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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 12 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Three Soils, Three Pots

2-PS1-2

NameDate

Read the record, then answer the questions.

1.Read the record, then answer the questions.

Three Soils, Three Pots

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. 1. Why did only one seedling grow in the clay?
  2. 2. What was kept the same for all three pots?
  3. 3. What might happen if the sand were watered every day instead?
  4. 4. Which soil is best for growing beans, from this test?
2.Soil with rotting leaves mixed in grows strong plants. Why?
  • A.The leaves make the soil sandy
  • B.The rotting leaves add food to the soil and help it hold water
  • C.The leaves keep the sun off
3.What could a gardener dig into sticky clay soil to help it?
  • A.Plastic
  • B.More clay
  • C.Compost, to make it more crumbly
4.Why can roots rot in heavy clay?
  • A.Clay is too dry
  • B.Clay is too light
  • C.Clay can stay soggy, so the roots get too little air
5.Why do plants in pure sand need watering often?
  • A.Sand makes water cold
  • B.Water drains through sand quickly
  • C.Sand is too dark
6.Why should every pot get the same water in a soil test?
  • A.So the pots look the same
  • B.Because water is free
  • C.So only the soil is different
7.Which soil would you choose for a tray of seeds?
  • A.Wet clay that stays soggy
  • B.Crumbly soil that holds water but does not go soggy
  • C.Dry sand that water runs through

LessonPrint · 2-PS1-2 · Set 12 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Three Soils, Three Pots

Set 12. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. The clay stayed soggy, with water sitting on top. 2. The same seeds, the same pots, the same windowsill and the same water. 3. More seedlings might grow, because the sand dried out within a day. 4. The garden soil, where all 5 seedlings grew tall and green.
  2. 2.The rotting leaves add food to the soil and help it hold water
  3. 3.Compost, to make it more crumbly
  4. 4.Clay can stay soggy, so the roots get too little air
  5. 5.Water drains through sand quickly
  6. 6.So only the soil is different
  7. 7.Crumbly soil that holds water but does not go soggy

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to 2-PS1-2 of the Next Generation Science Standards.