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Layers Beneath Our Feet

Activity

Soil Composition and Sediment Separation

Investigate the soil around Billy Regan Elementary! Collect samples from different areas—near sidewalks, grassy fields, or playgrounds. Use a jar test by mixing each sample with water in a clear container, shaking it up, and letting it settle. Observe how the sand, silt, and clay separate into layers. Which area has the most sand? The most clay? How might this affect what can grow there?

Science Seed

Soil is made of tiny rock particles broken down over time into sand, silt, and clay. Sand has the largest grains and drains quickly, while clay has the smallest, holding water and making the ground sticky when wet and hard when dry. In Houston, soil has been shaped by rivers, floods, and weathering, creating clay-rich ground that expands and contracts with moisture changes. This movement can crack roads, shift buildings, and impact how stable the land is over time.

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earn Badges

Badges can be earned through hands-on experiences within each of the 16 branches of science, or “Science Slices.” You can earn a badge in each branch of science by doing four activities in these categories. We also encourage participants to keep a Nature Journal to record their memories, and to express themselves creatively through writing or drawing after each activity. We recommend that each child (and parent if they’d like) write or draw in a journal after each activity, with expectations of your children that match their age (the goal is self-expression, not perfection).

Explore Billy Reagan K-8 Education Center

join Families in Nature

It is our vision to inspire all families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists. Becoming a member of Families in Nature will give your family the opportunity to have adventures in nature, experience field science, develop as youth conservation leaders, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Memberships are free for everyone.

Who are we?

Families in Nature works to create opportunities for nature connection with the purpose of sparking a deep love and desire to protect, conserve and restore the environment. Our mission is to connect children and their families to nature and to each other through time spent learning, playing, and volunteering outdoors. It is our vision to inspire ALL families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists.

This project was made possible by HEB.