Skills Assessment #1

Soil contains living things. Fungi, plants, and animals are all living organisms that can be found within it. Fungi are helpful because they feast on decaying matter. By breaking down decaying organisms, minerals are released into the soil and become food for new living creatures. The roots of plants are also helpful because the holes they create in dirt cause oxygen to pass through. When roots die, they become food for other plants. Animals also help. As they move through dirt, they produce passageways of air for plants to gain oxygen. They also provide a way for plants to freely extend their roots.

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How is fungus helpful to plants? Make sure to restate the question before you answer it.

Some of the water that comes down through precipitation contains pollution. Nature has a special way of cleaning these pollutants before water filters through the ground and ends up in rivers and lakes. Small microscopic organisms called microbes are in soil. After rain falls onto the ground, it sinks deeply into the soil. As it continues to travel downward, small microbes eat pollutants that are in the water. These small organisms continue this process which leaves the water cleaner than what it was when it first fell from the sky.

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How do microbes help reduce pollution?

A food chain is a system in which energy is transferred from one living organism to another. A plant getting its energy from the sun, a rabbit getting its energy from a plant, and a wolf getting its energy from a rabbit are each examples of a food chain at work. There are also food chains underground. Soil provides a home for worms. The waste from worms provides food for plants. When a plant dies, its decaying matter provides food for fungus. Fungus breaks down the matter into smaller pieces. The entire cycle repeats.

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Based on this text, how do worms benefit plants? Make sure to restate the question before you answer it.

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How does the author prove food chains provide energy?

Regions across the United States have different types of soil. The main types of soil include silt, sand, and clay. Silt is able to hold water. It feels powdery and crumbles. Clay is compacted and feels sticky. It holds the greatest amount of water in comparison to other soil types. Sand has a gritty feel to it. It does not hold water. In fact, it holds the least amount of water.

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Which detail below best describes clay?

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How is fungus helpful to plants? Make sure to restate the question before you answer it.

How do microbes help reduce pollution?

Based on this text, how do worms benefit plants? Make sure to restate the question before you answer it.

How does the author prove food chains provide energy?

Which detail below best describes clay?

What is the main idea of this paragraph? Make sure to restate the question before you answer it.