My Bread and Soil - Soil Structure Versus Water Flow

OCTOBER 1, 2021
MY BREAD AND
SOIL – SOIL
STRUCTURE
VERSUS WATER
FLOW
Performance Task No. 4
Materials:
Bread Flour Coffee Water
Part 1: Available Water Capacity: Use bread and flour to represent a soil landscape with
aggregated (unplowed) and unaggregated (plowed) soil particles respectively. Observe
what happens when water hits the aggregated and unaggregated soils.
Bread as an aggregated soil. Flour as an unaggregated soil.

Q1: How did the water flow past the bread?
The bread (soil) absorbs the water (rainfall) thoroughly. The bread is made of yeast which
makes the bread like a sponge, the yeast create room for water to absorbs. The water
flowed until it hits the surface.
Q2: Is the water on the aggregated soil (bread particles) running off clear?
There is no runoff here because the water (rainfall) stayed put in the bread (soil).
Q3: Why do you think the aggregated soil stayed put with the flow of
water?
It stayed put because the bread (soil) is a sponge-like material, and a characteristic of a
sponge is it absorbs water. The bread has a room or a space for water to flow thoroughly
until the soil cant handle it and it became what we call springs.
Q4: If the bread represents (unplowed) soil, would the rain reach the
roots of the plants? What is unique with the structure of aggregated
soil?
Yes, it reached the roots of the plants. When the rain falls, the aggregated soil absorbs it until
it hit the bottom, in that way the rain reaches the roots, that will make the plants rich and
healthy. What makes the aggregated soil unique is it is bind or assembled by small particles
that makes it stable to absorbs water thoroughly.
Q5: How did the water flow past the flour?

It didn’t flow past the flour the water (rainfall) only first stayed at the top but the flour cant
absorbs so the water runs off, runs down with the flour particles (soil particles).
Q6: Is the water on the unaggregated soil (flour particles) running

off clear?
No, because the water (rainfall) that didn’t absorbs runs off with a bit of soil particles, so the
water gets washed away with soil particles
Q7: Why do you think the unaggregated soil moved with the flow of
water?
Because the flour (unaggregated soil) doesn’t have enough pores or space for water
(rainfall) to flow. So instead of absorbing the water thoroughly, that water will make a water
erosion with the soil particles and chemicals.
Q8: If the mound of the flour represents (flowed) land, would the rain reach
the the roots of the plants? What would need to be different for water to
soak into the soil?
No, it wouldn’t reach the roots of the plants, because water only infiltrates the upper layer of
the unaggregated soil, the others would be flowing down. In the experiment, when you dip your
finger into it, most of the part are still dry, no moist, not wet. It should be soil with many pores,
my spaces for water to flow.
Q9: If the bread or flour will be compacted, how would the water flow
past the soil models?
If they are compacted, the flow of water will be reduced, like it slows down the rate of
absorption, because it will be less pores, less the space for flowing of water. In flour it will be
more chances that the water only runs off.
Part 2: Soil Contamination: Observe what happens when a polluted water hits the
aggregated and unaggregated soil or when water hits a contaminated soil.
Contaminated Bread Contaminated Flour

Q10: How did the water or soil contaminants moved as the water hit the bread?
Like what an aggregated soil should be, it absorbs the contaminated water thoroughly, but the
contamination or the dirt from the water will be seen or stays in the surface.
Q11: How did the water or soil contaminants moved as water hit the mound of
flour?
It also just stays at the topmost layer first until it slides down and flow the contaminated water with
the soil particles (flour particles). It will move in areas with pumping wells that may result in
increasing of contaminated water that people use.
Q12: If the water or soil becomes polluted, which landscape would be

more likely to filter or clean the water before it reaches a dug well, river
or lake?
I think the best landscape is soil aggregated landscape because a clean ground water is filtered by
soil through flowing and flowing in the layers of soil. So, when the contaminated water flows to the
aggregated soil it will be filter to be clean before it moves to lake and rivers.
Part 3: Soil Sealing: Both soil landscapes are partially sealed (covered by a carton that
represents the impermeable material). Observe what happens when water hits the sealed
soil landscapes.
Sealed Aggregated Soil Sealed Unaggregated Soil
Q13: How did the water moved past the partially sealed (covered) bread?
The water (rainfall) moves slowly to the soil because it is partially sealed and only a little part of the
soil is free. The carton (impermeable material) becomes the cover for the soil to stops the
absorptions. So, the water stays at the cover while the water that can flow to the bread (soil) flows to
it.
Q14: How did the water moved past the partially sealed (covered) flour?
The water (rainfall) moves downs and flows down. Less water can absorb because less pores, like
in partially aggregated bread the carton becomes the cover and the water stays at it, but the other
amount of water flows down that cause an erosion.
Q15: If you lived in a place where it rains and get flooded a lot, which
kind of landscape would you rather have around your house, similar to
that of the flour or that of the bread?
I would choose similar to bread landscape, because an aggregated soil is a rich and healthy soil,
other than it absorbs water and less water erosion around my house. It can prevent erosion with a
right amount of grass, shrubs to lessen the flood.
Q16: If you lived in a place where it seldom rains and you are trying to
grow food, which kind of land would you want to be farming on, similar to
that of the flour or that of the
bread?
I would choose the bread because unaggregated soil can’t absorbs water thoroughly,
resulting in not reaching the roots of the plants. In farming or growing a food, it should be
healthy and lots of nutrients. So the bread (aggregated soil) is the perfect landscape for
growing a food.

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OCTOBER 1, 2021

Bread as an aggregated soil. Flour as an unaggregated soil.

Q5: How did the water flow past the flour?

Q6: Is the water on the unaggregated soil (flour particles) running

Contaminated Bread Contaminated Flour

Q12: If the water or soil becomes polluted, which landscape would be

Sealed Aggregated Soil Sealed Unaggregated Soil

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