California Institute for Biodiversity Store

Have you ever wondered about soil? Where did it come from? Was it always here? And why is the soil in one place sometimes different from that in another?

With Soil Creator, you can find the answers to these questions for yourself! First, find out what soil is, what it’s made of, and how scientists describe different kinds. Then, make your own soil recipe in the Soil Creator! You choose the ingredients: the type of rocks, the temperature, whether the environment is wet or dry, and the amount of vegetation. Finally, the Soil Creator will tell you just what kind of soil you’ve created—and exactly where you can find soil just like this in California.

Teachers: The combination of a media tutorial and the interactive Soil Creator make learning about soil interesting and engaging for your students. Also included on Soil Creator is a PDF of the teacher guide, Dishing the Dirt. This guide provides background information, a lesson overview, and a reproducible chart for students to keep track of their soil creations.