlings. 3. The same seeds, the same pots, the same windowsill and the same water. 4. Water ran straight through the gritty sand.
2.Clay can stay soggy, so the roots get too little air
3.Water drains through sand quickly
4.Clay
5.The rotting leaves add food to the soil and help it hold water
6.Gritty
7.So only the soil is different
Questions about Three Soils, Three Pots
What does the Three Soils, Three Pots worksheet cover?
It practices testing three soils to find the one best suited to growing seeds — 7 questions for Grade 2, all on NGSS 2-PS1-2: Test materials and decide which one suits a job best. The instruction to students is “Read the record, then answer the questions”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which NGSS performance expectation does Three Soils, Three Pots practice?
2-PS1-2, under Physical Science for Grade 2. The published performance expectation reads: “Analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended purpose.” The worksheet assesses that performance expectation rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
Three Soils, Three Pots is written for Grade 2, typically ages 7-8. It is one of the sheets on 2-PS1-2, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does Three Soils, Three Pots come with an answer key?
Yes. All 7 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.
How many different versions of Three Soils, Three Pots can I print?
25 — one per student, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.
Is Three Soils, Three Pots free to print and photocopy?
Yes. Three Soils, Three Pots, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.
More practice for 2-PS1-2
Test materials and decide which one suits a job best.