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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.

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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. How did the clay feel when wet?
  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 held water without getting soggy?
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 are worms good for soil?
  • A.They make it dry
  • B.They make it sandy
  • C.They mix it and make tunnels that let air and water in
4.Soil with rotting leaves mixed in grows strong plants. Why?
  • A.The rotting leaves add food to the soil and help it hold water
  • B.The leaves make the soil sandy
  • C.The leaves keep the sun off
5.Which soil can be rolled into a sausage shape when it is wet?
  • A.Sand
  • B.Clay
  • C.Gravel
6.Which soil would you choose for a tray of seeds?
  • A.Dry sand that water runs through
  • B.Wet clay that stays soggy
  • C.Crumbly soil that holds water but does not go soggy
7.How could you test which soil holds the most water?
  • A.Look at the color of each
  • B.Smell each one
  • C.Pour the same water into each and measure how much drips out

LessonPrint · 2-PS1-2 · Set 7 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Three Soils, Three Pots

Set 7. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Sticky and smooth. 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, which stayed damp but not soggy.
  2. 2.Clay can stay soggy, so the roots get too little air
  3. 3.They mix it and make tunnels that let air and water in
  4. 4.The rotting leaves add food to the soil and help it hold water
  5. 5.Clay
  6. 6.Crumbly soil that holds water but does not go soggy
  7. 7.Pour the same water into each and measure how much drips out

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