Skip to content
LessonPrint

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

Next set

One paper per student

12345678910111213141516171819202122232425

Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

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. How many seedlings grew in the garden soil?
  2. 2. Which soil held water without getting soggy?
  3. 3. How did the clay feel when wet?
  4. 4. What was kept the same for all three pots?
2.How does sand feel when you rub it between your fingers?
  • A.Sticky
  • B.Silky
  • C.Gritty
3.What could a gardener dig into sticky clay soil to help it?
  • A.More clay
  • B.Compost, to make it more crumbly
  • C.Plastic
4.Why should every pot get the same water in a soil test?
  • A.Because water is free
  • B.So the pots look the same
  • C.So only the soil is different
5.Why are worms good for soil?
  • A.They mix it and make tunnels that let air and water in
  • B.They make it dry
  • C.They make it sandy
6.Which soil can be rolled into a sausage shape when it is wet?
  • A.Clay
  • B.Sand
  • C.Gravel
7.Soil with rotting leaves mixed in grows strong plants. Why?
  • A.The leaves keep the sun off
  • B.The rotting leaves add food to the soil and help it hold water
  • C.The leaves make the soil sandy

LessonPrint · 2-PS1-2 · Set 14 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Three Soils, Three Pots

Set 14. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. 5 tall green seedlings. 2. The garden soil, which stayed damp but not soggy. 3. Sticky and smooth. 4. The same seeds, the same pots, the same windowsill and the same water.
  2. 2.Gritty
  3. 3.Compost, to make it more crumbly
  4. 4.So only the soil is different
  5. 5.They mix it and make tunnels that let air and water in
  6. 6.Clay
  7. 7.The rotting leaves add food to the soil and help it hold water

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