National Science Education Standards
Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry (Grades 5 - 8)
Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data
Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence
Think critically and logically to make the relationships between evidence and explanations.
Properties of earth materials (Grades Kindergarten - 4)
Soils have properties of color and texture, capacity to retain water, and ability to support the growth of many kinds of plants, including those in our food supply.